| What does an Architect do? |
|
Architects
design houses and buildings. They plan offices and apartments.
They design schools, churches, and airport terminals. Their plans
involve far more than a building's looks. Buildings must be safe
and strong. They must also suit the needs of the people who use
them. Architects look at all these things.
The architect
and client first discuss what the client wants. The architect
sometimes helps decide if a project would work at all or if it
would harm the environment. The architect then creates drawings
for the client to review.
If the ideas
are OK, the architect draws up the final plans. These plans show
how the building will look and how to build it. The drawings show
the beams that hold up the building. They show the air-conditioner,
furnace, and ventilating systems. The drawings show how the electricity
and plumbing work. Architects used to use pencil and paper to
draw their plans. Today, more and more architects are using computers.
Architects generally work in comfortable conditions. They spend
most of their time in offices. However, t
hey spend
some time at building sites to see how projects are going.
Architects
may feel stressed sometimes. They might work nights and weekends
to meet deadlines. Almost half of all architects work more than
a 40-hour week.
| How do you get ready to become an Architect? |
|
Architects
must be licensed before they can practice. In order to get a license:
1) You need a degree in architecture. Courses include architectural
theory, building design, math, and science. 2) You must finish
an internship. 3) Finally, you must pass all sections of a license
exam.
Architects
must be able to visualize things and communicate well visually.
Art classes are very helpful in doing this. Speaking, writing,
and creativity are also important. Architects should be computer
literate.
| How much do Architects get paid? |
|
The middle
half of all architects earned between $44,030 and $74,460 a year
in 2002. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $36,280.
The highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $92,350 a year.
Architects
held about 113,000 jobs in 2002. Most jobs were in small architecture
firms. About 1 in 5 was self-employed. This means they practiced
as partners in a firm or on their own. Some worked for builders
or government agencies.
BLS expects
the number of jobs for architects to grow about as fast as the
average for all occupations through 2012. Despite this growth,
however, new architects face competition. This job attracts many
people, so there are lots of applicants for openings. Applicants
who gained experience working for an architectural firm while
in school have a competitive advantage. Those who know about computer-aided
design and drafting technology also have a better chance to get
a job.
| Are there other jobs like this? |
|
| Where can you find more information? |
|
More information
about architects can be found in the Careers
Database.
|
