I got laid off about a month ago now. I live in a major US city on the west coast, and I'm having real troubles finding a new job.
I've sent off about 30 applications now, and have received effectively no response from anyone. I recognize a certain amount of ghosting is to be expected, but I've never had it this bad before.
I have about 6 years of experience in a variety of commercial project types, and tons of Revit experience. I think the biggest red flags I have are a subpar Portfolio (graphic design was never a strong suite of mine) and I've done quite a bit of firm skipping (never worked anywhere more than 2 years). This is especially frustrating as I'm sprinting towards my license ASAP, and only need a couple more months of hours before I can take the tests. That requires a job though!
Seems to me right now that everyone is very cautious. From talking to my contacts, work still seems to be coming in, but it's slowed, and everyone is still expecting some huge recession and a wave of layoffs.
Is there still work out there? Does it seem like firms are still hiring? Am I just in a really weird place with 6 years of experience and no license? Does a graphically subpar portfolio really kill an application? Anything I can do without a job/license to really boost my prospects?
Just trying to get my finger on the pulse.
sansoon
Jun 24, 23 12:17 am
I'm in the Midwest, licensed with 10 years' experience. Got laid off two weeks ago with 50%+ attrition/backdoor layoffs during the year and a half prior. Knew it was coming since we do developer work and the ABI has been below 50 for quite some time. Prominent firms have laid off 30%+ of their staff since last November- haven't seen it that bad ever. Commercial real estate is in serious distress. I've had a dozen interviews and a surprisingly high hit rate for applications since January, however most companies are either spying on the competition/trying to get quality candidates for lower rank and less money/scare their staff into obedience/attrition, and the interview process is getting drawn out (presumably because nobody knows if/when contracts will execute). I've got one good offer on the table right now that requires relocation- you may need to cast a wider net. Institutional work is picking up so try catering your applications/portfolio to firms that do those types of projects. Tenant improvement work is happening. Industrial will keep going for another year and will roll over, too. You could also work for a GC if you have the skillset/can write a good resume. Best of luck with your search, and really put in the effort on your portfolio and resume.
Archicore
Jun 24, 23 11:28 pm
Dang I'm sorry to hear that...
I'm really happy to work on anything, good to know that institutional work is still moving forward, I'll take a look at firms that specialize in that and target my resume/portfolio in that direction if there are opportunities.
archanonymous
Jun 24, 23 1:44 am
I emailed you through the Archinect interface.
Archicore
Jun 24, 23 11:27 pm
Hey there archanonymous,
Thanks for reaching out! Just sent you an email.
Wilma Buttfit
Jun 24, 23 12:07 pm
With 6 years experience, your portfolio can consist of a single nice graphic (photo or rendering) and some notes like project name, location, square footage, cost, and completion date. You can state your role too like project designer, project coordinator, etc.
Archicore
Jun 24, 23 11:30 pm
Interesting, my portfolio is about 15ish pages right now, about 1/5 school, 1/5 personal (not with a firm), and 3/5 firm work right now. I've never heard of selecting just one project!
I would be afraid that picking just one project wouldn't show off the variety of work I've done. I'll look into some examples of this and do some research, less might be more in this case!
Wilma Buttfit
Jun 25, 23 8:07 am
Sorry that was unclear. Each project can be a single page/image. I didn’t mean one project.
Wilma Buttfit
Jun 25, 23 8:10 am
A set of CD’s is really important at this stage. Get a half sized set or two and take it to interviews.
Wilma Buttfit
Jun 25, 23 8:11 am
Sorry, thought of another… drop personal and school work out of your portfolio unless there is something really outstanding to keep.
