I love my Architectural Assistant job.

A bit of a personal blog post about why I love my job as a Part 2 Architectural Assistant and how I got it. I got the idea for this post when I was at a recent family get-together and uttered the rare phrase ‘I love my job’. I didn’t realise how much of a big deal it was until I actually said the words out loud. I have my days where I wake up and can not be bothered to go work but for the vast majority of the time I look forward to getting into the office and doing my work.

So where do I work?

So I have two jobs at the moment, I work at a university as a studio tutor for Architecture during term time which I also love but my main job is working in a very small Architecture firm (it’s me as an Architectural Assistant and 2 Architects) that specialises in the conservation of historic architecture. This is relevant to mention as this is always what I wanted to do. Every CV and sample of work I have sent out since starting my Architecture degree has had at least one paragraph about my passion for conservation architecture and interest in heritage.

My main passion however is the conservation of historical buildings. I have always preferred buildings with more history and character to more modern buildings even before I knew I wanted to be an architect.

Extract from my cover letter, 2015

Getting the job

I’ll be honest with you, getting my dream job was a lot of hard work and experience to show that I can do the job but finding the opportunity was a little bit of luck! The application process was also actually very simple, I applied - did a zoom interview and was emailed my offer of employment.

To explain further however, let’s throwback to 7ish months ago, casual evening in with my partner watching tv as you do, and I get a job alert from indeed. Now this wasn’t necessarily unusual, I got a lot of alerts.. this one however was very different. I clicked on the job advert and with every word read my need for this job went up. ‘Skills in AutoCAD’ tick, Must have an interest in conservation’ tick tick. I looked the company up (can never be too careful), good portfolio of work that were all focused on historical architecture, easy transport links. I needed this job. I had applied to so many Architecture firms that I wasn’t particularly interested in to try and get my foot in the door that would have been great for experience but this was basically my dream job. So I spent the next few days updating my CV, cover letter, sample of work & my portfolio website to ensure everything screamed ‘I am perfect for this job’.

Photo by Steve Halama on Unsplash

I was asked a few questions prior to being offered an interview, about how I would work from home and what if anything I would need to make it possible. I then had my zoom interview which went well, I already had it in my head that I was the right person for the job so I felt confident and positive.

Now prior to this job application I had applied to quite a lot of jobs and either not got a reply or the usual ‘please apply again in X amount of time’ etc emails, so I don’t wait around for emails, I apply and then move on and see what happens. So it was a very nice surprise to get an email late one Friday evening with an offer of an employment for my dream job.

The beginning

So when I started the job I was working from home as was a lot of the country due to the pandemic. I had an initial zoom meeting with senior Architects, sorted out general emails and admin and then I was given a new build project to do the drawings for. As a historical building and conservation enthusiast working for a firm specialising in conservation, this was a bit of a surprise that wasn’t exactly welcomed. I did however and of course work through the project and I tried to learn as much as possible. A month or so in however, I wasn’t enjoying it. I was still working from home so hadn’t met anyone in person yet, felt like I was asking too many questions and I didn’t want to call or email too much.

Photo by Steve Halama on Unsplash

The Turning Point

There was however a turning point when I was able to go into the office. I met my senior Architects and felt way more involved in the inner workings of the office. I was given more complex work to complete and could listen into conservations between my senior architects that I didn’t necessarily understand yet but could ask questions and get involved if I wanted to.

My day to day at work also became a lot more varied. When I was working from home I was work that I would be able to do without too much assistance and I was of course just at my desk. Now, my days and weeks can be completely different. Some days I will be on-site all day measuring a vacant pub, other days I’ll be inspecting a church in the morning and then I’ll be doing drawings at my desk in the afternoon.

Survey Notes

Church Site Visit

Now this post wasn’t to show how to get a job that you love or anything, it was more to show that it is possible and that you have to be patient. I would have been happy with pretty much any architecture job that could move my career ahead, it just so happened that a job that I was very interested in was available. It took my over a year to get this job after I graduated and even when I got it I was still sceptical. I had to respect the process and know that I’d get there in the end! I might stay at this job for 20 years or I could use the experience to explore other opportunities in the future. Either way I’m looking forward it!