在一家大型设计公司工作的5个意想不到的好处
5 Unexpected Benefits of Working at a Large Design Firm

由专筑网李韧，朱王倩编译

和大多数建筑学专业学生一样，我在大学期间也多次听说过在一家大型或小型设计公司工作好不好的争论。毫无疑问，每个规模的公司都有其独特的优势，你会发现许多人都在讨论不同规模的公司的优劣问题，有人渴望大公司的资源，也有人偏向小公司的灵活性，事实上，任何问题都没有最佳的选项，但今年秋季，成千上万的建筑系学生即将开学，我想就这个问题分享自己的观点。

就在几年前，我毕业时，面临着这样一个选择：我应当选择多大规模的公司来进行第一次建筑实践工作？有很多小公司向我抛出橄榄枝，但最终我选择了大公司。大办公室、大项目、工作安全、最新技术、建模和3D打印资源，这一切听起来都很棒。两年来，我发现这些优势确实很重要，但同时我也发现了一些其他的额外特点，这些额外的发现对我的日常工作带来了许多帮助。我想，在未来的时间里，充分考虑这些因素也许会对你们有所帮助。

Like most architecture students, I heard the debate about whether it was better to work at a large or small design firm numerous times during my collegiate career. There are undoubtedly benefits offered by firms of each size, and you’ll find tons of people eager to discuss how the resources of a large firm can compare to the creative flexibility of a small firm and similar such discussions during your student journey. Truthfully, there’s no one best option or preferred path, but, with thousands of students set to head back to architecture or design school this fall, I wanted to share my perspective.
It was just a few years ago that I was in my final year of school and faced with a decision: what size firms should I pursue for my first job? There were numerous aspects of small firms that spoke to me, but ultimately, I chose the large-firm experience. Big offices, big projects, job security, the latest tech, modeling and 3D printed resources—this all sounded great to me. Two years in, I’ve found most of those benefits to ring true, but I’ve also uncovered several benefits I didn’t know I should have been looking for in the first place. These unplanned discoveries have made a significant difference in my day-to-day experience and in helping to kickstart my career. I thought it might be helpful to share them so other students can consider them when making their decision in 2018 and beyond.

Courtesy of CannonDesign

1、人力资源

我在一家大公司工作，希望能从中获得丰富的物质资源，如最新的技术支持，我也许十分需要那些先进的绘图与建模工具，以及丰富的材料库资源。但我没有意识到的是，在大公司遇到的那些人对我的职业生涯也同样具有很大的价值。在一家大公司，你会遇到很多有不同背景和专业知识的人，他们也许会以意想不到的方式帮助你学习和成长。在我们公司（CannonDesign），有许多专家支持着我们的各种市场行为，他们有着精湛的专业技能，如果我想了解更多关于临床医疗中心方案的信息，这里就有许多资源。如果我对建筑管理感兴趣，那也有资源可以直接查阅。如果我热衷于BIM技术和项目集成，在大公司会有许多和我想法一样的人。其他大型的设计公司也有类似的资源模式，新毕业生们应当考虑如何更加高效地利用这些资源。


2、大公司具有意想不到的优势支持员工的注册考试

毕业后，成为一名注册建筑师常常是设计师旅程中的一个重要目标。事实上，大公司通常有很强大的认证支持程序，甚至可以为员工们支付考试与学习材料的费用，这些可用的资源让我非常惊讶，我甚至可以不用浪费自己的周末休息时间就能如期参加考试，我还能够加入到更多的学习小组中，通过这些，我能够确保自己有更高效的备考策略。我们的办公室甚至有一位老师专门负责检查我们的学习进度，并为我们提供专业支持与帮助。我想这些资源让许多小公司可望而不可即，它能够真切地为我提供各方面的帮助。


3、丰富的市场经验

在一家大公司或小公司工作，不是年轻设计师在职业生涯早期面临的唯一艰难的决定。通常，他们不知道自己是否愿意专注于某个特定的市场，如医疗、公共或科学等。在一家大公司工作的好处之一是有机会体验这些市场的机会。我目前在一个医疗中心团队工作，但是我也了解了高等院校、科学和技术团队，以及企业商业项目的不同发展模式。如果我想改变自己的工作方向，我也可以灵活地转到不同的团队或项目组。这让我有了创业的自由感，有了学习和成长的空间。


4、来自办公室的机遇

大公司有多个办公室，这为设计师创造了大量的机会。即使在我职业生涯的早期阶段，也可以在不同的地方工作，可以到全国或世界各地出差。这种多样的办公模式意味着如果一个大公司在加利福尼亚赢得一个庞大的多阶段项目，那么纽约的设计师们也能够共同将这个项目完成。除了公司的规模之外，年轻的设计师还应该多了解公司的领导对于合作项目是否支持。

我已经在许多方面体验到了这种模式的好处。为了离家更近，我可以从公司的芝加哥办公室搬到纽约办公室。通过在同一家公司之间的流动，我仍然保留了自己在芝加哥的人脉和经验，同时也扩展了自己的社交网络。这种选择的自由有助于年轻设计师在不冒大风险或不希望职业有过多变化的前提下更加快速的成长。

1. People as a Resource
Working at a large firm, I expected to have access to an abundance of physical resources—the latest tech, any drawing and modeling tools I might need, an extensive material library, and so on. What I did not realize was how valuable the people I would meet could be for my career. At a large firm, you meet so many people with different backgrounds and areas of expertise who can help you learn and grow in unexpected ways. At our firm (I work for CannonDesign), we have subject matter experts that support our various market practices. These individuals have very specific knowledge that we can access. If I want to learn more about clinical healthcare planning, there’s a resource for that. If I have an interest in construction administration, there’s a resource who can help. If my passion is BIM technology and project integration—you guessed it—there are people who can support me. I imagine there are similar models at other large design firms and new grads should consider how having these minds at their fingertips can provide learning and development opportunities.