Archicore
Jun 25, 23 9:44 pm
Actually that would be perfect, I like my school work the least. I appreciate the tips and I'll rework it now!
newguy
Jun 26, 23 2:47 pm
I'm going to disagree with the dropping of student work. At 6 years experience, I think you should be demonstrating two things to a prospective employer: 1) Your ability to put together documentation and proficiency within an office environment, and 2) You still need to demonstrate your design thinking. Regarding point #2, I think it's very easy for younger staff to fall into the trap of only showing professional work, but this often comes at the expense of showing your individual contributions. Having a balance of your best student work (ie, senior/thesis project) shows your design ability, software proficiency, and provides you an opportunity to speak to your skillsets and overall career ambitions.
axonapoplectic
Jun 24, 23 7:56 pm
Also recently laid off. Similar story to sansoon - first it was backdoor layoffs, juniors, recent hires, people with performance issues. Then some very senior people - a couple partners and senior admin people who suddenly “retired.” My round was people who you couldn’t just let go without everyone noticing - including clients and consultants.
I had known something was up since my major projects ended last year and I wasn’t given any new project assignments. I’ve had to piece together work for the past several months and those last couple weeks I had very little work to do.
I’m not sure I want to stick with architecture anymore, though.
Archicore
Jun 24, 23 11:32 pm
Ahh I was in the junior wave for sure. I would say this speaks to my experience. The big project I was working on fell through, and after that it was picking up pieces and team hopping for about a month or two before finally being let go.
Unfortunately not an option for me to leave lol, I care about architecture too much. Best wishes on your exploits beyond architecture if you decide to leave!
OneLostArchitect
Jun 24, 23 10:36 pm
hang in there op... check around... my current firm cannot find enough people and is in heavy recruitment
agorosz
Jun 25, 23 12:34 am
Hi OP-- I think you might have luck pivoting toward residential. Cannot speak to your area specifically, but the multifamily-focused firm I work for here in NYC has been hiring all year.
flatroof
Jun 25, 23 11:16 am
Probably have to move to less desirable cities for architects, i.e. off the coasts and not Denver/Chicago. Definitely a shortage in my interior red/purple state city. A liability for unlicensed folks not to be itinerant workers when jobs dry up in their city.
x-jla
Jun 25, 23 4:18 pm
slow down is mostly caused by interest rates and economic uncertainty. It’s slowing for sure, but not like 2008. That was a different set of circumstances. From what I can tell this seems more like many calculated internal decisions to hold off on that new project…rates too high…let’s wait for inflation to go down more…etc. rather than an external force like 2008.
Non Sequitur
Jun 25, 23 5:16 pm
No slow down up here. We just picked up 3 projects well outside our normal area of operations. One of them is 4000km away!
curtkram
Jun 25, 23 6:13 pm
the ABI is really trying to stay above 50
G4tor
Jun 25, 23 8:26 pm
Yup, pretty dry right now. Very little recruiters reaching out and even the occasional firms that are looking are extremely selective.
whistler
Jun 26, 23 5:06 pm
I would say so. Although we still have lots of interest from clients ( public and private ) I haven't had any inquiries for Single Family Work ( which is fine by me we have been trying to get out of it for a while ) The trades aren't as busy and interest in building for the mom and pop crowd is definitely slower ( lack of trades / costs and slow approval processes ) all contributing to lack of enthusiasm for jumping in r
ight now.
shellarchitect
Jul 6, 23 10:57 am
"The Hidden Job Market" is a fantastic book! Get it, read it, follow the steps, get jobs.
I was laid off for almost 2 years back in 2010 (was getting m.arch at the time too) Within a month I had 4 or 5 job offers! It was an amazing change.
To summarize the 100 pages: online applications are like buying a lottery ticket, use personal connections, however tenuous, to get noticed.
Josh Mings
Jul 6, 23 12:18 pm
All of my positions, outside the first one, were through personal connections (even if I replied to an add online I followed up). That said, it does seem to be a bit rough out there, unless you have 10 years experience. Went out on my own, still getting calls to interview.
pandahut
Jul 6, 23 10:39 pm
Congrats Josh that is wonderful. Wishing you continued success!
midlifecrisis
Jul 6, 23 8:19 pm
Things definitely seem weird to me. The job market isn't totally dead like it was in 2008, but I get the sense firms are being very choosy. During the pandemic I literally had HR staff for firms contacting me out of the blue offering me jobs, and for the few I applied to I had interviews and offers from almost each one.
