I am almost 35 , with 4 years of experience in a good firm in NY. I have Bachelors 5 years from India and Masters in Urban Design from Columbia University in NYC. I Got laid off in 2010 and since been working on and off doing drafting and small work from Craigs list. I took a one year break took some college courses trying to switch my profession to OT which did not work out. So I am back trying to hone my skill sets, studying for exam.
I feel intimidated entering the job market at this age with very little to offer except a reputable firms name in my resume. With a baby I think its hard to just switch to another profession taking loans at this age. So i have decided to stick to this profession and getting licensed.
Any advice on what kind of skills I should work on that will make me more confident and desirable as a employee ? Any idea what type of offices have better hours and decent work environment suitable for someone with a baby?
Also with my degree what other related profession can I try out ?
The market seems to be loosening up for the better. You have a hometown degree in Columbia and worked at a reputable firm. You should not be intimidated. Do you know the latest software? Also, is the baby under 1 year old, or older than that? Can you keep doing part-time work, say at a decent to good-firm, so you can stay with your child until he or she enters kindergarten?
My Baby is 4 and a half months old. I would like to stay home with my son before he becomes old enough for School. I want to do part time work and get licensed in the mean time which hopefully will boost my chances . But I am not getting much luck with part time stuff. I am thinking learning Revit. I am very good in Cad but ok in 3d softwares ( i can get the job done . I like doing details . I wonder if working in a construction firm will give me better hours and salary ?
I had a kid and used the opportunity to pass the license exams and worked freelance. You can work on keeping up with whatever you choose. There is more than nascent software skills to keep up with in this field. True, we use computers but there is a lot of other stuff to keep up with that matters. Since you will be out of a firm and not have access to lunch and learn you can find free continuing education courses online which cover the same material. Consider the opportunity cost. The bundle of joy in your life arrived at a time when you can appreciate this time in life without loosing opportunity which would be lost in a boom market. I haven't encountered anyone casting a degrading attitude for having raised a newborn and working from home. It has largely been a supportive and encouraging reception from the people I have interviews with and done business with. Even people without kids, mostly the older ones, have an idea of how important your job(s) are. We all depended on our parents. I am loathe to advise anyone to solicit on that creepy website you mentioned. Speaking from experience you are likely to find yourself exposed to scams and danger. The good and the bad news depending on where you are in your career, at some point after getting a license, they start paying you for how old you are and not the number of years in the field or the degrees on your thermometer. Business ends up paying for the real value you bring, or ideally it does. You could have medals pinned to you but the business does not see that, it is a dollar monster. Yes, try construction, try lots of things. Yes, lots of us are having to struggle and if we are honest aloud, we'd admit to thinking some of the things you have mentioned. Keep a contingent plan to stay with the kid until kindergarten while you consider other options. There will be dark days ahead. The thoughts and the need to provide are strong when you have a kid and can cause turmoil. There are also going to be days where you can enjoy the sunshine and do things you would never have gotten to do in an office, like ride a carousel.
Once you make up your mind to stick with architecture (or if you do) I would strongly suggest that you learn BIM (Revit), sustainable design, and rendering techniques w/ photoshop.
Otherwise, there are many positions for a creative professional with your background.
Thanks Adam. Can you give me more info on free online education. Also I am in NYC. Know of any construction detailing courses ?
Mike: what do u mean by sustainable design. I am a leed ap. I can do energy conscious design.
Access. Sorry.. It's tough out there.
Anyone working in a related field with architecture degree? I need some ideas here..
Nowadays is quite usual to work from home and will be become more usual in the future. The same happen with education. Online resources are endless. Open your possibilities and you will find a something according with your needs.
http://www.ronblank.com/ They have some pay and some free courses. The free ones are light and you take a quiz which gives you a certificate of achievement. It is the same material that is covered in offices where they make product presentations. This is pertinent to you in that it allows you to select when and what you want to learn about. You may not care about the continuing education credits or the certificate with your name on it. I don't see a need for detailing courses. To some extent every office details a different construction system. You may end up spending time on something you'd never apply and if you have that kind of time then put it towards something that keeps you happy. If you were interested in detailing I think a generic approach would be better. Some of the learning courses would apply to detailing.
