I graduated architecture last year, there's no jobs opportunities in my country and as I don't have an EU or US citizenship i cant work abroad ( and its Pretty impossible to get hired abroad i applied and no answer ).
for this reason i applied for masters in Urban planning in my country i passed the entrance exam i still have one year left ( or 2 depending on how i choose to continue research or practice)
My dream is to work in a small design firm ( i think in small firms you'll have the opportunity to design and have an opinion). but that's not possible without a citizenship.
I have three options to make:
1- I have an Opportunity to continue a PHD abroad as i have connection in a Lab in France: for many people PHD is not a good choice unless you want to teach. but i was writing a paper on the potential research. its about the ambiance of a space reconstructed after civil war. I do shortfilms and photoshoots and voice recording of the space. and i think this experience really built up my architecture sensibility and skills. most of the research is site work, not paper and writing work. ( in this way i can also get the citizenship and apply for par time jobs while I'm studying if possible. and i can work there when I'm done with my PHD.
2-I could apply for masters after i finish my Urban planning and try to apply to a job in the country where I'm studying, hoping to stay and live there.
3- leave my current masters, and apply from now to another masters abroad.
what choice you think i should make, how was your life experience till now.
PS: i don't have work experience till now i started my Urban masters after architecture school
NOTE: I have a Huge love for films and photography as well as visual arts, but I'm also scared if i leave architecture and do something related to that i will loose he 5 years i studied and i will no longer be an architect or be able to work as one. for now its still a hobby that i really love and enjoy. and maybe because there's no pressure or deadlines it gives the process a more enjoyable feeling. With the Phd ill be able to implement my skills in films which is also interesting for me.
AlinaF
May 27, 19 8:11 pm
Which country are you from?
FILSON
May 28, 19 1:06 am
Lebanon
Koww
May 27, 19 11:20 pm
take the opportunity you have now for the phd, figure the next step later
FILSON
May 28, 19 1:07 am
thanks for the reply, I'm just afraid that ill end up 30 years old and never worked at a company. and that the PHD will make me less as an architect.
Koww
May 28, 19 7:25 pm
that's possible but honestly architecture isn't all it's cracked up to be. you slave away and the client picks the cheapest, ugliest, least environmentally sustainable
option in the end
will galloway
May 31, 19 12:56 am
when i moved to japan i did it with a phd scholarship to the u of tokyo. my reason was that i knew i was moving to Tokyo and I had no contacts but knew that it would be a pretty long-term move. Entering an office was an option but it was a global recession at the time, so PhD was the way into the city for me.
I got the degree and ended up starting my own office, which is more or less where I wanted to be. I couldnt have done that without choosing for further education, where I met my current office partners. The education was interesting to me, and I have used what I learned, and as it happens it turned out to be super useful when the LAST recession hit, because I could teach when almost all of our projects were wiped out by the Lehman Shock.
There are lots of reasons to do things. I dont think PhD needs to be considered a complete commitment to academia over practice, especially in the kind of world we live in now, where a lot of professors are practicing architects, with PhDs (the norm in Japan, btw). Boundaries are blurred.
The thing is, PhD is a tonne of work and it is very easy to fail. Doing that and pursuing practice is not easy. But if you have it in mind from the beginning there are ways to do it. Not sleeping is a big part of that choice. Meeting people and asking to join an office in some capacity is probably a good thing to work on from the beginning. Entering practice after the PhD would be a lot harder.
Later on, it becomes a different question. If you do end up teaching then it gets very hard to not suck at your work in the office and vice versa. Its very challenging to balance. Not impossible, but in my experience something has to give. Often it is family. Or something else important. Planning for that reality from the beginning is a good way to deal with the hard parts and not incidentally is also a great way to be happy with your life.
FILSON
Jun 1, 19 2:18 pm
Thank you for the time you did put in writing this reply, i do find your career journey very interesting and inspiring. DO you think if i apply to an March at MIT a bad idea. is it too hard? possible? or I would be wasting my time to redo something I already studied?
