I accepted a position with an American Starchitect in Beijing. The pay seems to be above average for a young graduate to maintain a western lifestyle, housing is paid for, full benefits, two roundtrip tickets home per year, etc etc. I know the hours will be long and the projects will yield little creativity :(...what else can I expect joining a large international office in China and being the new small fish in the big pond in an even bigger country?
The hours will be long, but why do you think the projects will yield little creativity? That might be the case if you work for a corporate firm in China, but with a Starchitect, Im sure you will get something a bit more intellectually rewarding....
In any case it will be a eye-opening experience. Good luck!
@sameolddoctor
former classmates have worked for the same stararchitect in the states and they often felt that the "creative juices" only flow downstream.
@jk3hl
I've studied Mandarin for two years including an intense immersion program. I know enough to communicate effectively but doing business takes a much larger vocabulary. That being said, there are definitely opportunities if you're willing to relocate and take on the challenge of learning the language. I was also very fortunate to able to interview at an office in the US for the position. In terms of qualifications, I'm graduating at the end of the month with my MArch + MBA. Above all I maintained strong relationships with former employers who helped "open" doors that previously would have been "locked" in this economy.
I'm hoping upon graduation I can go overseas too. I'm an Urban Planning undergrad, though. Most of the international job listings for my company in the planning field that I have seen thus far are for very senior level positions, though. I'm thinking there has to be at least some entry level jobs that just aren't listed (like.. hey, we could use some more people on this job. Let's find them internally.) I've started putting the word out to some of my co-workers that I want to go abroad. Hopefully that helps.
JaRchy.. Since you said you got the job through former employers... did you just start hitting up all your contacts expressing your interest in going to China and someone was like.. hey actually I do know someone who needs a person in China.. or was it something you applied for pretty formally and got their recommendation for?
Who is this Starchitect? Is it Steven Holl by any chance?
I want a job too!
Actually I spent two years working at a boutique architecture firm in Shanghai. It was a fantastic experience not only learning while designing but also experiencing a new culture and traveling throughout the region. Life there is cheap and if you have a western salary you will be living very well, especially with housing and transportation covered.
Enjoy the job and let me know if they are still hiring!
May 9, 09 4:41 am ·
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Moving to Beijing
Greetings fellow architects and allied artists
I accepted a position with an American Starchitect in Beijing. The pay seems to be above average for a young graduate to maintain a western lifestyle, housing is paid for, full benefits, two roundtrip tickets home per year, etc etc. I know the hours will be long and the projects will yield little creativity :(...what else can I expect joining a large international office in China and being the new small fish in the big pond in an even bigger country?
Many thanks
The hours will be long, but why do you think the projects will yield little creativity? That might be the case if you work for a corporate firm in China, but with a Starchitect, Im sure you will get something a bit more intellectually rewarding....
In any case it will be a eye-opening experience. Good luck!
Do you know chinese? Curious what it 'takes' to land a position like that.
@sameolddoctor
former classmates have worked for the same stararchitect in the states and they often felt that the "creative juices" only flow downstream.
@jk3hl
I've studied Mandarin for two years including an intense immersion program. I know enough to communicate effectively but doing business takes a much larger vocabulary. That being said, there are definitely opportunities if you're willing to relocate and take on the challenge of learning the language. I was also very fortunate to able to interview at an office in the US for the position. In terms of qualifications, I'm graduating at the end of the month with my MArch + MBA. Above all I maintained strong relationships with former employers who helped "open" doors that previously would have been "locked" in this economy.
Congrats! That sounds like quite the gig.
I'm hoping upon graduation I can go overseas too. I'm an Urban Planning undergrad, though. Most of the international job listings for my company in the planning field that I have seen thus far are for very senior level positions, though. I'm thinking there has to be at least some entry level jobs that just aren't listed (like.. hey, we could use some more people on this job. Let's find them internally.) I've started putting the word out to some of my co-workers that I want to go abroad. Hopefully that helps.
JaRchy.. Since you said you got the job through former employers... did you just start hitting up all your contacts expressing your interest in going to China and someone was like.. hey actually I do know someone who needs a person in China.. or was it something you applied for pretty formally and got their recommendation for?
Who is this Starchitect? Is it Steven Holl by any chance?
I want a job too!
Actually I spent two years working at a boutique architecture firm in Shanghai. It was a fantastic experience not only learning while designing but also experiencing a new culture and traveling throughout the region. Life there is cheap and if you have a western salary you will be living very well, especially with housing and transportation covered.
Enjoy the job and let me know if they are still hiring!
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