I don't have it all figured out. I run up against some of the same blocks and challenges as other architects. I wonder if I can safely raise a child and keep my family financially healthy in this cyclical business. Architects endured financial famines in the late 70s, 80's, 90's, and recently, which is starting to not be recent. This won't be the worst of it or the last of it.
Thanks Adam, I remain hopeful.
I do want to retire with a little bit of stability without being a drafter when I am 50. I know that sounds cynical but I think very few firms out there do provide that. It seems like the only way to retire is to invest elsewhere while I do work in a firm.
Biral, congrats on the baby. It is a truly wonderful stage of life that you are entering.
Let me tell you from the get-to that you NEED TO learn some 3d software - Rhino, Revit at least something. Without that, you just do not have a competitive edge. If you have a computer and a couple of hours per day, there are tons of online resources that can help you learn.
I also agree on trying to use the time to get a license, this is the opportunity you've been waiting for. I really do not know if detailing courses would help, as that is something you can learn on the job (and should).
Get that license, get good at Rhino + Revit, then see who stops you! After all architecture is an old (wo)man's profession, you got plenty of time to "make it"
no job is perfect and no job will bring absolute happiness. time to stop riding the coattails of that fancy education and start contributing. take chances. be more involved. network. you will be surprised how much people talk and how little they actually do.
you are in new york. be visible. grow your network. help yourself out.
and don't ever pay for courses. watch youtube videos and teach yourself. then pass a revit and or rhino certification exam...all which can be done on line for no more than a couple hundred bucks. if that's what you want...
as an urban designer...why are you looking for work in the US? it's dead here. time to go real estate or abroad.
If your older I'm not sure the expectation is about software so much as an ability to run a project in some way even if its at a lower level. Software is just a tool at that point not the thing to be hired for.
About retiring at 50. You are thinking to do that on architects salary ? I really can't imagine it.
Retiring at 50 is not going to happen, not in the US working in private industry.
If finances allow, my advice is stay home and enjoy raising your child. If you will want a second one, do it in the not-too-distant future. I know right now it seems like a the baby controls every. single. moment. of. your. life. And it does, mostly, as will a second. But trust me when I say, as mother of a 10 year old, it gets SOOOO much easier as they get older. And as the kid(s) become more independent you will find it easier to focus on your work instead.
Most of my fellow mom friends have now gone back to work in different fields from their original education/career. Taking a few years to be a parent and run the home stuff also gives you a new perspective on what type of work you *want* to be filling your days. I don't mean cleaning and meals when i say "home", I mean volunteer time, community building work, fostering friendships and networking. You don't mention a spouse, but if you have one in a career that can benefit from you networking then do that as well - you are a team, what helps one of you helps the whole family.
If you can possibly get licensed, do it. That gives you status when looking for other jobs. I've moved into facilities management and would also love to spend time in the construction side of the work. And jobs in these areas tend to be more flexible with work hours and benefits. But being licensed is good to have on your resume for this kind of work, too. So go for it if you can.
OT didn't work out? I do something similar to that, but I didn't have to go back to school because I got an apprenticeship where I learned on the job. The jobs in that field are in major demand and the pay is good and the hours are flexible and the work is very rewarding. I have a 9 month old and I'm 35. I've thought about going back into architecture, but none of the firms I've talked to are interested in letting me have a flexible or part time schedule and at 35 I don't want to be a revit/cad jockey anymore (I don't know revit), I want to run projects, but that is even harder to convince a firm that you can do on a flexible or part-time basis. I wish I had advice, but I guess I don't. All I can say is OT and similar positions are a GREAT professional job for a mom.
Since mid 2011 - there has been a noticable uptic in business. My office hired 100 people since then. I'm sure your work experience coupled with your educational background will get you hired right away at this point.
perhaps I've just been lucky, but every firm i've worked for has been supportive of those with families. Is this really that rare? I've had to work overtime a few times, but not for months on end or anything crazy.
I suggest networking like crazy, get licensed, and keep doing craigslist jobs until your found the position you want.
