[BMW_TT]

I'm seriously thinking about going back to school to become an architect. Are any of you guys an architect or know anyone?

[jlstyle]

I am, but why would you want to go BACK to school and become an architect?
Unless your desire is set 100% for this career, I wouldn't recommend it.

[BMW_TT]

Originally Posted by jlstyle

I am, but why would you want to go BACK to school and become an architect?
Unless your desire is set 100% for this career, I wouldn't recommend it.

I always wanted to do it since when I was a young boy playing with Legos.

Is it hard to find a career in it?

[Couch]

My roommate is an architect. I can tell you based on what I've heard from him that it's a tough field. Not necessarily to get into, but to get respect. You have to be very very good at what you do. He's not licenced yet, but said he will do it eventually. It just won't give him an adequate raise to warrant him paying for it. So he's trying to get the company to pay for it.

The pay right out of school is crap, I'm talking terrible. I want to say he started out at somewhere south of $30K (I think it was $24K). This was back in the beginning of 2002, and in Houston. He's making decent money now (I have no clue what), but know he's not happy where he's at now.

They put him in charge of projects, he works with the clients and designs everything to their specs and then occassionally one of his boss' will start changing shit without his permission saying that something looks like shit. Then he'll have to argue with his boss because the clients had approved and really liked the design. So you have to really deal with a lot of shit.

He's in Chicago now at Autobahn. He's had a major hand in designing the condo's there and part of the landscape I believe. I've seen the blueprints, it's really sweet.

Find out what particular field you'd like.

[BMW_TT]

I'm already working with a professional career but it doesn't interest me at all. I'm 25 now and turning 26 in December, so getting a low end pay is not something I can go back to.

[MooseCaboose]

i think youre better of where you are now than to start going back to school.

if you think about it, being a certified architect can take anywhere from 5-7 years depending on where you live. and even after that you need work exp say another year or so. so youre looking to finish and starting out as a junior architect at around 30 ish. and making way lower than what you are now. but unless youre financially stable from now till then, why not? not to mention the US market isnt so great right now. so anything design related is affected by the market.

[BMW_TT]

Damn it!

Back to the drawing board. Oh and I recently found out my cousin who is an architect is barely making 50k in NY.

My profession is alright and there is job security but it is a bit boring.

what do you know now?

[808MGuy]

I work with architects all the time being an electrical engineer in the construction industry. It's tough. It seems they are always moving around. They don't stay at the same company for long periods of time unless they are partners or owners. I don't know if it's the low pay or just dealing with each other's difference of opinion.

[BMW_TT]

Originally Posted by angie1313

what do you know now?

business analyst