GridBubbles
May 31, 19 1:12 pm
As my boy O'Leary would say, "let's be pragmatic here". You mention that you want to work as a designer yet your master's doesn't really align with your goals. I see a contradiction in your trajectory and if architecture "design" is what you're aiming for, then why are you wasting your precious time in an expensive master's degree that is not applicable? I think the answer is quite obvious here, quit the Masters, and instead go to a local tech school to get trained on the in's and out's of architectural technology. You'll learn much more of the pragmatic side of building and construction. Add that to your resume with your architecture background and then at least you'll have a better fighting chance for job placements in your local area. If not, at least you'll have a better chance abroad as well. (Or alternatively you could move to the US or EU to study at a tech school and apply for local jobs there). Aim low and get a job first (be it drafting slave, CAD monkey) but the point is that you at least get a job first and foremost for your experience and then slowly work towards your "dream goal". Last but not least, DO NOT do the PHD. Repeat after me: PHD does not get you a job, it gets you respect. Again, PHD does not get you a job, it gets you respect. I've heard too many stories of students thinking PHD will land them a 6 figure salary only to break down and realize they've wasted 2+ years of their lives on a research topic that the industry does not give one damn about!
FILSON
Jun 1, 19 2:21 pm
Thanks Gridbubbles for the reply. Do you think applying for an March at MIT is a bad idea as I already graduated architecture school? Is it possible to get in? is it possible to stay and work in the country after i finish it?
GridBubbles
Jun 3, 19 12:55 pm
I don't have much knowledge of the schools in the US, but from what I can see just briefly looking at the work they produce it is quite good. While MIT is great, I don't think you necessarily have to narrow down to a "brand name" school if you need a job. Firstly, the job market is not as easy you would think it to be and especially if you are an international worker looking for internships. Unless you have some amazing set of highly unique skills, research specialty, chances are that you will be looked upon like any other hundreds of applicants applying for the same job. The difference is that the local employers won't be as confident in hiring international students as they're not familiar with their schooling and educational background, hence more risk on the employer to take you on. Second, I would recommend studying at the local equivalent of a tech school/ college to brush up on your technical knowledge of Architecture so that at the very least you have an accredited/ relevant skill based training to boost your resume. Third, once you've worked for a year or two, consider getting your Masters at MIT or whatever school that interests you and then apply for the "dream" job. It is a longer route however, you still get paid while you're working plus the bonus of having work experience once you graduate Masters which will set you apart compared your peers. If you're worrying about being too old in Grad school, the reality is that there are a lot of mature students in Grad school in general so don't sweat about the age!
will galloway
Jun 4, 19 9:22 pm
i have no idea about doing another degree, and no idea about MIT. maybe it works maybe not. If it serves as the entry point to a place you want to be, then why not...about PhD, its more like 3-5 years, not 2 years of your life. If you can get a teaching gig then it should be a 6 figure salary, but those are not so common. More likely you get an adjunct position, which I can say frankly is almost the same as working for free. Academia can be a harsh place, especially at the beginning. Same as being an architect, actually...
I graduated architecture last year, there's no jobs opportunities in my country and as I don't have an EU or US citizenship i cant work abroad ( and its Pretty impossible to get hired abroad i applied and no answer ).
for this reason i applied for masters in Urban planning in my country i passed the entrance exam i still have one year left ( or 2 depending on how i choose to continue research or practice)
My dream is to work in a small design firm ( i think in small firms you'll have the opportunity to design and have an opinion). but that's not possible without a citizenship.
I have three options to make:
1- I have an Opportunity to continue a PHD abroad as i have connection in a Lab in France: for many people PHD is not a good choice unless you want to teach. but i was writing a paper on the potential research. its about the ambiance of a space reconstructed after civil war. I do shortfilms and photoshoots and voice recording of the space. and i think this experience really built up my architecture sensibility and skills. most of the research is site work, not paper and writing work. ( in this way i can also get the citizenship and apply for par time jobs while I'm studying if possible. and i can work there when I'm done with my PHD.
2-I could apply for masters after i finish my Urban planning and try to apply to a job in the country where I'm studying, hoping to stay and live there.
3- leave my current masters, and apply from now to another masters abroad.
what choice you think i should make, how was your life experience till now.
PS: i don't have work experience till now i started my Urban masters after architecture school
NOTE: I have a Huge love for films and photography as well as visual arts, but I'm also scared if i leave architecture and do something related to that i will loose he 5 years i studied and i will no longer be an architect or be able to work as one. for now its still a hobby that i really love and enjoy. and maybe because there's no pressure or deadlines it gives the process a more enjoyable feeling. With the Phd ill be able to implement my skills in films which is also interesting for me.
Which country are you from?
Lebanon
take the opportunity you have now for the phd, figure the next step later
thanks for the reply, I'm just afraid that ill end up 30 years old and never worked at a company. and that the PHD will make me less as an architect.
that's possible but honestly architecture isn't all it's cracked up to be. you slave away and the client picks the cheapest, ugliest, least environmentally sustainable option in the end
when i moved to japan i did it with a phd scholarship to the u of tokyo. my reason was that i knew i was moving to Tokyo and I had no contacts but knew that it would be a pretty long-term move. Entering an office was an option but it was a global recession at the time, so PhD was the way into the city for me.
