Okay.here's the deal. I'm an fresh grad architect, doing my masters in Industrial Design from School of Planning and Architecture in India and looking at the possibilities of a job in the US.
I want to know how to go about it and what to expect. Moneywise and otherwise. What should i be doing?
I have no experience as such apart from a couple of interior projects i've woked on and a lot of computer visualizations.
laistm,
I can't speak for the rest of the country but here in Chicago the situation is pretty bad. I know hundreds of experienced licensed and unlicensed architects that are out of work. Big and small firms have laid off hundreds of people and most of them are still looking with no luck. I was laid off couple of weeks ago, but I know plenty of people from SOM that have been laid off in November and still no work for them and they are looking.
There are plenty of cases where people moved from Chicago, single or with families to different cities in Texas or NY to try to find work. Some of them have been successful but some of them had to just find ANY job to support families. I've had about 7 of my best friends leave the city and move, hoping they can start somewhere else, because they've been trying here for months and some for a year now. One person was lucky to find work, but he just got laid off the other day in Montana. I mean he moved to Montana from Chicago to find work, that should tell you how bad things are.
At the firm where I was before I got laid off (and I was there for over 7 years), we've had new people start, but those were interns, that just watned to see the office and work a little bit, but it was all for FREE. So that is a problem also, because we started hiring FREE interns in order to resolve our financial problems at the firm. If you are looking for work, under no circumstances work for free, because that will backfire for all architects looking for work.
So to sum it up, if you try to come here, you have a lot of competition, people that are licenses architects, people that have years and years of experience and a lot of people have huge connections in the U.S.. so be prepared for disappointment.
My personal suggestions, don't come here, because we have people from here moving to India, Singapore, Korea and trying to find work there because simply there is not that much work here.
"its the worst economic crisis since the great depression" - i don't buy that its as bad as that (we don't have people waiting in line for food and stuff) but employment is pretty severe, especially for someone without a strong network in the field.
a lot of professionals are going back to school because they can't find employment (grad school is really competitive right now); you get the point. its rough at the moment for so i'd say come a little later (couple years?) when things start rolling again.
if you want to come to the US now, its probably easier via school, then get to know people, and then when the economy starts to turn around, find employment.
also...not to add to the "don't come here" theme, but i know several people who were laid off who were here on work visas sponsored by their employers. some of them are facing the reality of planning for a return back to their home country, b/c without a visa...they can't stay. i am assuming that is the situation you would be in - back in the good old days employers were often happy to take on the extra expense of sponsorship if they thought you were a good person to invest in. right now....i'm willing to bet that if there are any jobs out there, they are going to go to some of the hundreds of unemployed american architects wandering around, and not to someone who requires sponsorship. not to say that under normal circumstances they wouldnt be glad to have you, but these are just not normal circumstances, and no one wants to spend an extra dime on anything.
atsama is absolutely right! My friend, who's been here for years just got laid off today. I met her for lunch and some strong drinks today and she's already planning to go back to Mexico, because her work visa will expire and it is not realistic looking for a job and an employer that will sponsor you in such a short time.
"isn't there something like 40% of the architecture profession unemployed right now?"
i wonder if there is an actual number on this, tracked by the AIA, Department of Labor, etc...i would imagine it being closer to 25% with an additional 25% being underemployed (forced part-time, or pay reductions) - what do you all think?
laistm...this would be a very tough year to get interest from offices in the us...as suggested, coming through a masters program might be the smartest way to go about it...good luck.
sorry for the tangent, but i would like to ammend my previous post...i would guess 35%unemployed, 35%underemployed, and 30%employed (90% of which are in constant fear of becoming unemployed)
It's the same story out here in San Francisco. There have a been a ton of layoffs since the fall. I've heard that some firms gets literally hundreds of applications for each job post.
If you came here, you might be competing against people with several years of experience.
hi laistm--
congratulations that you're already looking ahead to the after-graduation job...but continuing the theme of the above posts, i would highly dissuade you coming to the united states right now. the job market here is TERRIBLE and i've had friends all over the country get laid off, from nyc to sfo to every little city in between (this, unfortunately, includes myself). if this is your goal, to come over here and work, i might suggest staying in india for a while longer, getting some experience under your belt, save money, enter competitions, start making connections, etc. -- and then get on the first flight over once the sun comes out again. i'm afraid that the reality of this job market is rather grim for the moment.
Jul 27, 09 9:42 am ·
·
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.
Fresh grad looks for job in US
Okay.here's the deal. I'm an fresh grad architect, doing my masters in Industrial Design from School of Planning and Architecture in India and looking at the possibilities of a job in the US.
I want to know how to go about it and what to expect. Moneywise and otherwise. What should i be doing?
