I'm currently employed in a corporate firm. I've been with this firm for two years. I've been working on a group of projects for a single client (commercial) the whole time and I was pretty much the only person on them. Needless to say, I learned a lot, from Revit monkey skills to managing consultants, to scheduling and billing.... 3 of these projects have just gotten approval and ready to go to construction.
This is when I got an offer from a small and well published design firm. This firm does well designed, well put together, diverse projects. I'm very interested in their office culture and their work.
I'm two years out of grad school, finished all my AREs, IDP, CIDP and is waiting in line for the California Oral to become licensed. I've always been told that it's very important to get construction experience and it's great to see the drawings you labored over realized. But I'm worried about becoming too corporate-oriented. My currently projects provided good learning ground for a newbie, but there's really nothing special about them.
What is more important at this point of my career? Construction experience in the projects that I've worked on for two years and drew every line in the sets for, or deisgn firm with inspirational projects that can add to my portfolio? I'm less concerned about the difference in pay, benefit, or hours.
Your advice will be greatly appreciated!
CHC: it depends, I suppose, on your goals. But, for my money, I think it's really important early in one's career to see a few projects all the way through construction. You will be glad you did and you'll regret it if you don't. I recognize the appeal of the smaller firm, but the long term benefits of complete experience will be extremely valuable.
You are one of the lucky ones who actually got a job during the peak recession of 2008 and stayed at the same place since then! I used to work at corporate firm, when they laid me off 2 years ago, it felt like I was just number in that big company, there was no warning, it all just happened within an hour and I was out the door with a box... Staying at corporate I think its really risky still, and if you have a good offer from smaller firm than I would take it, at least they let you know in advanced if you are gonna get fired, like 2 weeks in advanced, not like damn corporate 1 hour!
distant,
Thank you for your advice. Could you elaborate a bit on why you think the construction experience is so important for youngsters?
Zen,
Sorry for what happened to you. I have heard horror stories from both corporate and small firms about layoffs. My firm did it's fair share of supprise layoffs, but I've also heard of small design firms layoff peole who are on holiday via email.....
CHC: increasingly, many younger professionals are finding that they get pigeonholed, performing a narrow part of the process. this narrow focus reduces their versatility as the needs of the practice change over time. As they age and start earning more, it becomes even more difficult to go back and expand the range of their experience.
I tend to believe satisfying and successful careers are built on broad experience - not on knowing just one part of the process really well.
I agree with distant that one needs to develop a broad range of experience. And I also think that there will be some moments of "wow I wished I'd followed those projects through til completion."
BUT - if you're really indifferent to your current product and you're really interested in working in this other place - then take full advantage of it and go. There's cache to finishing something and there's cache to the types of projects one does - which it sounds like corporate land wont be able to give you - and which will have its own value as you get your license and built your own situation.
(my 2cents as perpetual devils advocate, piping all the starry-eyed youngsters off the very real cliffs.)
Sorry, I'm just imagining you as a giant, scary and dark demigod standing looming over an ocean cliff squeezing college students out of a cake-decorating bag into the ocean.
CrazyHouseCat: It's really nice to have career options like that in the current economy. Count yourself as one of the lucky ones.
An important consideration for the smaller office is how well you will get along with the staff. Smaller firms tend to develop certain, collective personality traits, and I would strongly suggest spending a day or two in the firm picking up on the office dynamics before committing.
Lots of good advice has already been given out here. Benefits of small v. large firm really depend on a number of circumstances, and it's quite possible to pick up a well balanced experience in either.
Construction administration (especially for large, uniform projects) is boring, not particularly challenging, and occasionally educational, but very important to have in the game of architectural feather fluffing. That being said, you can improve your technical prowess a whole lot in the small design firm by taking keen interest in specifications portion of each project. Just by the virtue of working on smaller projects, you will go through a number of them in no time, and soon will consider yourself an expert in a number of systems, materials and installation methods.
I'm leaning towards the new job, the more I think about it. In any case, all the best to ya!