I got the degree and ended up starting my own office, which is more or less where I wanted to be. I couldnt have done that without choosing for further education, where I met my current office partners. The education was interesting to me, and I have used what I learned, and as it happens it turned out to be super useful when the LAST recession hit, because I could teach when almost all of our projects were wiped out by the Lehman Shock.
There are lots of reasons to do things. I dont think PhD needs to be considered a complete commitment to academia over practice, especially in the kind of world we live in now, where a lot of professors are practicing architects, with PhDs (the norm in Japan, btw). Boundaries are blurred.
The thing is, PhD is a tonne of work and it is very easy to fail. Doing that and pursuing practice is not easy. But if you have it in mind from the beginning there are ways to do it. Not sleeping is a big part of that choice. Meeting people and asking to join an office in some capacity is probably a good thing to work on from the beginning. Entering practice after the PhD would be a lot harder.
Later on, it becomes a different question. If you do end up teaching then it gets very hard to not suck at your work in the office and vice versa. Its very challenging to balance. Not impossible, but in my experience something has to give. Often it is family. Or something else important. Planning for that reality from the beginning is a good way to deal with the hard parts and not incidentally is also a great way to be happy with your life.
Thank you for the time you did put in writing this reply, i do find your career journey very interesting and inspiring. DO you think if i apply to an March at MIT a bad idea. is it too hard? possible? or I would be wasting my time to redo something I already studied?
As my boy O'Leary would say, "let's be pragmatic here". You mention that you want to work as a designer yet your master's doesn't really align with your goals. I see a contradiction in your trajectory and if architecture "design" is what you're aiming for, then why are you wasting your precious time in an expensive master's degree that is not applicable? I think the answer is quite obvious here, quit the Masters, and instead go to a local tech school to get trained on the in's and out's of architectural technology. You'll learn much more of the pragmatic side of building and construction. Add that to your resume with your architecture background and then at least you'll have a better fighting chance for job placements in your local area. If not, at least you'll have a better chance abroad as well. (Or alternatively you could move to the US or EU to study at a tech school and apply for local jobs there). Aim low and get a job first (be it drafting slave, CAD monkey) but the point is that you at least get a job first and foremost for your experience and then slowly work towards your "dream goal". Last but not least, DO NOT do the PHD. Repeat after me: PHD does not get you a job, it gets you respect. Again, PHD does not get you a job, it gets you respect. I've heard too many stories of students thinking PHD will land them a 6 figure salary only to break down and realize they've wasted 2+ years of their lives on a research topic that the industry does not give one damn about!
Thanks Gridbubbles for the reply. Do you think applying for an March at MIT is a bad idea as I already graduated architecture school? Is it possible to get in? is it possible to stay and work in the country after i finish it?
I don't have much knowledge of the schools in the US, but from what I can see just briefly looking at the work they produce it is quite good. While MIT is great, I don't think you necessarily have to narrow down to a "brand name" school if you need a job. Firstly, the job market is not as easy you would think it to be and especially if you are an international worker looking for internships. Unless you have some amazing set of highly unique skills, research specialty, chances are that you will be looked upon like any other hundreds of applicants applying for the same job. The difference is that the local employers won't be as confident in hiring international students as they're not familiar with their schooling and educational background, hence more risk on the employer to take you on. Second, I would recommend studying at the local equivalent of a tech school/ college to brush up on your technical knowledge of Architecture so that at the very least you have an accredited/ relevant skill based training to boost your resume. Third, once you've worked for a year or two, consider getting your Masters at MIT or whatever school that interests you and then apply for the "dream" job. It is a longer route however, you still get paid while you're working plus the bonus of having work experience once you graduate Masters which will set you apart compared your peers. If you're worrying about being too old in Grad school, the reality is that there are a lot of mature students in Grad school in general so don't sweat about the age!
i have no idea about doing another degree, and no idea about MIT. maybe it works maybe not. If it serves as the entry point to a place you want to be, then why not...about PhD, its more like 3-5 years, not 2 years of your life. If you can get a teaching gig then it should be a 6 figure salary, but those are not so common. More likely you get an adjunct position, which I can say frankly is almost the same as working for free. Academia can be a harsh place, especially at the beginning. Same as being an architect, actually...
Thank you GridBubbles :)