My first arch. job ever came from mailing in resumes. I've been hired based on a friend or former co-workers recommendation for the 3 since then. I'm sure that is how most people find work. just my two cents
Aug 8, 13 12:59 pm ·
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Architecture after 35 & a baby
Hello,
I am almost 35 , with 4 years of experience in a good firm in NY. I have Bachelors 5 years from India and Masters in Urban Design from Columbia University in NYC. I Got laid off in 2010 and since been working on and off doing drafting and small work from Craigs list. I took a one year break took some college courses trying to switch my profession to OT which did not work out. So I am back trying to hone my skill sets, studying for exam.
I feel intimidated entering the job market at this age with very little to offer except a reputable firms name in my resume. With a baby I think its hard to just switch to another profession taking loans at this age. So i have decided to stick to this profession and getting licensed.
Any advice on what kind of skills I should work on that will make me more confident and desirable as a employee ? Any idea what type of offices have better hours and decent work environment suitable for someone with a baby?
Also with my degree what other related profession can I try out ?
The market seems to be loosening up for the better. You have a hometown degree in Columbia and worked at a reputable firm. You should not be intimidated. Do you know the latest software? Also, is the baby under 1 year old, or older than that? Can you keep doing part-time work, say at a decent to good-firm, so you can stay with your child until he or she enters kindergarten?
My Baby is 4 and a half months old. I would like to stay home with my son before he becomes old enough for School. I want to do part time work and get licensed in the mean time which hopefully will boost my chances . But I am not getting much luck with part time stuff. I am thinking learning Revit. I am very good in Cad but ok in 3d softwares ( i can get the job done . I like doing details . I wonder if working in a construction firm will give me better hours and salary ?
I had a kid and used the opportunity to pass the license exams and worked freelance. You can work on keeping up with whatever you choose. There is more than nascent software skills to keep up with in this field. True, we use computers but there is a lot of other stuff to keep up with that matters. Since you will be out of a firm and not have access to lunch and learn you can find free continuing education courses online which cover the same material. Consider the opportunity cost. The bundle of joy in your life arrived at a time when you can appreciate this time in life without loosing opportunity which would be lost in a boom market. I haven't encountered anyone casting a degrading attitude for having raised a newborn and working from home. It has largely been a supportive and encouraging reception from the people I have interviews with and done business with. Even people without kids, mostly the older ones, have an idea of how important your job(s) are. We all depended on our parents. I am loathe to advise anyone to solicit on that creepy website you mentioned. Speaking from experience you are likely to find yourself exposed to scams and danger. The good and the bad news depending on where you are in your career, at some point after getting a license, they start paying you for how old you are and not the number of years in the field or the degrees on your thermometer. Business ends up paying for the real value you bring, or ideally it does. You could have medals pinned to you but the business does not see that, it is a dollar monster. Yes, try construction, try lots of things. Yes, lots of us are having to struggle and if we are honest aloud, we'd admit to thinking some of the things you have mentioned. Keep a contingent plan to stay with the kid until kindergarten while you consider other options. There will be dark days ahead. The thoughts and the need to provide are strong when you have a kid and can cause turmoil. There are also going to be days where you can enjoy the sunshine and do things you would never have gotten to do in an office, like ride a carousel.
32 yrs, just got my undergrad, jobless for a year, thinking of going for my masters eventually
pity me instead
Once you make up your mind to stick with architecture (or if you do) I would strongly suggest that you learn BIM (Revit), sustainable design, and rendering techniques w/ photoshop.
Otherwise, there are many positions for a creative professional with your background.
Good luck & hang in there!
Thanks Adam. Can you give me more info on free online education. Also I am in NYC. Know of any construction detailing courses ? Mike: what do u mean by sustainable design. I am a leed ap. I can do energy conscious design. Access. Sorry.. It's tough out there. Anyone working in a related field with architecture degree? I need some ideas here..
Nowadays is quite usual to work from home and will be become more usual in the future. The same happen with education. Online resources are endless. Open your possibilities and you will find a something according with your needs.
Best regards
http://www.ronblank.com/ They have some pay and some free courses. The free ones are light and you take a quiz which gives you a certificate of achievement. It is the same material that is covered in offices where they make product presentations. This is pertinent to you in that it allows you to select when and what you want to learn about. You may not care about the continuing education credits or the certificate with your name on it. I don't see a need for detailing courses. To some extent every office details a different construction system. You may end up spending time on something you'd never apply and if you have that kind of time then put it towards something that keeps you happy. If you were interested in detailing I think a generic approach would be better. Some of the learning courses would apply to detailing.
