Architecture is a lifestyle rather than a profession. Being an architect is a long, tedious process. Some people are built for it, others are not. A successful career means great sacrifice, you might reconsider the path of architecture or think about making a career shift. However, if you are passionate enough, you will flourish and thrive in it.
Here are some harsh realities and obstacles that architects encounter:
1. Accepting criticism can be hard after you have worked long and hard on your project. A lot of Architecture students drop out of school after the first year for that reason.
2. If you are only in because you love the social spotlight and the image of being an architect, quit now! Being called an “architect” is not worth the hardships. Do it only if you are passionate about the profession.
3. Your paycheck is a joke! Well, at least until you obtain your license and gain experience, that is 5 to 10 years after college.
4. Don’t think you will be a star the minute you graduate! Back in college, you took matters into your own hands, designed, and made decisions. That won’t be the case after graduation. You will be executing somebody else’s ideas for a long time before you can do your own.
5. You have to be GOOD at Mental Math. If not, then you will have a hard time, as Arithmetic Maths and Statistics are part of every architect’s daily life.
6. Contractors can make your life really hard! They are talented at finding errors in your drawings to make as much money as they can out of them.
7. You think your talent might save you from hard work? Well, think again. The colleague who is far less talented but works much harder than you will outrun you.
8. Giving solicitations before obtaining your permit can get you into trouble. There is a huge legal responsibility that lies on your shoulders as your work involves people’s safety and wellbeing.
9. Clients sometimes won’t pay you; others can claim your ideas for themselves; contractors will trick your clients for more money and blame you for it. Your work can go unnoticed or worse, it can be shelved after you had spent so much time on it.
10. There is always very little room for error as opposed to other professions in which you can be cut some slack. After all, you are dealing with the safety and welfare of people.