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The UK’s official graduate careers website
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Professional qualifications and continuous training are an integral part of career development. Gaining chartered membership of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and undertaking agreed levels of continuing professional development (CPD) are key parts of career development, and will enable progression to more senior posts.
In private practices there is no set career structure, with promotion and career development dependant on the individual firm, and on the architect’s professional competence, reputation and field of employment. Generally, there are more opportunities to advance through the company structure with larger firms. With experience, a considerable number of architects set up their own practices.
In the public sector career progression differs in structure and is influenced by the nature and responsibilities of public institutions. In local authorities and in the civil service it is possible to progress to the position of chief architect, or to become head of a much larger department employing other built environment professionals. It is also common for professionals to move between local authorities and between organisations in the private sector in order to gain broader experience and seek more senior positions.
There are also opportunities to move into lecturing work in universities or into specialist fields such as project management, planning, landscape architecture or conservation. There are also many opportunities in consultancy or for employment overseas as all the big construction and engineering companies operate throughout the world, with British qualifications widely accepted and respected in many countries.
The environmental field is a growing area of work and there are increasing opportunities for professionals in this field to become involved in the planning process for environmentally sensitive development schemes.
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