Forwarded by Howard
===================
- - The original note follows - -
From: kpboston@xxxxxxx (KPboston)
Newsgroups: alt.architecture
Subject: Re: Current avg. starting salaries
Date: 17 Feb 1997 13:44:57 GMT
On Sun, Feb. 16, Tom wrote:
>(snip)
>My question is simply what are the avg. starting salaries out there for
>architects with a Masters degree, taking skills and knowledge base into
>account (ie. CAD, SoftImage, drafting, etc.) Also, what are employers
>looking for in potential architects? What kind of bearing does that
>have as to how much you will make? Any info. would be much appreciated.
Has has been discussed in this newsgroup - Master's Degrees don't get you
any further than a graduate with a BArch. Also, CAD and computer
rendering are becoming common place - almost every grad can show something
here as well. Now DRAFTING! There's something to look for. A person who
has the ability to communicate their ideas using pencil and paper, no
matter whether the final drawings are done on CAD or not, there's someone
who can have a good interview.
With college grads & no experience, its hard to tell how they will
perform in a work environment, particularly with deadlines, the daily
grind of working (some have never had a steady job before), and the
sometimes seemingly unnecessary tasks required in an architectural firm.
Everyone seems to want to be a designer, many not knowing what needs to be
learned (like how to put a building together or how a set of construction
documents is assembled).
Salaries? Well, the answer you probably don't want to hear is . . . that
depends. Since you still have a few years before you enter the
marketplace, things will definitely change between now and then. Also,
where you choose to work makes a big difference. The AIA had a recent
survey showing average salaries in regions accross the country, and they
varied considerably. (sorry, can't remember the numbers) In addition,
the size of the firm with which you start with has an impact on salary
level, as well as what types of projects the firm does.
I would recommend the best start you could make right now is to find some
sort of summer employment in an architecture firm - at least get your foot
in the door somewhere and/or a little experience. Every little bit helps
when going out on those first interviews after graduation.
Good luck,
Kriss Pettersen, AIA
===================
- - The original note follows - -
From: kpboston@xxxxxxx (KPboston)
Newsgroups: alt.architecture
Subject: Re: Current avg. starting salaries
Date: 17 Feb 1997 13:44:57 GMT
On Sun, Feb. 16, Tom wrote:
>(snip)
>My question is simply what are the avg. starting salaries out there for
>architects with a Masters degree, taking skills and knowledge base into
>account (ie. CAD, SoftImage, drafting, etc.) Also, what are employers
>looking for in potential architects? What kind of bearing does that
>have as to how much you will make? Any info. would be much appreciated.
Has has been discussed in this newsgroup - Master's Degrees don't get you
any further than a graduate with a BArch. Also, CAD and computer
rendering are becoming common place - almost every grad can show something
here as well. Now DRAFTING! There's something to look for. A person who
has the ability to communicate their ideas using pencil and paper, no
matter whether the final drawings are done on CAD or not, there's someone
who can have a good interview.
With college grads & no experience, its hard to tell how they will
perform in a work environment, particularly with deadlines, the daily
grind of working (some have never had a steady job before), and the
sometimes seemingly unnecessary tasks required in an architectural firm.
Everyone seems to want to be a designer, many not knowing what needs to be
learned (like how to put a building together or how a set of construction
documents is assembled).
Salaries? Well, the answer you probably don't want to hear is . . . that
depends. Since you still have a few years before you enter the
marketplace, things will definitely change between now and then. Also,
where you choose to work makes a big difference. The AIA had a recent
survey showing average salaries in regions accross the country, and they
varied considerably. (sorry, can't remember the numbers) In addition,
the size of the firm with which you start with has an impact on salary
level, as well as what types of projects the firm does.
I would recommend the best start you could make right now is to find some
sort of summer employment in an architecture firm - at least get your foot
in the door somewhere and/or a little experience. Every little bit helps
when going out on those first interviews after graduation.
Good luck,
Kriss Pettersen, AIA