Write a Resume

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Zilin Lei

English 1A

Leyton

May 6,2021

Career Research Essay

The satisfaction derived from a financially and personally rewarding career cannot be

underestimated. Having a good career is the basis of education as individuals go to college to

acquire the skills required to help them pursue their dreams. Architects have existed for many

centuries, and the profession of architects has always existed since ancient times, with notable

architectural works such as the world-famous Egyptian pyramids, The Statue of Liberty in the

United States, and the Eiffel Tower in France. Architects are involved in building, zoning,

landscaping, and other ordinances which give land and buildings an aesthetic value, which

enables them to leave “a mark into the world long after their builders are gone” (“The 15 Most

Famous Buildings”). In the United States, “there are currently an estimated 129,900 architects”

(“Bureau of Labor Statistics”). Architects require a bachelor’s degree in architecture, where

students study the course for 5 years before earning the degree. Architecture is an exciting career

option for creative individuals who focus on attention to detail. Architects possess skills that

allow them to design, engineer, manage, and coordinate the construction of aesthetically pleasing

buildings. The core values of architects are integrity, teamwork, creativity, leadership, prudence,

and resourcefulness. The development of this essay involved extensive research about

architecture from the CCSF library website, Art and Architecture databases, including EBSCO,

journals, magazines, and reputable websites such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For

individuals seeking a financially and personally rewarding career, being an architectural designer

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fits the bill by helping people to create aesthetically pleasing, safe, sustainable, and functional

buildings by combining intelligence and art.

Generally, architects turn fantasies into reality by helping individuals create unique

structures that stand out among other structures. Architects use their skills to create fascinating

architectural designs such as the TWA Flight Center at JFK International Airport in New York.

“The building rests on the ground carefully and with great majesty, looking as if it was a giant

bird ready to start flying at any time” (Ariza). Although the building was closed, it is an iconic

work of art that stands out for its uniqueness. Architects are important in construction as the

TWA Flight Center would not have been this famous without the services of the architect. The

quote supports the topic sentence as it shows the creativity of architects and how architecture can

be used to create the value of buildings. Architecture can help create attractive structures that can

be used to attract tourists who come to view them. The creation of such beautiful structures

benefits architects by improving their creativity as they try to come up with unique structures.

Architects build other incredible structures such as the Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou,

Dancing Towers in Dubai, The New Shanghai Super Tower, and the New York Tower, and

Amazing Skyscraper in New York. “Some architects have started exploring the various methods

that could facilitate human colonization beyond the planet Earth” (Maiztegui). Architects are

utilizing digital technologies to explore ways of creating structures on Mars, which is a fantasy

that is being turned into reality. The innovation can help architects get respected in society for

the reputation of their job. The creation of inhabitable structures on Mars relates to the

innovative TWA Flight Center as they both involve creativity and stand out among other similar

structures. An architecture career can help an individual grow financially and professionally as

the reputation that architects acquire from participating in such creative works creates other

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opportunities in the future. The use of cutting-edge digital technologies has allowed architects to

expand space architecture, by designing inflatable homes for use in the Red Planet. The

development aims at making Mars inhabitable by humans in the future.

Similarly, architectural designs give people visual pleasure. Kiroff asked, “Why are some

buildings more interesting than others?” (119). The answer to the question is that architecture

gives building an architectural beauty that makes them fascinating and worthy of the public

imagination. Due to architecture, buildings can be viewed as second nature as the visual culture

has been a critical element for helping people understand the visual world. The visual culture has

been incorporated into architecture through sculpture, landscape designs, and paintings to create

iconic structures. The drive to create visually appealing structures is incorporated in architecture

language to give people a visual experience (Kiroff 123). The visual experience brings joy not

only to the owner but also to other viewers and the architect. Architects use their work as a visual

communication tool that serves the ritualistic, ideological, symbolic, and/or aesthetic functions.

Architecture helps individuals get a critical and self-reflective understanding of the visual world.

According to Jennath, “the visual characteristic of a building gives it a unique identity and

differentiates it from others” (1808). This means that people can recognize a building due to its

unique appearance. The quote supports the topic sentence and shows the unique roles played by

architects in society. The quote is related to the previous quote which relates to the reason why

some buildings are more appealing than others as a result of the work of architects. Architects

give buildings an aesthetic appeal that allows them to meet their functionality which can give

architects a sense of satisfaction (Jennath 1809). The buildings’ visual enjoyment created by

architecture gives architects an advantage in their career as the job cannot be professionally done

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by other individuals. The association of a building’s visual aesthetic perception with its

functional quality can help architects gain respect among their peers.

Moreover, architecture is a highly specialized career with a wide range of career

opportunities. Between 2019 and 2029, the “employment of architects is projected to grow 1

percent from 2019 to 2029” (“Bureau of Labor Statistics”). This means that about 1,100 new

jobs will be created since there were 129,900 employed architects in 2019. The quote supports

the topic sentence as it shows the opportunities available in the career. The employment growth

shows that there is demand for architecture, which makes it a good career option. When choosing

a career, students look at the employment opportunities available and this information is critical

for a person seeking to be an architect. The growth secures the job of those that are currently

employed, which indicates that someone can stay in the career for a long time as opportunities

are increasing rather than decreasing. The other benefit is that it provides some sort of job

security as there is no threat of replacement. “The median annual wage for architects was

$82,320 in May 2020” (“Bureau of Labor Statistics”). This indicates that architects can meet

their financial needs, and can help in their personal growth by making financial investments, that

will improve an individual’s reputation in the community. The income range lies above the

annual real median personal income in the U.S., which is $40,000 for full-time workers (Gould);

thus, architecture can be considered a good career choice. The financial element can positively

affect an individual’s family through financial support and also keep an individual satisfied.