Now, for each of the 2 jobs I have interviewed for, I am up to round 3 of interviews and the process is taking months. It's incredibly frustrating and I am debating leaving the practice all together if I can find something else to transition into.
baobap47
Jan 12, 24 9:11 pm
Guy, how the things are coming along in 2024? I was laid off in end of November since I reached out to many hiring firms & receuiter, there is no solid offer in job search so far.
I am a middle level position (6 yrs, no license, NYC). Typically I was the one getting job really quick ( Either I was a very great fit or market was on job seeker's side )This atmosphere feels unusual to me and I am slowly loosing my confidence. Anybody in the same boat out there?
Hey everyone!
I got laid off about a month ago now. I live in a major US city on the west coast, and I'm having real troubles finding a new job.
I've sent off about 30 applications now, and have received effectively no response from anyone. I recognize a certain amount of ghosting is to be expected, but I've never had it this bad before.
I have about 6 years of experience in a variety of commercial project types, and tons of Revit experience. I think the biggest red flags I have are a subpar Portfolio (graphic design was never a strong suite of mine) and I've done quite a bit of firm skipping (never worked anywhere more than 2 years). This is especially frustrating as I'm sprinting towards my license ASAP, and only need a couple more months of hours before I can take the tests. That requires a job though!
Seems to me right now that everyone is very cautious. From talking to my contacts, work still seems to be coming in, but it's slowed, and everyone is still expecting some huge recession and a wave of layoffs.
Is there still work out there? Does it seem like firms are still hiring? Am I just in a really weird place with 6 years of experience and no license? Does a graphically subpar portfolio really kill an application? Anything I can do without a job/license to really boost my prospects?
Just trying to get my finger on the pulse.
I'm in the Midwest, licensed with 10 years' experience. Got laid off two weeks ago with 50%+ attrition/backdoor layoffs during the year and a half prior. Knew it was coming since we do developer work and the ABI has been below 50 for quite some time. Prominent firms have laid off 30%+ of their staff since last November- haven't seen it that bad ever. Commercial real estate is in serious distress. I've had a dozen interviews and a surprisingly high hit rate for applications since January, however most companies are either spying on the competition/trying to get quality candidates for lower rank and less money/scare their staff into obedience/attrition, and the interview process is getting drawn out (presumably because nobody knows if/when contracts will execute). I've got one good offer on the table right now that requires relocation- you may need to cast a wider net. Institutional work is picking up so try catering your applications/portfolio to firms that do those types of projects. Tenant improvement work is happening. Industrial will keep going for another year and will roll over, too. You could also work for a GC if you have the skillset/can write a good resume. Best of luck with your search, and really put in the effort on your portfolio and resume.
Dang I'm sorry to hear that...
I'm really happy to work on anything, good to know that institutional work is still moving forward, I'll take a look at firms that specialize in that and target my resume/portfolio in that direction if there are opportunities.
I emailed you through the Archinect interface.
Hey there archanonymous,
Thanks for reaching out! Just sent you an email.
With 6 years experience, your portfolio can consist of a single nice graphic (photo or rendering) and some notes like project name, location, square footage, cost, and completion date. You can state your role too like project designer, project coordinator, etc.
Interesting, my portfolio is about 15ish pages right now, about 1/5 school, 1/5 personal (not with a firm), and 3/5 firm work right now. I've never heard of selecting just one project!
I would be afraid that picking just one project wouldn't show off the variety of work I've done. I'll look into some examples of this and do some research, less might be more in this case!
Sorry that was unclear. Each project can be a single page/image. I didn’t mean one project.
A set of CD’s is really important at this stage. Get a half sized set or two and take it to interviews.
Sorry, thought of another… drop personal and school work out of your portfolio unless there is something really outstanding to keep.
Actually that would be perfect, I like my school work the least. I appreciate the tips and I'll rework it now!
