I am one of the unfortunate to come from a poor background and have tried to invest in my future by starting my part 1 ADT in North Wales. The economic downturn has really hit home here as I have found it virtually impossible to get any form of practice based experience, even for free??? I have children to feed and currently have to work part time in care work (that increasingly depresses me!) and having to go back on the tools. I will never give up on my study but fear that architecture is becoming a career for the sons and daughters of mummsy and daddy. Apart from the Uni career office and sending endless cover letters and CV's what and where can help the smaller and less fortunate but no less imaginative ADT students? as I am running out of ideas??
noah murney
Paul, Architectural practice is a long hard slog with very poor financial rewards unless you have the drive and ambition to establish your own practice. The statistics speak for themselves. The majority of young architects I've worked with in the last ten years come from comfortable middle class backgrounds, and the ones I know who don't really struggle with paying their student loans and getting a foothold on the property ladder in the absence of parental financial support. Anyone who thinks otherwise is seriously kidding themselves.
Given the nature of the industry and this profession, the odds are stacked against anyone in your position. I have the greatest respect for architects who can raise a family and study or work successfully at the same time, because it's very, very rare. The welfare of your children is paramount, making it impossible to compete in the architectural workplace against single colleagues for responsibility and career development opportunities. Architects are always bending over backwards to prove themselves to the extent that they'll do work for nothing or take a lower salary than a colleague with dependants. There are other factors at work in low salaries, but this one looms large, as does the massive over supply of architects.
You obviously have the talent and skills to gain admission to architecture school, which is a great achievement. My sincere advice is to take those skills and talents and apply them in a career which will provide better financial rewards for you and your family, and better job security. Just log on to any recruitment website and compare the salary expectations of other jobs with this one. It's frightening how low this profession's expectations are, and depressing that the riba's interest in seriously addressing the issue is practically non-existent.
You're advantage and strengths are that you're young enough to change career now, and sensible enough to sense the problems with architecture and to know that there are other excellent options. Remember it's not an admission of failure to change direction, especially when it's in your own best interests. This is the advice I give to my young relatives, and is offered with sincerity. Good luck to you.
Thank you for this response, I didn’t want anyone to take my comments too offensively but this is how i see it? The last year I have been getting grades over 70% and with 4 children running me ragged I think thats an achievement in itself, however I will finish this degree before a change in direction. I have all ways worked in construction and all ways will, all though sustaining an architecture career may need reviewing? once again thank you for this reply its been very informative.
