I'm an Interior designer and I have worked in several architectural firms over the past 13 years. I feel like there are a lot of firms that hire Interior Design staff to work as drafters rather than architectural drafters. I'm wondering if others have seen this same trend? do you think it is because they offer the design sensibility or do you think it is because they can be hired at a lower salary?
Non Sequitur
Jul 3, 18 12:13 pm
Our last hiring spree has seen more junior int des staff than technologists... but that's entry level. We don't see 10+ year int des veterans much, mostly because I think they quickly reach a salary ceiling in a traditional office because they can't be billed to clients at the same rate as architects and they get frustrated and move on... more often than not, into furniture sales. Technologist know their ceiling and at 13y experience, are likely acting like PMs. My 2 cents' worth.
thisisnotmyname
Jul 3, 18 12:36 pm
Yes, I have seen interior designers commonly used as drafters. In my flyover region, firms often don't have a sufficient amount of interior design tasks to keep their interior designers occupied full-time, and thus the designers end up drafting architectural stuff to stay fully utilized.
Bloopox
Jul 3, 18 2:02 pm
I haven't seen firms hire interior designers with the intent to use them primarily as drafters. What I have seen are firms that expect interior designers to do some or all of the drafting associated with their interior design scope - in the same way that many small to mid-sized firm expect their architects and designers to do drafting associated with their projects. If you don't want to draft, it will limit the types/sizes of firms at which you can work - but it would be something to be discussed and negotiated during the hiring process.
I'm an Interior designer and I have worked in several architectural firms over the past 13 years. I feel like there are a lot of firms that hire Interior Design staff to work as drafters rather than architectural drafters. I'm wondering if others have seen this same trend? do you think it is because they offer the design sensibility or do you think it is because they can be hired at a lower salary?
Our last hiring spree has seen more junior int des staff than technologists... but that's entry level. We don't see 10+ year int des veterans much, mostly because I think they quickly reach a salary ceiling in a traditional office because they can't be billed to clients at the same rate as architects and they get frustrated and move on... more often than not, into furniture sales. Technologist know their ceiling and at 13y experience, are likely acting like PMs. My 2 cents' worth.
Yes, I have seen interior designers commonly used as drafters. In my flyover region, firms often don't have a sufficient amount of interior design tasks to keep their interior designers occupied full-time, and thus the designers end up drafting architectural stuff to stay fully utilized.
I haven't seen firms hire interior designers with the intent to use them primarily as drafters. What I have seen are firms that expect interior designers to do some or all of the drafting associated with their interior design scope - in the same way that many small to mid-sized firm expect their architects and designers to do drafting associated with their projects. If you don't want to draft, it will limit the types/sizes of firms at which you can work - but it would be something to be discussed and negotiated during the hiring process.