A European's guide to working in New York

I’m an architectural designer of Swedish and Portuguese descent. I’ve lived in the US for just over 10 years and I work within the institutional practice at international architectural design firm Perkins Eastman. I get a variety of reactions from my European friends about my working in New York (mostly horror tinged with a bit of awe). Many think that the working hours are too crazy, the vacations are non-existent, the pace is way too fast, that there’s no such thing as sustainable design and that getting a working visa is like winning one of Willy Wonka’s golden tickets*. 

So what’s the truth about working in building design in the Big Apple? Well, when you’re not native to New York the hardest thing about working in New York isn’t actually working in New York - it’s just New York. 

New York is a city unlike any other. It’s vibrant, inspirational, ambitious, heart stopping and mind-blowing. It’s electric. That’s just one side of the picture though. New York can also be aggressive, abrupt, loud, chaotic, self absorbed, backstabbing, isolating and demoralising. But personally, as a transplanted European, there’s really no place I’d rather be.

So at this point you’ve either decided that New York is not for you or you’re ready to jump on a plane. Before you do that, here’s my insider’s guide for Brits on working as a building designer in New York City.

1. Good news! In New York, European designers are thought of as modern, refined, minimalist, well-travelled and experienced with a global mind set and great skills in craftmanship. Americans are also going to love your accent. 

2. The speed of construction over here is very much driven by the developers so projects need to be built as quickly as possible and sometimes as cheaply as possible. So while you often find that buildings are built to last a lifetime in Europe with high-quality construction and attention to detail, in the US this is not always the case.

3. Working in building design in New York is highly competitive with limited job openings, but with the right background, qualifications and skills obtaining a visa to work here is not quite - as it’s often thought - the impossible dream. It’s a good idea, however, to work for a firm with a US office in your own country for an easier transition.

4. New York is generally better-suited to outgoing personalities and if you stay here long enough you will naturally become more outgoing. (You have to be here.) Other qualities that will help you to succeed are having an entrepreneurial spirit, a fearless nature and a burning desire to be the very best. If you don’t have at least one of these qualities then it might be better for you to think about stayingat home.

When all is said and done, I would wholeheartedly recommend any architect to spend some time working in the US, whether it’s short or long term, as America has another, quite exhilarating, viewpoint to offer which will only enhance your current skills and your future employability. 

The US remains a country of opportunity and innovation. It’s fast paced and ever changing but if you’re quick, passionate about what you do and able to hit the ground running - if you can just stay the course - the opportunities over here in everything from design and technical to sustainability and planning expertise can be endless. 

*   Answers yes, yes, yes, no, yes and no