Not to brag, but I've got a job

It's true, I've been working in architecture and getting paid for it lately. I worked 10 days in a row, actually. But at the moment I'm enjoying a 5-day weekend, so I have time to tell you all about my position.

The trip leader for my eMi trip did me a favor and called his friend, the principal of LGA Studios to recommend that he hire me. I didn't think it would lead anywhere, but it so happened that they were busy and looking for some temporary help that could turn into more than just a simple contract job.

So I found myself turning CAD floorplans and elevations into colorful, illustrated brochure-fodder like the one above. Sounds like if they can put together enough work to keep me busy I'll get to do all sorts of other things in the future. I'm definitely happy to be in a different sort of industry than I was before in the interests of becoming a well-rounded and informed architect. LGA Studios mostly does homes, and SynThesis rarely had anything to do with those. Except the couple of times the bosses got roped into doing their friend's houses, of course.

Since their employees mostly contract with them, LGA has a more laid back feel than my previous office. You get paid when the work is done, and they don't particularly care when or where you do it. So taking off for the afternoon or taking a two-hour lunch are absolutely cool as long as you do the work some other time (1am in the morning? That's fine). I have found that I much prefer to do my work in an office during office hours, mostly because I don't like working at night and while it's nice to take the afternoon off working during the afternoon feels natural. As for the office environment, it keeps me focused and accountable and provides me with at least a minimal amount of socialization.

The other two contractors who sit near me are friendly, interesting folks I've been enjoying talking with. The owners, husband and wife, have been supportive and respectful of my work thus far and very likable. Unlike my previous job, at times more than half the people in the office are female! In fact, the lead project manager is an architect and a woman. Not to dog on men, but I've sure felt more comfortable and more camaraderie here than in my previous office. Sure, I got used to working with six men and developed friendships of a sort, but on Monday morning most of the talk was sports-related and I was rarely asked what I had been up to.

The main challenge so far has been estimating the hours a project will take beforehand so we can sign a contract agreeing on the total amount I will be paid once the project is complete. Both the style of payment (sans benefits and not bi-weekly) and trying to break down the time a project will take ahead of time have thrown me for a bit of a loop. Oh well. It's been good exposure to a different kind of business and hopefully I'll get used to it.

Praise God for providing me with work! I'm so blessed to be with such a great company in my field right now.

--Lis