The suits and the suave and a passion for drawing may make you want to pursue architecture as a career. But if you are wondering what the pros and cons of being an architect, look no further.
PROS
Interesting Job
It is rare that you have to do the exact same thing every week, especially if you get more experience. Even if you are starting out as an intern fresh out of college gaining hours towards getting licensed, you should still be doing a large variety of stuff – that’s what the licensing requirements are as set by IDP.
Creative And Challenging
Even though there is some actual design involved, such as making a building look nice, there are several other challenges, such as meeting the needs and wishes of a client while also meeting accessibility and building codes as well as their schedule and budget. It’s making all the required rooms fit into an existing building or area of a building. It is also about taking a look at two-dimensional drawings and inferring what the three-dimensional space might look like. The challenges are fun, exciting and never repeat twice.
Meet New People
Believe it or not, everyone you meet as an architect, anyone from the client to the engineer, is going to be dignified and interesting people. You have the unique opportunity to get to know things outside your field of study directly from the experts.
There’s Actually Very Little Math Involved
If you are afraid that your math skills are going to cause a lot of distress to your job, then fear no more, because you will not have to use anything more than ninth grade math (maybe even less). You need an engineer if a professional with calculus is required and you’re not qualified to do that job anyway. What an architect really requires is to be generally inquisitive, intelligent, a good listener, and have the ability to draw and explain things such that any layman can understand.
CONS
The Pay
A sad disadvantage, architects do not get paid much. To get a considerable pay, architects need to be licensed, have several years of experience and most importantly for architects, find a firm that values your work. Interns need to learn to manage money well and sometimes even work two jobs.
The Bleeding Front Line Of The Economy
When the economy starts a downward spiral, architects are the first to feel it. Money spent on construction and design changes hands many times, so as the economy sinks, they feel the pressure too, and it brings down the economy even more. Always have your resume in shape, and up for in the off chance, you get laid off.
It Takes A Lot Of School, And Then Internship To Get Somewhere
You will have to spend at least five years to get a B.Arch, the first professional degree. After that, you will have to do two more years to get an M.Arch, a masters degree in the subject. After all schooling, you need to work for at least three years before you can sit for the exam to get a license.