interior designer

entry level architect

architectural intern

architectural designer

architect

ZGF Architects

I took this job seeing it as a wonderful opportunity to work at one of the top 10 firms in the US. They lure you in with good benefits and pay, but beware -

As a project admin you will not receive the training you’re supposed to and this will somehow be blamed on you, you can reach out to all the right people asking for help and letting them know what’s going on, and then the blame game and passing the buck begins.

Nobody wants to admit the manager does half their job and will not support you in your role.

Ultimately you’ll be left trying to swim upstream during a rough current and then be told you’re not meeting expectations despite making it clear that the person who was supposed to train you didn’t do their job (and of course they couldn’t because they’ve never been in your position so they don’t have all the answers!!) 

You will be gaslit, they play favorites, and ultimately no one is to be trusted because some people hold more power than they should. Lots of power games going on in this office which is why the turnover rate is high. Lots of BIAS as well. HR is not there to protect you so if you have a problem you may as well just leave because you will not be heard even if you have evidence of what you’re talking about.

There is little to no upward mobility for administrative staff and that is intentional. If you are looking for a firm to grow with, this is not the place. This may work for you if you simply need benefits and are able to avoid office politics but that’s a bit hard considering the people who create said politics are your superiors. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Some nice projects , with the potential for thought leadership


What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The partners favoritism to certain individuals 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Some good and talented people on staff, management is toxic 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Frustrating. Non communicative leadership , favoritism and old school leadership

I loved my time at ZGF. Although it was brief (internship) I would have happily gone back as a full-time employee. They've had 4-5 rounds of layoffs over the last year, and as a recent college graduate, I don't have much appetite for risk. Everyone at ZGF is incredibly talented and KIND; I can't stress this enough. Great workplace culture, but upper management is not so great at managing budgets and avoiding layoffs.

You are expected to work on many projects and stretched thin. You will not be appreciated for your work. Project managers and teams only focus on negative criticism and they will throw you under the bus. The HR department and supervisors do not care for employee concerns. There's a lot of favoritism at this office. They talk about diversity but you will be overlooked for hard work.

Typical day, log in submittals, set up meetings with catering, performed reception relief duties, archived project files.
what I learned, How to log submittals and Request for information.
Workplace cultural was quiet.
Hardest part staying on deadline.
Enjoyable part of the job were our office gatherings.

Open offices made the culture feel tight knit, like a family. Was not only happy to work with people, but also enjoyed spending time outside work with them. Whenever we had a big win, everyone who helped in the process was recognized. Big emphasis on being a team and rewarding hard work.

There is a lack of inspirational design leadership and professional mentoring.  The culture is pretty much sink or swim and there is no leadership whatsoever on the east coast. Most projects are typically cut and paste from previous work or copies from other firms.

ZGF Architects is a great place to learn quickly and explore different avenues for problem-solving. Communication is the key as with all things and the people there are really dedicated to the success of the company and its employees.

Amazing work culture, amazing management and management style. Non micro managing, very relaxed and fun, accountable for one self. Responsibilities were easy, fair and given appropriate time and resources to complete them, always.

I got a taste of various departments, but the market was slow when I was working so I did not get as much experience in construction, design or other architectural tasks until the last month as much as I wanted, but did some other tedious task. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Interior designer 7 salaries reported	$121,643 per year
Entry level architect 8 salaries reported	$71,744 per year
Architectural intern 8 salaries reported	$26.00 per hour
Architectural designer 1 salary reported	$102,000 per year
Architect 5 salaries reported	$97,000 per year

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