work is slow recently and i got into a situation that I run out of things to do.
I asked the manager who's in charge of staffing, she talked to one project manager and he found something for me to do for a few days, then he doesn't have anything else anymore.
should I ask the staffing manager again? or ask people and find things myself? thanks.
ps. some people may not think so, but I think the management in my office is a mess.
It depends on how large your company is, and whose toes you might tread on, but I'd plot a little business case for recycling the tacit project information that might be lost from the rush of the last few years.
Collating project case studies (for marketing purposes) is a good one.
Profitability analyses of completed projects is another.
Write a paper for publication, do some conferencing.
phase, from my own experiences this is a normal thing that happens when either work is slow or people are just far too engaged with their own projects to add anyone else to the team.
I've experienced this myself and the best thing to is go after the work yourself and don't wait for it to come to you. I've done this no matter how tedious and no matter what kind of shit work it is. I find that this kind of proactive approach is what saves you r employment down the stretch when the road gets really bumpy for the office.
I do not recommend the approach of cruising the office to beg for work every couple days. It is not becoming of someone who is supposedly a professional. As dapper said, let everyone in the office know your workload is light and that you're available, perhaps in an e-mail or at a staff meeting. Do not go to people's desks and ask if they have work - especially if you've already tried that. You can also send a gentle e-mail to your boss once a week reminding him/her know your workload is still light until things pick up.
In the meantime, there are plenty of things you could do to keep yourself busy, most of which are already discussed above.
Get your resume in order and print your portfolio. I don't want to sound mean but every single time that happened to me I was the next lay off. I think everyone is telling you to try something where you bill time to General Office. When the office sees your G.O. time going up they will lay you off, citing you as unprofitable. You must stay billable. Sorry to hear thats happening to you. I agree with 4arch, going to each desk begging for gruel makes you look like dead weight.
It's also helpful to give people enough notice as you are approaching the end of one task, so that they can prepare the next one for you. One-day notice is adequate; 4 hours is stretching it.
Atom is spot on, Last time the bottom fell out I was the lone guy in the office. The only reason I was kept around was that I earned less than a few of the other guys, could do what they did I was therefore more than the guy at the other desk, and if it got really slow I wasn't a big fat salary that could easily be trimmed off.
Got me through the early 90's twice, in the same office no less. Be essential, be more profitable than the other guy. Its a bit of a nasty comment and I didn't realize it at the time but looking back that was the only reason I was kept on.
If your office if using BIM software, go ahead and make parametric content, templates, re-oder the office bim library, purge and archive old files etc. This is a task that needs to be done on a regular basis but no one seem to have time for this.
This is not a good position to be in. I hate to say this, but it sounds like your skills are not up to standard, otherwise they would be using you on projects. The best thing to do, is improve you skills - know the code, know CDs, know how to produce an entire drawings. You may even have to go back to school. And now with a lot of hotshoe graduates out there armed with the latest BIM knowledge, you can't stand still. In thsi economy, a layoff could be fatal to your architecture carreer.
i'd take treekiller's advice - study up for the leed exam or the are. professional development is a good use of company time; just be sure your supervisor knows what you are doing.
Truthfully, when I tell people I don't have anything for them, it means I won't let them near my stuff. This may or may not be your case, but only you know that.
Oct 2, 08 8:43 pm ·
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running out of things to do
work is slow recently and i got into a situation that I run out of things to do.
I asked the manager who's in charge of staffing, she talked to one project manager and he found something for me to do for a few days, then he doesn't have anything else anymore.
should I ask the staffing manager again? or ask people and find things myself? thanks.
ps. some people may not think so, but I think the management in my office is a mess.
It depends on how large your company is, and whose toes you might tread on, but I'd plot a little business case for recycling the tacit project information that might be lost from the rush of the last few years.
Collating project case studies (for marketing purposes) is a good one.
Profitability analyses of completed projects is another.
Write a paper for publication, do some conferencing.
Good luck.
develop a business plan for entering a new market/sector.
convene a bunch of other folks at your level to solve a need of the firm or expand your skills as a group
be proactive
jump into marketing the firm
phase, from my own experiences this is a normal thing that happens when either work is slow or people are just far too engaged with their own projects to add anyone else to the team.
I've experienced this myself and the best thing to is go after the work yourself and don't wait for it to come to you. I've done this no matter how tedious and no matter what kind of shit work it is. I find that this kind of proactive approach is what saves you r employment down the stretch when the road gets really bumpy for the office.
Trolling for work is the worst. Just let everyone know that you're available if they need assistance even the office manager.
I do not recommend the approach of cruising the office to beg for work every couple days. It is not becoming of someone who is supposedly a professional. As dapper said, let everyone in the office know your workload is light and that you're available, perhaps in an e-mail or at a staff meeting. Do not go to people's desks and ask if they have work - especially if you've already tried that. You can also send a gentle e-mail to your boss once a week reminding him/her know your workload is still light until things pick up.
In the meantime, there are plenty of things you could do to keep yourself busy, most of which are already discussed above.
work on your sketching skills....
research some competitions
make some coffee......
Is this a place where you have been for a while. Many of the things listed above are hard to do if you have not been there long.
Get your resume in order and print your portfolio. I don't want to sound mean but every single time that happened to me I was the next lay off. I think everyone is telling you to try something where you bill time to General Office. When the office sees your G.O. time going up they will lay you off, citing you as unprofitable. You must stay billable. Sorry to hear thats happening to you. I agree with 4arch, going to each desk begging for gruel makes you look like dead weight.
I'd make work quick for yourself.
If you troll around, and get the reputation as someone without stuff to do, you'll be the first one laid off.
Make yourself essential. Ask to draw details, ask to do renderings, ask to put together marketing materials to get new work.
It's also helpful to give people enough notice as you are approaching the end of one task, so that they can prepare the next one for you. One-day notice is adequate; 4 hours is stretching it.
Atom is spot on, Last time the bottom fell out I was the lone guy in the office. The only reason I was kept around was that I earned less than a few of the other guys, could do what they did I was therefore more than the guy at the other desk, and if it got really slow I wasn't a big fat salary that could easily be trimmed off.
Got me through the early 90's twice, in the same office no less. Be essential, be more profitable than the other guy. Its a bit of a nasty comment and I didn't realize it at the time but looking back that was the only reason I was kept on.
in our office, there is always filing and archiving to do.
look for free or very inexpensive seminars that you could attend
prepare marketing materials and project sheets
get registered or LEED certified
I sent out an email to management asking if there was anything I could help out on with this image. I was given some redlines.
Shortly there after I was laid off.
If your office if using BIM software, go ahead and make parametric content, templates, re-oder the office bim library, purge and archive old files etc. This is a task that needs to be done on a regular basis but no one seem to have time for this.
studying for the ARE, so is the CSI or LEED exam is good. Then there is learning new software and working on block libraries.
and if you do get laid off, these skills will be more valuable
This is not a good position to be in. I hate to say this, but it sounds like your skills are not up to standard, otherwise they would be using you on projects. The best thing to do, is improve you skills - know the code, know CDs, know how to produce an entire drawings. You may even have to go back to school. And now with a lot of hotshoe graduates out there armed with the latest BIM knowledge, you can't stand still. In thsi economy, a layoff could be fatal to your architecture carreer.
so could spelling mistakes.
i'd take treekiller's advice - study up for the leed exam or the are. professional development is a good use of company time; just be sure your supervisor knows what you are doing.
good luck.
Truthfully, when I tell people I don't have anything for them, it means I won't let them near my stuff. This may or may not be your case, but only you know that.
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