The company I work for just closed at its 52-week low, 25% of what it was trading at in June. Cuts are coming, for sure. I may be a fool, but I'm not worried because I've found a way to position myself and align with the right people so that the cuts will have to be REALLY deep to get to me. It certainly could happen, but the chances are slim (I think 
).
Maybe I've just been lucky, and I've certainly gone thru times when my prospects were pretty bad, but the people who make the decisions as to who gets laid-off are most likely in that position because they know how to pick the people that can help them succeed. Yes, when times are bad, the mediocre gets cut, along with the less-than-medicore. But, unless you are working for a company that is not stable enough to weather the storm, no one is going to lay-off the young hot-shot that has shown his/her talent. All I can say is, 1) don't be mediocre 2) look around and get out of the company that can't weather the storm and 3) figure out how put yourself in a position that puts you at less risk that the guy next to you.
When an entire industry is failing, there are no other companies you can turn to. I'm convinced I'm only around because I'm cheap labor and I'm on the only project that is still going. I agree that there are measures you can take to help prevent getting laid off, but nothing will prevent you from getting laid off.
C'mon. Architects aren't going extinct. I'm sure the best ones have plenty of work, and I would bet that you had an inkling that the construction industry would slow down at some point, but were willing to take the risk. Congrats, on making it through lay-offs. It sucks when it happens, but you are still around either because you have pictures of the boss or because someone thinks you have some talent. All those schmucks that got laid off could have been shifted to your position, and would have been if someone thought they were more valuable than you. The victims may not be cheaper than you, but they undoubtedly would have taken a pay cut over a pink slip.
The bolded statement couldn't be further from the truth. We were the last big firm in Colorado to have lay offs. about a quarter of my graduating class couldn't get work, and plenty more have been laid off since. It's not a matter of projects getting fewer and fewer. It's a matter of absolutely no projects being available. I don't think some people grasp how my industry gets affected during rough times. Commercial and residential developers stopped nearly all work about 6 months ago. Government jobs? They depend on bonds that absolutely nobody pays for in times like this. Military work is hard to come buy, as their money is going elsewhere. The last to dry up right now is healthcare. I know you're saying people have a lot more influence whether or not they get laid off or not. That's probably true in a lot of areas, but alot of the time it just comes down to the company, firm, whatever having to cut overhead.
Huh? 1/4 of your class couldn't find work? That means 75% DID FIND WORK. That's a hell of a lot better percentage than my graduating class, and that's when the economy was very good. Sorry, but the bottom 50% is not going to get sympathy from me, let alone the bottom 25%. They need to find a different profession anyway.
I'm sure there are fewer and fewer projects now that credit isn't available to people/companies that never should have had it in the first place, but I'm sure you and every other person that was smart enough to complete a degree in architecture was smart enough to realize that the credit market was out of control and due for a comeupance at some point. If someone entering the construction field didn't know that, they needed to get out anyway.
Don't misunderstand. I've seen the guy in the office next to me get laid off, and just like you, I thought it should have been me. When it happened I was shocked, and mostly scared. But looking at it in hindsight, there were definte reasons that he got laid-off, and I didn't. I will guarantee you that there will be architects in the US from now until enternity. Maybe only the top few will survive, but the market will decide how many are needed and anyone that isn't within the group that is needed, needs to find a new profession anyway. Sounds to me like you are in the group that is needed. If you're not, and you know (or at least you should know) your filed better than anyone, start looking for something in a different field.