I don't have it all figured out. I run up against some of the same blocks and challenges as other architects. I wonder if I can safely raise a child and keep my family financially healthy in this cyclical business. Architects endured financial famines in the late 70s, 80's, 90's, and recently, which is starting to not be recent. This won't be the worst of it or the last of it.
Thanks Adam, I remain hopeful. I do want to retire with a little bit of stability without being a drafter when I am 50. I know that sounds cynical but I think very few firms out there do provide that. It seems like the only way to retire is to invest elsewhere while I do work in a firm.
Biral, congrats on the baby. It is a truly wonderful stage of life that you are entering.
Let me tell you from the get-to that you NEED TO learn some 3d software - Rhino, Revit at least something. Without that, you just do not have a competitive edge. If you have a computer and a couple of hours per day, there are tons of online resources that can help you learn.
I also agree on trying to use the time to get a license, this is the opportunity you've been waiting for. I really do not know if detailing courses would help, as that is something you can learn on the job (and should).
Get that license, get good at Rhino + Revit, then see who stops you! After all architecture is an old (wo)man's profession, you got plenty of time to "make it"
no job is perfect and no job will bring absolute happiness. time to stop riding the coattails of that fancy education and start contributing. take chances. be more involved. network. you will be surprised how much people talk and how little they actually do.
you are in new york. be visible. grow your network. help yourself out.
and don't ever pay for courses. watch youtube videos and teach yourself. then pass a revit and or rhino certification exam...all which can be done on line for no more than a couple hundred bucks. if that's what you want...
as an urban designer...why are you looking for work in the US? it's dead here. time to go real estate or abroad.
About retiring at 50. You are thinking to do that on architects salary ? I really can't imagine it.
Retiring at 50 is not going to happen, not in the US working in private industry.
If finances allow, my advice is stay home and enjoy raising your child. If you will want a second one, do it in the not-too-distant future. I know right now it seems like a the baby controls every. single. moment. of. your. life. And it does, mostly, as will a second. But trust me when I say, as mother of a 10 year old, it gets SOOOO much easier as they get older. And as the kid(s) become more independent you will find it easier to focus on your work instead.
Most of my fellow mom friends have now gone back to work in different fields from their original education/career. Taking a few years to be a parent and run the home stuff also gives you a new perspective on what type of work you *want* to be filling your days. I don't mean cleaning and meals when i say "home", I mean volunteer time, community building work, fostering friendships and networking. You don't mention a spouse, but if you have one in a career that can benefit from you networking then do that as well - you are a team, what helps one of you helps the whole family.
If you can possibly get licensed, do it. That gives you status when looking for other jobs. I've moved into facilities management and would also love to spend time in the construction side of the work. And jobs in these areas tend to be more flexible with work hours and benefits. But being licensed is good to have on your resume for this kind of work, too. So go for it if you can.
OT didn't work out? I do something similar to that, but I didn't have to go back to school because I got an apprenticeship where I learned on the job. The jobs in that field are in major demand and the pay is good and the hours are flexible and the work is very rewarding. I have a 9 month old and I'm 35. I've thought about going back into architecture, but none of the firms I've talked to are interested in letting me have a flexible or part time schedule and at 35 I don't want to be a revit/cad jockey anymore (I don't know revit), I want to run projects, but that is even harder to convince a firm that you can do on a flexible or part-time basis. I wish I had advice, but I guess I don't. All I can say is OT and similar positions are a GREAT professional job for a mom.
Since mid 2011 - there has been a noticable uptic in business. My office hired 100 people since then. I'm sure your work experience coupled with your educational background will get you hired right away at this point.
perhaps I've just been lucky, but every firm i've worked for has been supportive of those with families. Is this really that rare? I've had to work overtime a few times, but not for months on end or anything crazy.
I suggest networking like crazy, get licensed, and keep doing craigslist jobs until your found the position you want.
My first arch. job ever came from mailing in resumes. I've been hired based on a friend or former co-workers recommendation for the 3 since then. I'm sure that is how most people find work. just my two cents
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