Job losses in Architectural offices

topcatcbr

Best of luck. I F00k1ng hate this recession sh1t

pseudo-tech

Hope all goes well Smashey. It's a terrible industry we are in. Hopefully it's not an excuse for technician's to be treated like they were pre-celtic tiger.

Have anyone any ideas on how a Technician can diversify? What else can our talents be used for?

muffler

pseudo-tech wrote: »

Have anyone any ideas on how a Technician can diversify? What else can our talents be used for?

If you're prepared to take a few steps back down the ladder you could get a job as a planner with one of the PA's

pseudo-tech

And have to pay 3-10% contribution towards my guaranteed pension. Are you mad. I would prefer to see my private pension disappear, my wages drop by 30% because I know I'm alive unlike the ones that leave their brain at the door and give up.

ConfusedTech

PSeudo-Tech, you ask a good question. How can we diversify. I think that the bad news is that within our industry, it is going to be very difficult to diversify, and make a few bucks, as there is 41% of our colleagues doing the same thing. The reality is that you need to accept what is happening, expect it to get worse for the next two years, while still staying positive, as you have to agree that our standard of living has improved over the past ten years. We still have a lot to be thankful for, honestly. Once you get over the above, start looking at using your non-specific abilities elsewhere and un-construction related. Management positions in shops, cafes etc. New ideas for services. Supporting new energy schemes. Assisting charity organisations. Many of us have the skills to operate outside our industry, but dont know it, and at the moment you should be happy to bring in a figure that covers just your living costs, and a pint every now and again...

Slig

ConfusedTech wrote: »

PSeudo-Tech, you ask a good question. How can we diversify. I think that the bad news is that within our industry, it is going to be very difficult to diversify, and make a few bucks, as there is 41% of our colleagues doing the same thing. The reality is that you need to accept what is happening, expect it to get worse for the next two years, while still staying positive, as you have to agree that our standard of living has improved over the past ten years. We still have a lot to be thankful for, honestly. Once you get over the above, start looking at using your non-specific abilities elsewhere and un-construction related. Management positions in shops, cafes etc. New ideas for services. Supporting new energy schemes. Assisting charity organisations. Many of us have the skills to operate outside our industry, but dont know it, and at the moment you should be happy to bring in a figure that covers just your living costs, and a pint every now and again...

I'm lucky enough that I have been working for peanuts screwed for the last couple of years (I really liked my job). A front counter position in Maccy D's would be a promotion to me:D.

Got my theory test for a C Licence, provisional in the post and lessons start next Thursday.

If all else fails, and you can use cad then there is still hope. Autocad is used in everything from architecture to pharmacuticals. Dunnes stores even use it for their shelf layouts.

Builderfromhell

ConfusedTech wrote: »

PSeudo-Tech, you ask a good question. How can we diversify. I think that the bad news is that within our industry, it is going to be very difficult to diversify, and make a few bucks, as there is 41% of our colleagues doing the same thing. The reality is that you need to accept what is happening, expect it to get worse for the next two years, while still staying positive, as you have to agree that our standard of living has improved over the past ten years. We still have a lot to be thankful for, honestly. Once you get over the above, start looking at using your non-specific abilities elsewhere and un-construction related. Management positions in shops, cafes etc. New ideas for services. Supporting new energy schemes. Assisting charity organisations. Many of us have the skills to operate outside our industry, but dont know it, and at the moment you should be happy to bring in a figure that covers just your living costs, and a pint every now and again...

Copy of post I made earlier. Still valid I think.
I'm writing this in the hope it might be of benefit to some folk.

When the property boom ended in the UK in the 80s. I emigrated to Thailand. I had been doing volunteer English teaching work there, for 1 to 3 months at a time, for years. I was and am a qualified TEFL Teacher.
This made it easy for me to make the move. I got a job teaching English at a hotel school on the beach. Low wages but free bungalow and Hotel food.
I then got a job in a 4 star beach front hotel teaching English. Free room, food, access to all hotel facilities etc.
While there I studied Hotel mgt. by correspondence from New York college and got a Diploma. I then got promoted to Hotel Training manager.
I have probably gone into too much detail already but the point is those of you young without mortgages could do this anywhere in the World and have a great experience.
I spent 8 years in Thailand and ended up marrying one of my students. It was the best experience of my life. I came back here for a year and ended up staying because of the building boom. I returned to my old career of designing and building houses and extensions.
Frankly, I wasn't enjoying this Building boom anyway and would love to leave for Thailand again. Alas, with 2 kids in school etc. I'm pretty much stuck here.

Good luck to you all.

HashSlinging

Great story thanks for sharing!

ConfusedTech

Just heard that Douglas Wallace are hitting very hard times today.

DvB

ConfusedTech wrote: »

Just heard that Douglas Wallace are hitting very hard times today.

Is there a firm left out there that hasn't at this stage?
We're barely hanging on and have our staff at the lowest they've been for the 12 odd years i've been here, worrying times for the few of us that are left as work just isnt coming in at the moment. Funnily enough we dont seem to be getting any CV's in at all, have people just given up to the extent they dont even bother firing out CV's to see if anything bites?

ConfusedTech

Yes

Slig

To be fair it is some cull but when you take in the figures.
Small town I work in there are 5-6 pubs, 5 clothes shops, 3 pharmacies, 2 doctors, 1 dentist, 5 hardware/builders providers, 3 solicitors and 8+ engineers/architects offices.

muffler

Slig wrote: »

To be fair it is some cull but when you take in the figures.
Small town I work in there are 5-6 pubs, 5 clothes shops, 3 pharmacies, 2 doctors, 1 dentist, 5 hardware/builders providers, 3 solicitors and 8+ engineers/architects offices.

