Vantaggi
The architecture industry is beyond tough, especially in NYC. I've worked in my fair share of toxic office environments, basically being exploited for very little pay. Working at Chango & Co. has been the complete opposite of that. The moment I walked into the office for an interview with Susana, I knew this was a place that I could grow significantly and would be valued and taken care of. And I was right. During the past few years I have worked here, I have significantly leveled up my management and design skills, with support and guidance from Susana and the other project managers in the times I needed it. This is an incredibly collaborative and supportive team. The collaboration with the other project managers and designers is my favorite part of the job. Everyone here is very talented, I love working together to design something beautiful. I feel comfortable voicing any concerns I have, bringing new ideas to the table, and asking for advice. My ideas are listened to and valued. The office is beautiful (can't beat the skyline view of Manhattan), and the benefits, perks, and compensation are all great. Lastly, the projects are beautiful. There is truly nothing more satisfying than walking around the finished home after the interior design and sourcing teams wrap up their install. And Susana takes the time to walk through with the project managers to review what worked, what didn't, and what to do differently next time. That level intentionality is rare and incredibly valuable. If you work in this industry, you know that residential design can be grueling, and even a little chaotic and emotional at times, given that you are designing someone's own personal space. Chango & Co. delivers beautiful, high end homes for important clients and therefore expects a lot from their project managers and designers, rightfully so. In turn, they provide the support, guidance, and trust that you need to truly shine. I love what I do and I love the team I'm privileged to do this work with.
Svantaggi
Not really a con, but something I had to get used to at first and definitely worth mentioning -- Project-wise, this office is different than others I have worked at in that there are different tiers of architectural scope. Not all projects have a full architectural scope, some have a "lesser" architectural advisement scope, and exactly what that entails varies from project to project depending on what the client wants. This has definitely taken some getting used to for me. I was discouraged at first, thinking I wanted more control of the design and management of every project. However, I have now come to appreciate these advisement projects. Because of the smaller scope, I'm able to turn around these projects faster and take on more projects at once. Therefore, I'm gaining more experience, making more connections, etc. But it's also worth mentioning that when I am working on several of these advisement projects at once, especially if they have a very small scope, I can start to feel creatively unfulfilled. This feeling ebbs and flows as projects come and go and is not something I worry about.