I am hoping that one year from now, I will be licensed, and that it will also be a good time to request a transfer from my firm's main office in upstate New York to our smaller office in the NYC area. I would need a decent raise to afford the higher cost of living, and I think being licensed would be more of a guarantee that I would get it. How do I go about this, other than study hard and be a good employee? How does one ask for a transfer? I don't think it helps that my boss loves me and would be sad to see me go.
reallynotmyname
Nov 1, 22 9:59 am
Well, a good relationship with your bosses is a start. You will need to lay out compelling reason(s) about how your transfer makes business sense for the firm.
You may have to fight this argument: The firm pays you x salary upstate, why should they pay you 1.2x (or whatever the premium is) to have you do the same work in NYC?
In addition, the firm may prefer you in the upstate office if it's more in proximity to jobsites and people who have to interact with.
Frank_Lloyd_Wrong
Nov 2, 22 9:50 am
The upstate office is definitely closer to jobsites and contacts unfortunately. I suppose a good start would be to talk more to people in the NYC office and get a sense of what they do down there? Luckily I have worked on a few NYC projects from upstate so I at least have some sense of what they do. My main concern is that I tell one person I am thinking of requesting a transfer and it gets back to my boss and I get in trouble.
DickCheney
Nov 2, 22 10:29 am
Sure, do not mention anything about transferring until you talk with your boss. You should be able to figure out what type of work the NYC office does if cross office communication is solid. I would think work is posted on some internal database?
DickCheney
Nov 1, 22 11:14 am
I am a transfer at my office. Any "good" boss would respond by being supportive of you and understand your needs as a human. If that means relocating to another location, so be it. In my mind, if they respond negatively then they never really were a good boss to begin with and best to cut ties.
In my case, I transferred from a MCOL city to a HCOL city and showed them the data on salary range, housing, COL increase and the negotiations began. You cannot expect to live on the same salary if the COL is not comparable. You have leverage. Licensure aside, you should expect an increase and you should ASK for it. We do not do any good for anyone by being complicit and not fighting for ourselves, because well no one else will.
Look up Archinect salary polls, field local salary ranges by posting online, chat with friends and position yourself. A candid conversation you are moving and still want to remain integral to the firm is as good as you need.
*EDIT: It is better for them if you are a solid employee to just keep you, pay you a bit more than hire someone else to backfill you and waste time and money training you. Don't just think about it from the design side, think about it as a business person...that will help.
Frank_Lloyd_Wrong
Nov 2, 22 9:55 am
Thanks so much! All excellent advice; it sounds like the data is out there to back up my argument. If I'm understanding what you're saying, one approach to the situation is "I'm moving, and I would like to stay at the company, but if I am unable to transfer I will be looking for another job" in the most polite way possible. I feel like if one asks for a transfer and gets denied the managers would not be surprised and might even be expecting that person to put in their two weeks sooner or later.
DickCheney
Nov 2, 22 10:31 am
You are correct on all accounts here. They should understand if your priority is A, moving to NYC than you are going to do whatever is possible (and in your best interest) to get there. Whether they allow you to transfer offices or cut ties - it is what it is. I don't see why they would not let you transfer. Assuming you have been there longer than a few months? Most firms are cool about this sort of thing and realize its better to fork up some more dough to retain good talent and keep them happy. Good workers are hard to find these days, believe it or not.
I am hoping that one year from now, I will be licensed, and that it will also be a good time to request a transfer from my firm's main office in upstate New York to our smaller office in the NYC area. I would need a decent raise to afford the higher cost of living, and I think being licensed would be more of a guarantee that I would get it. How do I go about this, other than study hard and be a good employee? How does one ask for a transfer? I don't think it helps that my boss loves me and would be sad to see me go.
Well, a good relationship with your bosses is a start. You will need to lay out compelling reason(s) about how your transfer makes business sense for the firm.
You may have to fight this argument: The firm pays you x salary upstate, why should they pay you 1.2x (or whatever the premium is) to have you do the same work in NYC?
In addition, the firm may prefer you in the upstate office if it's more in proximity to jobsites and people who have to interact with.
The upstate office is definitely closer to jobsites and contacts unfortunately. I suppose a good start would be to talk more to people in the NYC office and get a sense of what they do down there? Luckily I have worked on a few NYC projects from upstate so I at least have some sense of what they do. My main concern is that I tell one person I am thinking of requesting a transfer and it gets back to my boss and I get in trouble.
Sure, do not mention anything about transferring until you talk with your boss. You should be able to figure out what type of work the NYC office does if cross office communication is solid. I would think work is posted on some internal database?
I am a transfer at my office. Any "good" boss would respond by being supportive of you and understand your needs as a human. If that means relocating to another location, so be it. In my mind, if they respond negatively then they never really were a good boss to begin with and best to cut ties.
In my case, I transferred from a MCOL city to a HCOL city and showed them the data on salary range, housing, COL increase and the negotiations began. You cannot expect to live on the same salary if the COL is not comparable. You have leverage. Licensure aside, you should expect an increase and you should ASK for it. We do not do any good for anyone by being complicit and not fighting for ourselves, because well no one else will.
Look up Archinect salary polls, field local salary ranges by posting online, chat with friends and position yourself. A candid conversation you are moving and still want to remain integral to the firm is as good as you need.
*EDIT: It is better for them if you are a solid employee to just keep you, pay you a bit more than hire someone else to backfill you and waste time and money training you. Don't just think about it from the design side, think about it as a business person...that will help.
Thanks so much! All excellent advice; it sounds like the data is out there to back up my argument. If I'm understanding what you're saying, one approach to the situation is "I'm moving, and I would like to stay at the company, but if I am unable to transfer I will be looking for another job" in the most polite way possible. I feel like if one asks for a transfer and gets denied the managers would not be surprised and might even be expecting that person to put in their two weeks sooner or later.
You are correct on all accounts here. They should understand if your priority is A, moving to NYC than you are going to do whatever is possible (and in your best interest) to get there. Whether they allow you to transfer offices or cut ties - it is what it is. I don't see why they would not let you transfer. Assuming you have been there longer than a few months? Most firms are cool about this sort of thing and realize its better to fork up some more dough to retain good talent and keep them happy. Good workers are hard to find these days, believe it or not.