Tombestone

pseudo-tech

muffler wrote: »

Tombestone

However, everyone played their part. The Government promoted an economy build [pardon the pun] on a deck of cards, the banks provided finance for developers to purchase over priced land and mortgages to the ordinary Joe to buy an over inflated house. The Universities and I.Ts encouraged young school leavers to take a certain career before they knew what they really wanted. It would be great to see a thread on what can Technician's do now.

No6

Strangely enough a number of people who were in College with me in the late 80's are very sucessful in a number of different fields completely unrelated to Architecture, So I think theres hope for us all (hopefully!!:D)

pseudo-tech

No6 wrote: »

Strangely enough a number of people who were in College with me in the late 80's are very sucessful in a number of different fields completely unrelated to Architecture, So I think theres hope for us all (hopefully!!:D)

What did some of them do? Was the change a choice or a necessity?
How did their education as Arch. Techs. help them?

No6

One I believe was a photographer another a fashion designer that I can remember, it think it gave them the belief if you could do (survive) our course you could do (survive) anything. Another that I know of in a related field is now a Senior Fire Officer and a friend of mine who dropped out in second year got a job as a draftsman in a mulitnational structural engineering firm who after a few years put him through college to become a structural engineer. Believe in yourself thats the most important thing.

ConfusedTech

I am looking at a number of options, including trading on the stock market (Not as bad an idea as you may think), to charity work to sales. The skills from college, when translated over to other industries are very valuable. You obviously need a bit of grounding on the new area, but the hard work, slog and attention to detail and numerous elements at the same time is exactly the same.

Tabnabs

ConfusedTech wrote: »

Just heard that Douglas Wallace are hitting very hard times today.

This won't be the last time DW's name will crop up. Can't say anything, but it's not good...

Funnily enough, of the 8 technicians I qualified with in the mid 90s, only two are still doing the same job; one went into retail, one into computer graphics, two to architecture, one to property management and one ran away to sea. I used to envy the guys and gals who stuck at it because they were raking in the cash, but now I am the one relatively secure and grateful for my average wage.

writetojd

I got let go back in May and since then moved to Oz. As it turns out I'm having a little reunion of sorts with some of my graduating class. From what I hear there more in Melbourne with a few scattered in Sydney and Brisbane. Friends of mine that are managing to hold onto a job are fairly nervous. Few joking that theyll be out here soon enough

One of my friends has taken up a trade since, welding, some others are government artists while a few went back to college.

I know it may sound like a negative post but I plan on hanging in there with my chosen profession and someday heading home.

topcatcbr

writetojd wrote: »

I got let go back in May and since then moved to Oz. As it turns out I'm having a little reunion of sorts with some of my graduating class. From what I hear there more in Melbourne with a few scattered in Sydney and Brisbane. Friends of mine that are managing to hold onto a job are fairly nervous. Few joking that theyll be out here soon enough

One of my friends has taken up a trade since, welding, some others are government artists while a few went back to college.

I know it may sound like a negative post but I plan on hanging in there with my chosen profession and someday heading home.

Are you working as an Arch Tech in Oz and if so is there much demand for us down there.

ConfusedTech

The work there is still going well, but indications last month were that the downturn is hitting there now. One practice in Sydney let go 40 people recently. Friends of mine there suspect that over the next 3 months they will start seeing the same problems and have to deal with them.

DvB

ConfusedTech wrote: »

The work there is still going well, but indications last month were that the downturn is hitting there now. One practice in Sydney let go 40 people recently. Friends of mine there suspect that over the next 3 months they will start seeing the same problems and have to deal with them.

Apart from another redundancy in our office being announced on Monday (we're down to 4 architects & teccies now) I last night got an email from a teccie in Perth telling me he's being let go along with 17 others from his firm of 62 (all teccies), he's worried as he's heard on the grapevine that things are slowing down quite suddenly and he may struggle to find work with another firm. Seems nowhere is safe now as i've heard similar stories from Dubai & Bahrain as well since christmas.

Slig

Hows your french? Canada seems fairly OK still.

writetojd

topcatcbr wrote: »

Are you working as an Arch Tech in Oz and if so is there much demand for us down there.

Unfortunately there isn't much work going. I got a few days temping but nothing solid. Most of the classmates I met are desperately seeking work. I'm thinking of going to work in the outback so I can secure my 2nd year visa soon. It will give me longer to look. Might try Melbourne next because Perth doesn't appear to have much in the near future. Still prospects are better here than at home.

A guy slig and I went to college with in Waterford fears hes going to be let go soon. Another friends contract finished last week and it was pretty much see you, best of luck and that was it.

No6

Slig wrote: »

Hows your french? Canada seems fairly OK still.

they even know what architectural technologists are there too!!!

ConfusedTech

Slightly off topic, but I just heard on the radio this morning of an Architect who was let go 7 months ago, being refused car insurance from a brokerage company, as she was high risk!!! :mad:

muffler

ConfusedTech wrote: »

as she was high risk!!! :mad:

And high maintenance too

Slig

ConfusedTech wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but I just heard on the radio this morning of an Architect who was let go 7 months ago, being refused car insurance from a brokerage company, as she was high risk!!! :mad:

Now that you mention it, its been months since any have the banks have sent me any brochures on their credit cards!!

ConfusedTech

In case you havent heard, the banks have no money!