I'm super naive and looking for some input from those who've had many years of experience with different types of projects, firms, and business sectors (private, public, nfp).
I currently have 18 months of experience working with condominium towers. I liked the work and the high-rise residential project type, but it's the only one I have professional experience with so I'm open to diversifying my experience and working with firms that are doing other project types as well.
I've been approached by a civil engineering firm who works on infrastructural government projects. If I delve into public sector work for a short amount of time, particularly doing design-build US Rail Transportation projects, will this typecast me and negatively affect my career trajectory if I eventually want to work in a boutique commercial office? If I take this job, I'm worried that a high-quality architectural design firm will look at this on my resume in the future and think I'm not fit for them since this opportunity would be the most recent job on my resume. I understand that my portfolio would give me a chance to showcase my design skills, but most interviews I've had cared to see my resume before my portfolio - which I why I'm worried about being typecasted when sending resumes around - they might look, see the government timeframe, and simply assume I wouldn't have sufficient creative thinking to work for them and throw it out. Would this happen? Like I said, I'm super naive.
Dangermouse
Feb 26, 16 11:46 pm
creative thinking is overrated. creativity is the enemy. government work means that you'll understand code, permitting, and government contract negotiation much better than your contemporaries. government work is a huge source of $$$. many high end boutique offices compete for government work.
ArchNyen
Feb 27, 16 12:15 am
take a chill pill man
everything is gonna be ok
awaiting_deletion
Feb 27, 16 12:17 am
life is an experience, take the pill.
Leandro Llorente
Feb 27, 16 4:28 am
The civil engineering firm will not typecast you when you come from a boutique firm but the boutique firm will typecast you when you come from a civil engineering firm.
You have to understand that it caters to different clientele and specificity of demands.
LITS4FormZ
Feb 27, 16 9:19 am
If you only measure your experience in months then you have plenty of time to make career-ending mistakes much later in life. If anything now is the time to make "mistakes."
If the "high-quality design" office cannot appreciate the fact that you bring a different perspective, experience and skillset to their practice then they aren;t worth your effort or worry.
geezertect
Feb 27, 16 10:13 am
^ Ditto the above. Do it if you think it will benefit you. Any firm that closed minded is not one you want to be with anyway. Don't overthink it. You're young, so take advantage of your youth. Ain't going to have it forever. Don't ask me how I know.
Lee Robert
Feb 27, 16 10:33 am
I think it all comes down to how you represent the work from this civil firm in your portfolio. The resume piece is less of an issue in my mind.
If you did some really interesting (or even not so interesting) government projects and found a way to represent that work so it would appeal to the small boutique design firms you want to work with afterward, it'd be a home run. They would see that you understand he technical side and have the graphics skills to communicate the lessons you've learned clearly.
null pointer
Feb 27, 16 12:06 pm
If you want to go off by yourself in the future, evaluate your job on the sole basis of how much client contact you'll get.
Hi all,
I'm super naive and looking for some input from those who've had many years of experience with different types of projects, firms, and business sectors (private, public, nfp).
I currently have 18 months of experience working with condominium towers. I liked the work and the high-rise residential project type, but it's the only one I have professional experience with so I'm open to diversifying my experience and working with firms that are doing other project types as well.
I've been approached by a civil engineering firm who works on infrastructural government projects. If I delve into public sector work for a short amount of time, particularly doing design-build US Rail Transportation projects, will this typecast me and negatively affect my career trajectory if I eventually want to work in a boutique commercial office? If I take this job, I'm worried that a high-quality architectural design firm will look at this on my resume in the future and think I'm not fit for them since this opportunity would be the most recent job on my resume. I understand that my portfolio would give me a chance to showcase my design skills, but most interviews I've had cared to see my resume before my portfolio - which I why I'm worried about being typecasted when sending resumes around - they might look, see the government timeframe, and simply assume I wouldn't have sufficient creative thinking to work for them and throw it out. Would this happen? Like I said, I'm super naive.
creative thinking is overrated. creativity is the enemy. government work means that you'll understand code, permitting, and government contract negotiation much better than your contemporaries. government work is a huge source of $$$. many high end boutique offices compete for government work.
take a chill pill man
everything is gonna be ok
life is an experience, take the pill.
The civil engineering firm will not typecast you when you come from a boutique firm but the boutique firm will typecast you when you come from a civil engineering firm. You have to understand that it caters to different clientele and specificity of demands.
If you only measure your experience in months then you have plenty of time to make career-ending mistakes much later in life. If anything now is the time to make "mistakes."
If the "high-quality design" office cannot appreciate the fact that you bring a different perspective, experience and skillset to their practice then they aren;t worth your effort or worry.
^ Ditto the above. Do it if you think it will benefit you. Any firm that closed minded is not one you want to be with anyway. Don't overthink it. You're young, so take advantage of your youth. Ain't going to have it forever. Don't ask me how I know.
I think it all comes down to how you represent the work from this civil firm in your portfolio. The resume piece is less of an issue in my mind.
If you did some really interesting (or even not so interesting) government projects and found a way to represent that work so it would appeal to the small boutique design firms you want to work with afterward, it'd be a home run. They would see that you understand he technical side and have the graphics skills to communicate the lessons you've learned clearly.
If you want to go off by yourself in the future, evaluate your job on the sole basis of how much client contact you'll get.
The end.
Everything else is just gravy.