Job decision advice needed
I'm currently employed in a corporate firm. I've been with this firm for two years. I've been working on a group of projects for a single client (commercial) the whole time and I was pretty much the only person on them. Needless to say, I learned a lot, from Revit monkey skills to managing consultants, to scheduling and billing.... 3 of these projects have just gotten approval and ready to go to construction.
This is when I got an offer from a small and well published design firm. This firm does well designed, well put together, diverse projects. I'm very interested in their office culture and their work.
I'm two years out of grad school, finished all my AREs, IDP, CIDP and is waiting in line for the California Oral to become licensed. I've always been told that it's very important to get construction experience and it's great to see the drawings you labored over realized. But I'm worried about becoming too corporate-oriented. My currently projects provided good learning ground for a newbie, but there's really nothing special about them.
What is more important at this point of my career? Construction experience in the projects that I've worked on for two years and drew every line in the sets for, or deisgn firm with inspirational projects that can add to my portfolio? I'm less concerned about the difference in pay, benefit, or hours.
Your advice will be greatly appreciated!
CHC: it depends, I suppose, on your goals. But, for my money, I think it's really important early in one's career to see a few projects all the way through construction. You will be glad you did and you'll regret it if you don't. I recognize the appeal of the smaller firm, but the long term benefits of complete experience will be extremely valuable.
You are one of the lucky ones who actually got a job during the peak recession of 2008 and stayed at the same place since then! I used to work at corporate firm, when they laid me off 2 years ago, it felt like I was just number in that big company, there was no warning, it all just happened within an hour and I was out the door with a box... Staying at corporate I think its really risky still, and if you have a good offer from smaller firm than I would take it, at least they let you know in advanced if you are gonna get fired, like 2 weeks in advanced, not like damn corporate 1 hour!
distant,
Thank you for your advice. Could you elaborate a bit on why you think the construction experience is so important for youngsters?
Zen,
Sorry for what happened to you. I have heard horror stories from both corporate and small firms about layoffs. My firm did it's fair share of supprise layoffs, but I've also heard of small design firms layoff peole who are on holiday via email.....
CHC: increasingly, many younger professionals are finding that they get pigeonholed, performing a narrow part of the process. this narrow focus reduces their versatility as the needs of the practice change over time. As they age and start earning more, it becomes even more difficult to go back and expand the range of their experience.
I tend to believe satisfying and successful careers are built on broad experience - not on knowing just one part of the process really well.
I agree with distant that one needs to develop a broad range of experience. And I also think that there will be some moments of "wow I wished I'd followed those projects through til completion."
BUT - if you're really indifferent to your current product and you're really interested in working in this other place - then take full advantage of it and go. There's cache to finishing something and there's cache to the types of projects one does - which it sounds like corporate land wont be able to give you - and which will have its own value as you get your license and built your own situation.
(my 2cents as perpetual devils advocate, piping all the starry-eyed youngsters off the very real cliffs.)
Piping?
Sorry, I'm just imagining you as a giant, scary and dark demigod standing looming over an ocean cliff squeezing college students out of a cake-decorating bag into the ocean.
I WILL DECORATE THE WORLD WITH THE FAILED HOPES AND USED OR CORPSES OF WESTERN YOUTH.
or=up*
I'll have my cake and "eat it" too
CrazyHouseCat: It's really nice to have career options like that in the current economy. Count yourself as one of the lucky ones.
An important consideration for the smaller office is how well you will get along with the staff. Smaller firms tend to develop certain, collective personality traits, and I would strongly suggest spending a day or two in the firm picking up on the office dynamics before committing.
Lots of good advice has already been given out here. Benefits of small v. large firm really depend on a number of circumstances, and it's quite possible to pick up a well balanced experience in either.
Construction administration (especially for large, uniform projects) is boring, not particularly challenging, and occasionally educational, but very important to have in the game of architectural feather fluffing. That being said, you can improve your technical prowess a whole lot in the small design firm by taking keen interest in specifications portion of each project. Just by the virtue of working on smaller projects, you will go through a number of them in no time, and soon will consider yourself an expert in a number of systems, materials and installation methods.
I'm leaning towards the new job, the more I think about it. In any case, all the best to ya!
piping, like this:
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