I graduated from university in 1997, and immediately started working at the most prestigious firm in my smallish (300,000 population) home town. I became disillusioned with "corporate architecture" six years later (the firm wasn't supporting my efforts to pass the ARE, office politics, etc) so I moved to a larger multi-discipline firm. I passed my ARE, obtained my first license, and started running the architectural department within a year.
Thirteen years later I'm now a senior executive at a significant firm ($50M annual revenue) ... and ...
I've lost my focus and passion for the built environment.
The first nineteen years of my career were spent sacrificing everything for professional growth. I had failed marriages, lost touch with family, gave up my hobbies, and added about forty pounds of stress fat.
I'm now faced with the next step on my professional career: majority ownership.
However, I don't have a desire to continue on this path. I feel like a proverbial star that has burnt itself out.
My work week is very "architecturally routine" (which is to say ... not routine at all). The only constant is I'm at the office by 7am and don't leave before 5pm. A lot of evenings I don't leave until 8pm. Weekend work is common. The bloody "smart phone" enables clients to contact me at all hours. It is not uncommon to receive a 10pm call.
I feel the burnout is a result of several factors:
1) The intense work schedule and personal sacrifices. 2700 hour work years are my norm.
2) The market has changed. Younger graduates have unprecedented salary, work/life balance, and personal expectations. Oddly, firms are paying new graduate hires MORE than senior architects (I'm in a position to verify this practice).
3) The market has changed. Our clients have become "self aware experts" owing to the internet. Fifteen minutes with google and clientele feel like they can practice. The aforementioned "smart phone" has also changed their response expectations from the standard 24-72 hours to immediate. I often get calls from clients (small projects: say $2M construction) who DEMAND to speak to me immediately about issues that are of zero significance. To these clients, architects are "on demand".
4) The market has changed. Owners no longer have realistic expectations regarding construction schedules, inclement weather impacts on schedules, or an understanding of the ever growing code requirements which impact their projects.
The reason I started there of my factors with "the market has changed" is to illustrate my burnout is not a result of an internal attitude. It is a response to a changing market place.
My question to you ...
Are any of you in a similar emotional state? Has anyone else observed the change in client expectation from "insane" to "surreally insane"?
sameolddoctor
Aug 5, 17 9:59 am
I blame the stupid millennials for not working as hard, making us oldies work hard.
curtkram
Aug 5, 17 10:31 am
project architect is a different job than majority owner/ managing a firm. part of the problem is the OP is still taking calls as a PA. he can't stop doing his old job while also taking on the responsibilities of his new job. resources are mismanaged because his firm leadership, which is him, is mismanaging resources.
blaming younger staff because you can't do your job is unbecoming.
bowling_ball
Aug 5, 17 10:51 am
Exactly. I'm newly graduated (2011) and licensed (2016?) and I'm PA on jobs of the scale that the OP describes. My bosses, with 10 to 20 years more experience, manage the firm (not the projects). There's a big difference.
bowling_ball
Aug 5, 17 10:57 am
Also, it takes some one exceedingly unselfaware to come on here and complain about millennial laziness, while himself not willing to put in the work to manage his own firm, nor make the necessary changes to give himself a better life balance. My superiors in his position come in later and leave earlier, and take frequent vacations. But nobody on staff minds because we're treated well, and they bring in work. As it should be.
geezertect
Aug 5, 17 5:26 pm
You're making the assumption that the OP has real world control over the work of the department. He isn't an owner, yet. For all we know, he is micromanaged to death by the ones above him. It happens.
I graduated from university in 1997, and immediately started working at the most prestigious firm in my smallish (300,000 population) home town. I became disillusioned with "corporate architecture" six years later (the firm wasn't supporting my efforts to pass the ARE, office politics, etc) so I moved to a larger multi-discipline firm. I passed my ARE, obtained my first license, and started running the architectural department within a year.
Thirteen years later I'm now a senior executive at a significant firm ($50M annual revenue) ... and ...
I've lost my focus and passion for the built environment.
The first nineteen years of my career were spent sacrificing everything for professional growth. I had failed marriages, lost touch with family, gave up my hobbies, and added about forty pounds of stress fat.
I'm now faced with the next step on my professional career: majority ownership.
However, I don't have a desire to continue on this path. I feel like a proverbial star that has burnt itself out.
My work week is very "architecturally routine" (which is to say ... not routine at all). The only constant is I'm at the office by 7am and don't leave before 5pm. A lot of evenings I don't leave until 8pm. Weekend work is common. The bloody "smart phone" enables clients to contact me at all hours. It is not uncommon to receive a 10pm call.
I feel the burnout is a result of several factors:
1) The intense work schedule and personal sacrifices. 2700 hour work years are my norm.
2) The market has changed. Younger graduates have unprecedented salary, work/life balance, and personal expectations. Oddly, firms are paying new graduate hires MORE than senior architects (I'm in a position to verify this practice).
3) The market has changed. Our clients have become "self aware experts" owing to the internet. Fifteen minutes with google and clientele feel like they can practice. The aforementioned "smart phone" has also changed their response expectations from the standard 24-72 hours to immediate. I often get calls from clients (small projects: say $2M construction) who DEMAND to speak to me immediately about issues that are of zero significance. To these clients, architects are "on demand".
4) The market has changed. Owners no longer have realistic expectations regarding construction schedules, inclement weather impacts on schedules, or an understanding of the ever growing code requirements which impact their projects.
The reason I started there of my factors with "the market has changed" is to illustrate my burnout is not a result of an internal attitude. It is a response to a changing market place.
My question to you ...
Are any of you in a similar emotional state? Has anyone else observed the change in client expectation from "insane" to "surreally insane"?
I blame the stupid millennials for not working as hard, making us oldies work hard.
project architect is a different job than majority owner/ managing a firm. part of the problem is the OP is still taking calls as a PA. he can't stop doing his old job while also taking on the responsibilities of his new job. resources are mismanaged because his firm leadership, which is him, is mismanaging resources.
blaming younger staff because you can't do your job is unbecoming.
Exactly. I'm newly graduated (2011) and licensed (2016?) and I'm PA on jobs of the scale that the OP describes. My bosses, with 10 to 20 years more experience, manage the firm (not the projects). There's a big difference.
Also, it takes some one exceedingly unselfaware to come on here and complain about millennial laziness, while himself not willing to put in the work to manage his own firm, nor make the necessary changes to give himself a better life balance. My superiors in his position come in later and leave earlier, and take frequent vacations. But nobody on staff minds because we're treated well, and they bring in work. As it should be.
You're making the assumption that the OP has real world control over the work of the department. He isn't an owner, yet. For all we know, he is micromanaged to death by the ones above him. It happens.