2. The Unexpected Ways Large Firms Support Licensure
After graduation, becoming a licensed architect is often the next significant goal in a designer’s journey. I knew large firms typically have strong licensure support programs and I expected to receive support for my study materials and exam fees, but the other resources available have surprised me. I can take exams without using a personal day or my weekends. I have access to study groups, not only in our New York City office but across the firm, that ensures I can strategize with other ARE candidates about the nuances of the exams. Our office even has an ARE mentor who checks in on all of us who are studying to offer support and encouragement. I imagine the depth of these resources may not have been available at a smaller firm, and so far they have really helped me work toward licensure.

3. Multi-Market Experience
Choosing between working for a large or small firm is not the only tough decision young designers face early in their career. Often, they don’t know if they’d like to focus on a specific market like healthcare, civic or science, etc. One of the helpful benefits of working at a larger firm is the variety of opportunities to experience these markets. While I am currently working on a healthcare team, I’ve also explored the world of higher education, science & technology, and corporate commercial projects. If I want to change markets, I have the flexibility to transfer to a different team or project without leaving my office or firm.
This allows me to have a sense of entrepreneurial freedom with room to learn and grow—all in one place.

4. Inter-Office Opportunities
Large firms have multiple offices and this creates an abundance of opportunities for designers. Even in the early stages of my career, I can work on a project in a different state from where I live, work temporarily on a project at a different office and travel to cities across the country or world (I haven’t traveled internationally yet—but the opportunity is there). This multiple-office model means if a large firm wins a massive, multi-phase project in California, designers in New York City may have the chance to help make it a reality. Beyond just researching a firm’s size, young designers should also ask potential employers if they support such a collaborative culture.
I’ve been able to experience the benefit of this model in numerous ways. I was able to transfer from our Chicago office to NYC to live closer to home. By making the move in the same firm, I retained my connections and experiences in Chicago while expanding my network. This kind of freedom helps young designers move and grow without having to take big risks or make undesirable career changes.

Courtesy of CannonDesign

5、两全其美

在我的研究中，我经常听到的一个观点是，大公司不具有小型企业的“紧密团队感”。虽然其他人可能有过这种经历，但我却恰恰相反。是的，加入200多人的办公室会让人感到害怕，甚至暂时迷失自己的方向。我却愿意冒这个风险，认为在一家大公司工作能帮助我合群的伙伴。

大公司和小团队之间的这种平衡，为发展各种形式的专业关系提供了重要的灵活性。这是我在职业生涯中了解到的最重要的好处。小团队气氛让我的日常工作更加愉快，让我感到舒适和自信，我们每个人各司其职。

年轻的建筑师对于未来就业路径总有一翻争论。但是，如果我的职业生涯给了我一条不同的道路，我也许会写一篇完全不同的见解。不过两年来，我发现了一些自己不曾想到的好处，这让我确信一家大公司是我事业的正确起点。这些“隐藏的优势”为我带来了超乎想象的经历。我希望我的故事可以帮助别人做出适合自己的选择。

Heather Rosen是一名有着两年经验的实习建筑师，她就职于CannonDesign，曾参与多个市场项目，主要从事规划以及设计工作。

5. Best of Both Worlds
One thing I heard frequently during my studies was the idea that large firms do not offer the “tight-knit team feel” you will find at smaller firms. While others may have had this experience, I’ve realized just the opposite. Yes, joining an office with 200+ people can be intimidating and getting lost in the crowd is possible. I took that risk and I’d argue working at a larger firm helped me find the right small group of people as opposed to the only small group of people.
This balance of large firm and small teams provides important flexibility to develop professional relationships in a variety of forms. This is by far the most important benefit I’ve enjoyed in my career. The small-team atmosphere makes my daily work more enjoyable—helping me feel comfortable and confident that I am a key player in the work we do.
There will always be a debate about whether young architects should begin their careers at large of small firms. And it’s possible that, had my career taken me a different path, I’d be writing a piece with a completely different view. But, two years in, I’ve discovered a number of benefits I never considered that assure me a large firm was the right starting point for my career. These “hidden gems” have shaped my experiences beyond what I could have imagined. I hope my story can help others make the right choice for them.
Heather Rosen is an intern architect with two years of experience working at CannonDesign. She has worked on projects in multiple markets and been involved in programming, planning and design efforts.

Courtesy of CannonDesign

出处：本文译自www.archdaily.com/，转载请注明出处。