In just about any other profession out there, there are abound to be advantages and disadvantages in being an architect. Whether your architecture company gives you more work than you can handle or enjoy the fruits of your labor, there are certainly some things that people need to know about should they desire to pursue a career in architecture.
So, without further ado, let’s start with the cons.
The road to becoming an architect is actually quite hard. First, you will need to complete your undergraduate study of about five years in school. This is where you will learn all of the concepts, as well as giving you the preparatory tools and skills that you will need in the future.
Aside from that, since this is a more competitive landscape, getting a master’s degree will make sense. That means that you are going to add two more years on top of the five years of undergraduate study, which totals 7 whole years.
All architecture students are required to take (and pass) the Architect Registration Exam. You are required to pass it because that will be the only way for you to gain your license.
Once school is over and once you’ve acquired your license, you will then work as an intern in some architecture firm. Sometimes, you are even required to render more than two years of internship just to gain enough experience that is required by the firms. This means that your salary is minimal and you might have to work long hours as well.
Compared to other professions, an architect is actually one of the lowest, at least, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. An average annual salary for an architect is just a measly $72,700 compared to a doctor or a scientist.
Lastly, architects would rely on the economic growth of their area. If the economy experiences problems, then the construction of new buildings is the least of the demands of the people.
Although architecture is a demanding profession, there is a lot of room for growth and creativity. In fact, it is one of the only professions that allows you to become creative and become good at it as you gain more experience.
This field is also never a boring career. You get to experience all types of clients, you get to see things that the world has to offer, and you can also see the fruits of your labor once the structures have been established.
Even though architecture students are required to learn advanced mathematical concepts like Algebra, Geometry, and Calculus, only a small fraction of that is actually used in the real world. Still, it would be nice to have knowledge of those things as you will never know when it might come in handy.
Architects are known to be passionate people and they rarely think about the money that they earn from each project that they take. It is also a good thing to become one since you are going to see the actual structure that you have helped create once it is done.