Financial benefits can help an individual improve their lifestyle, as well as in their career by

acquiring more knowledge to secure their employment through the quality of their work.

Equally important, architects create a more convenient life for the people. According to

Razaz, “kinetic architecture relies on the design of buildings in which transformative and

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mechanized structures aim to change the shape of buildings to match the needs of people on the

inside and adapt to the elements on the outside” (341). Architects allow people to interact with

their environment through engaging attributes of architectural structures. Architecture can

improve future technology to develop computer systems that can create adaptable architecture

that allows occupants of buildings to live in structures that renew their experiences in real-time

based on their changing needs. Kinetic architecture has enhanced the creativity of architects to a

whole new level, by incorporating technology to develop environmentally friendly buildings that

protect individuals’ health (Razaz 348). The inclusion of gardens in buildings means that people

do not have to leave their homes to experience outdoor connection, which can help in protecting

the environment by “going green.” For example, New York’s soaring green skyscraper is a 54-

storey residential building with terraced balconies and green spaces, which help society to stay

environmentally-friendly (Razaz 351). People can grow their own food and get fresh air at the

terraced gardens, which can make individuals’ lives more efficient. Furthermore, “feminist and

disability approaches to architectural design emerged to address the problems of spatial

segregation” (Hamraie). Architects have made buildings to be more accessible to disabled

people, which is an improvement to the community. They have earned a lot of respect for

creating social realities for individuals who have been socially excluded due to disability.

Universal design (UD) has helped architects to create barrier-free structures that comply with the

requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which makes architecture culturally

sensitive (Razaz 350). A universally accessible environment is more inclusive and can help fight

inequality in society. Architects’ appeal to equity through specialized UD structures can be

perceived to be a social justice approach to address the problems faced by various consumers.

The UD structures have an added value that benefits both those with and without disability.

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Architects alter the existing designs to include the interests of the spatial inhabitants with new

requirements, such as mobility needs.

In conclusion, for individuals seeking a financially and personally rewarding career, being

an architectural designer fits the bill by helping people to create aesthetically pleasing, safe,

sustainable, and functional buildings by combining intelligence and art. The lessons learned from

this essay include: first, architecture is a career of the future since it has transitioned from the

older architectural designs to digital technology-based designs that are more sustainable and user

friendly. Second, the career contributes to the improvement of individuals, the community, and

society in general in several ways ranging from personal growth to environmental protection.

Lastly, architecture can help individuals in the future, since it is flexible and adaptable to the

needs of people, including those with special needs, it has cost-saving benefits that come in

handy when making budgeting decisions, and can bring joy to the people through beautiful

architectural barrier-free creations. The overall recommendation for pursuing an architectural

career is its contribution to personal and financial growth as well as the improvement of the

community and society in general. Architecture can be the driver to help me actualize my dreams

by helping people turn their construction dreams into a reality by creating visually aesthetic

structures whose demand is increasing, and create a more convenient life for the people.

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Works Cited

Ariza, Helena. TWA Flight Center. A Bird Made of Concrete in New York, 21 Jan. 2016,

https://architecturalvisits.com/en/twa-flight-center-jfk-airport/. Accessed on 27 April

2021.

Gould, Elise. State of Working America Wages 2019. Economic Policy Institute, 20 Feb. 2020,

https://www.epi.org/publication/swa-wages-2019/. Accessed on 29 April 2021.

Hamraie, Aimi. "Designing Collective Access: A Feminist Disability Theory of Universal

Design." Disability Studies Quarterly, vol. 33, no. 4, 2013, https://dsq-

sds.org/article/view/3871/3411. Accessed on 1 May 2021.

Jennath, Aysha, K, and P. J. Nidhish. "Aesthetic Judgement and Visual Impact of Architectural

Forms: A Study of Library Buildings." Procedia Technology, vol. 24, 2016, pp. 1808-

1818. doi:10.1016/j.protcy.2016.05.226

Kiroff, Lydia. "Nexus Between Creative Industries and the Built Environment: Creative

Placemaking in Inner Auckland." Frontiers of Architectural Research, vol. 9, no. 1, 2020,

pp. 119-137. doi:10.1016/j.foar.2019.08.004

Maiztegui, Belén. “Architecture on Mars: Projects for Life on the Red Planet.” ArchDaily, 2020,

https://www.archdaily.com/959087/architecture-on-mars-projects-for-life-on-the-red-

planet. Accessed on 27 April 2021.

Razaz, Zeinab. “Sustainable Vision of Kinetic Architecture.” Journal of Building Appraisal, vol.

5, 2010, pp. 341–356. doi:10.1057/jba.2010.5

“The 15 Most Famous Buildings in the World.” Luxatic. https://luxatic.com/the-15-most-

famous-buildings-in-the-world/. Accessed on 27 April 2021.

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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Architects, 9 April 2021, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-

and-engineering/architects.htm. Accessed on 28 April 2021.