Architect working as a draftsman
Hi everyone. Graduated RIBA part 2 but currently working as a draftsman at a firm in Dubai. As any architect i want to be confident in my skills to design buildings but i feel stuck working at a refurb / interior firm owned by an engineer who has no clue about details and design and i feel so demotivated i can’t even tell.
Although i am a fresher, Ik that i start with drafting work but in my firm there is no scope of other aspects such as material handling, client coordination, site visits, BOQS etc what a junior architect title would entail. All i get to is some drafting, i feel like my times getting wasted. And i am losing out on essentials skills a junior architect would be exposed to.
Now i am an expat here, the money is ok. I am trying to get another job here but unable to find anything as I am fresher with no experience. In this firm i have been 3 months and feel like i have learnt nothing at all.
The other option is to return to my home country India but for lesser money but probably more exposure. I also have the potential to start on my own as soon as i get confident with my skills.
what’s your take should i keep drafting till i get more experience and then switch or should i move asap to a traditional architecture firm as the firm i am at is not even a proper firm but more like a developer owned that does refurb and there only one another architect there. Rest all are civil engineers or HVAC engineers and quantity surveyors.
please advise 🙌🏼