I have no experience as such apart from a couple of interior projects i've woked on and a lot of computer visualizations.
laistm,
I can't speak for the rest of the country but here in Chicago the situation is pretty bad. I know hundreds of experienced licensed and unlicensed architects that are out of work. Big and small firms have laid off hundreds of people and most of them are still looking with no luck. I was laid off couple of weeks ago, but I know plenty of people from SOM that have been laid off in November and still no work for them and they are looking.
There are plenty of cases where people moved from Chicago, single or with families to different cities in Texas or NY to try to find work. Some of them have been successful but some of them had to just find ANY job to support families. I've had about 7 of my best friends leave the city and move, hoping they can start somewhere else, because they've been trying here for months and some for a year now. One person was lucky to find work, but he just got laid off the other day in Montana. I mean he moved to Montana from Chicago to find work, that should tell you how bad things are.
At the firm where I was before I got laid off (and I was there for over 7 years), we've had new people start, but those were interns, that just watned to see the office and work a little bit, but it was all for FREE. So that is a problem also, because we started hiring FREE interns in order to resolve our financial problems at the firm. If you are looking for work, under no circumstances work for free, because that will backfire for all architects looking for work.
So to sum it up, if you try to come here, you have a lot of competition, people that are licenses architects, people that have years and years of experience and a lot of people have huge connections in the U.S.. so be prepared for disappointment.
My personal suggestions, don't come here, because we have people from here moving to India, Singapore, Korea and trying to find work there because simply there is not that much work here.
GOOD LUCK!!!
"its the worst economic crisis since the great depression" - i don't buy that its as bad as that (we don't have people waiting in line for food and stuff) but employment is pretty severe, especially for someone without a strong network in the field.
a lot of professionals are going back to school because they can't find employment (grad school is really competitive right now); you get the point. its rough at the moment for so i'd say come a little later (couple years?) when things start rolling again.
if you want to come to the US now, its probably easier via school, then get to know people, and then when the economy starts to turn around, find employment.
Isn't there something like 40% of the architecture profession unemployed right now?
I would totally wait until next year or maybe the year after that... or maybe never.
also...not to add to the "don't come here" theme, but i know several people who were laid off who were here on work visas sponsored by their employers. some of them are facing the reality of planning for a return back to their home country, b/c without a visa...they can't stay. i am assuming that is the situation you would be in - back in the good old days employers were often happy to take on the extra expense of sponsorship if they thought you were a good person to invest in. right now....i'm willing to bet that if there are any jobs out there, they are going to go to some of the hundreds of unemployed american architects wandering around, and not to someone who requires sponsorship. not to say that under normal circumstances they wouldnt be glad to have you, but these are just not normal circumstances, and no one wants to spend an extra dime on anything.
just another angle to consider....
atsama is absolutely right! My friend, who's been here for years just got laid off today. I met her for lunch and some strong drinks today and she's already planning to go back to Mexico, because her work visa will expire and it is not realistic looking for a job and an employer that will sponsor you in such a short time.
"isn't there something like 40% of the architecture profession unemployed right now?"
i wonder if there is an actual number on this, tracked by the AIA, Department of Labor, etc...i would imagine it being closer to 25% with an additional 25% being underemployed (forced part-time, or pay reductions) - what do you all think?
laistm...this would be a very tough year to get interest from offices in the us...as suggested, coming through a masters program might be the smartest way to go about it...good luck.
sorry for the tangent, but i would like to ammend my previous post...i would guess 35%unemployed, 35%underemployed, and 30%employed (90% of which are in constant fear of becoming unemployed)
- again, good luck laistm! -
hmm... so i guess i'm better off here in India for the time being.
Why dont you all come down here? :-)
u got ur answer, but im confused,, i dont understand, are u an architect or an industrial designer?
If you're looking for a firm to pay for your H1B Visa, forget it.
They have been the first to be let go.
I'm an architect. doing my masters in Industrial Product Design.
It's the same story out here in San Francisco. There have a been a ton of layoffs since the fall. I've heard that some firms gets literally hundreds of applications for each job post.
If you came here, you might be competing against people with several years of experience.
Good luck!
hi laistm--
congratulations that you're already looking ahead to the after-graduation job...but continuing the theme of the above posts, i would highly dissuade you coming to the united states right now. the job market here is TERRIBLE and i've had friends all over the country get laid off, from nyc to sfo to every little city in between (this, unfortunately, includes myself). if this is your goal, to come over here and work, i might suggest staying in india for a while longer, getting some experience under your belt, save money, enter competitions, start making connections, etc. -- and then get on the first flight over once the sun comes out again. i'm afraid that the reality of this job market is rather grim for the moment.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.