I've worked in architecture/interior design for over ten years now. The pay isn't awful. I'm certainly not rich, but was able to buy a house with a little help from my folks. Now with the mortgage and house repairs, I am no longer able to save like I used to.
My bigger issue is that the working hours in architecture are insane. I am often working ten hours a day minimum, and when deadlines are looming, it's not uncommon to have to work to midnight or later. The work can be fulfilling, but is often very intense. At the end of the day I'm burnt out enough that all I can do is eat dinner and fall into bed. Then I wake up and do it all over again. Weekends are dedicated to grocery shopping, cleaning, doing repairs on the house. And then the cycle starts again.
This type of workload is pretty common in the architecture industry. My current job is better than any I've had, but it's still bad. In my experience, all the firms are all trying to compete by promising faster production times for lower prices. Of course, all of this gets transferred to the employees as tighter deadlines with lower pay. There's no such this as an architect's union. We have no protection, no way to fight back. It feels like I have nowhere to go. It infuriates me! I used to have hobbies and interests. Is sitting glued to my computer screen for my whole life really what I'm alive for?
From what I've read here and what I've discussed with other millennials, this is a much larger problem than just in my industry. I feel like I've watched and hoped for years that things would eventually get better. I've been keeping track of the Four Day Work Week movement, but I worry that it will go nowhere. I want to stop just sitting around and hoping. I want to do something! How can we convince politicians to pass legislation that will ensure workers are getting fair pay and enough time away from their jobs to actually live life? Can we march? Collectively write to our elected officials? Start a petition? I feel like all of this sounds trite and I'm sure people are already doing this stuff. I want to help, I just don't know what to do. And I don't think we're going to make steps forward unless we all step forward together.
Does anyone else feel this way? Does anyone out there want to do something?