Occupational Outlook Handbook Career Choices - Architect

    The career that I chose on the Occupational Outlook Handbook at www.bls.gov/oco website is in the field of architecture. The education necessary to become an architect is usually to attend a five year college architecture program. Some architects pursue a Master’s degree. Afterwards you must attain an architect’s license which some schools have included in their program but usually you must spend a few years under the supervision of a licensed architect in order to qualify to apply for the license. A licensed private architect can make upwards of $150,000 as opposed to one that works for a firm $50,000-$70,000. According to the bls.gov website, the job outlook for an architect is expected to grow by 24% during the 2010-20 decade, which they claim is a faster growing need for the profession than the average job outlook. For me to have some firsthand experience in the field I should ask the architect that I know to allow me to tag along with him for a few days to see firsthand how his work is to get an understanding of his job and responsibilities. I should also ask around on campus if anyone has any relatives or friends that are involved in the field of architecture or construction management to also ask if I could volunteer for them for a few days.

     I would consider being an architect because I have always had an interest in this field since childhood but I have yet to spend some time with someone in the field to see how their day to day job is like. I am very interested in the process of how homes are built and all of the materials that are used in the construction process from start to finish. What is holding me back at this moment is the lack of a portfolio that is necessary in order to apply for an architecture program along with my inadequate level of math for me to even be accepted into the college of choice. What I would have to do is to take every math class that Kingsborough has to offer and receive good grades in every class and also take any engineering or architecture history classes that the college has available.

    I would ultimately like to own a company that develops new methods and technologies that hasten and improve the quality of the developments, such as how we use cranes and bulldozers today. I am also really interested in real estate and that would be a field that I would like to try out as well. In order to pursue this field I would have to take real estate classes and then register with a broker unless I can attain the broker’s license right away. I enjoy the potential that any property or home may have by using a little creativity and imagination to create a potential scenery and use of the space. With some more involvement and less pondering, I may just find what I truly adore to do a bit sooner than I believe right now.

Vsevolod Soloviev