I'm going to disagree with the dropping of student work. At 6 years experience, I think you should be demonstrating two things to a prospective employer: 1) Your ability to put together documentation and proficiency within an office environment, and 2) You still need to demonstrate your design thinking. Regarding point #2, I think it's very easy for younger staff to fall into the trap of only showing professional work, but this often comes at the expense of showing your individual contributions. Having a balance of your best student work (ie, senior/thesis project) shows your design ability, software proficiency, and provides you an opportunity to speak to your skillsets and overall career ambitions.
Also recently laid off. Similar story to sansoon - first it was backdoor layoffs, juniors, recent hires, people with performance issues. Then some very senior people - a couple partners and senior admin people who suddenly “retired.” My round was people who you couldn’t just let go without everyone noticing - including clients and consultants.
I had known something was up since my major projects ended last year and I wasn’t given any new project assignments. I’ve had to piece together work for the past several months and those last couple weeks I had very little work to do.
I’m not sure I want to stick with architecture anymore, though.
Ahh I was in the junior wave for sure. I would say this speaks to my experience. The big project I was working on fell through, and after that it was picking up pieces and team hopping for about a month or two before finally being let go.
Unfortunately not an option for me to leave lol, I care about architecture too much. Best wishes on your exploits beyond architecture if you decide to leave!
hang in there op... check around... my current firm cannot find enough people and is in heavy recruitment
Hi OP-- I think you might have luck pivoting toward residential. Cannot speak to your area specifically, but the multifamily-focused firm I work for here in NYC has been hiring all year.
Probably have to move to less desirable cities for architects, i.e. off the coasts and not Denver/Chicago. Definitely a shortage in my interior red/purple state city. A liability for unlicensed folks not to be itinerant workers when jobs dry up in their city.
slow down is mostly caused by interest rates and economic uncertainty. It’s slowing for sure, but not like 2008. That was a different set of circumstances. From what I can tell this seems more like many calculated internal decisions to hold off on that new project…rates too high…let’s wait for inflation to go down more…etc. rather than an external force like 2008.
No slow down up here. We just picked up 3 projects well outside our normal area of operations. One of them is 4000km away!
the ABI is really trying to stay above 50
Yup, pretty dry right now. Very little recruiters reaching out and even the occasional firms that are looking are extremely selective.
I would say so. Although we still have lots of interest from clients ( public and private ) I haven't had any inquiries for Single Family Work ( which is fine by me we have been trying to get out of it for a while ) The trades aren't as busy and interest in building for the mom and pop crowd is definitely slower ( lack of trades / costs and slow approval processes ) all contributing to lack of enthusiasm for jumping in r
ight now.
"The Hidden Job Market" is a fantastic book! Get it, read it, follow the steps, get jobs.
I was laid off for almost 2 years back in 2010 (was getting m.arch at the time too) Within a month I had 4 or 5 job offers! It was an amazing change.
To summarize the 100 pages: online applications are like buying a lottery ticket, use personal connections, however tenuous, to get noticed.
All of my positions, outside the first one, were through personal connections (even if I replied to an add online I followed up). That said, it does seem to be a bit rough out there, unless you have 10 years experience. Went out on my own, still getting calls to interview.
Congrats Josh that is wonderful. Wishing you continued success!
Things definitely seem weird to me. The job market isn't totally dead like it was in 2008, but I get the sense firms are being very choosy. During the pandemic I literally had HR staff for firms contacting me out of the blue offering me jobs, and for the few I applied to I had interviews and offers from almost each one.
Now, for each of the 2 jobs I have interviewed for, I am up to round 3 of interviews and the process is taking months. It's incredibly frustrating and I am debating leaving the practice all together if I can find something else to transition into.
Guy, how the things are coming along in 2024? I was laid off in end of November since I reached out to many hiring firms & receuiter, there is no solid offer in job search so far.
I am a middle level position (6 yrs, no license, NYC). Typically I was the one getting job really quick ( Either I was a very great fit or market was on job seeker's side )This atmosphere feels unusual to me and I am slowly loosing my confidence. Anybody in the same boat out there?