My experience is similar to J. Robert’s, but 11 years lesser (’88 grad). At some point it becomes harder to land employment with others, though probably not impossible. Sometimes it’s the economy, other times bottom line (younger employees less $ to pay than older), and others it’s opportunity to go out on your own after some stimulus to do so (frustration w/ a lack of like-mindedness, seeing better ways to design, being laid-off, etc.). Sometimes, like J. Robert, it might be of an age where certain technologies are not learned like younger LA’s, so that makes us less marketable…and impractical to learn everything new that comes out, when you need to put food on the table and would rather design.
But it’s always a benefit when you can start your own practice and start making the magic.
To the original topic of what’s my office like –
1) Growing 45+ firm in booming San Diego, cliquish but learned much even pigeonholed as “drafter”
2) Large 100+ multi-disciplinary Arch-Plan-Eng-Interiors-LA firm in San Diego, friendly and able to do more
3) Landscape contractor, more sales than design (and in my former market, think “free design”…ugh, what a mistake
4) Small 7+ LA form, non-responsive to being in the desert…my stimulus to start own practice in 1995-2003
5) Large multi-disciplinary firm, friendly but not the same priorities on better design and clientele on a number of projects led me back to…own practice
6) Solo practice again to do desert-appropriate-only work, and looking to get practice/admin ducks in a row better, and eventually hire someone to start growing…can’t do it alone, but don’t have time to hire someone…I want their position to be fulfilling for them and I, not something slopped together like most of my past employees did to only benefit them…so far, hectic, unsettled and enough fees to keep afloat decently
So, variety. Not an easy career, but could be much worse! Especially if I had a good position for 20 years, had no consciousness, and did work inappropriate to the place and the land. Way better to do well.
