A debate has arisen amongst several of my friends and coworkers. We all aim to eventually be able to call ourselves architects. For those who are unaware of the process, it's lengthy. In about the same time I could attain a medical license and more than likely work many fewer hours and make many more dollars (thank you high school guidance counselor). But in short, the subject of the debate is our name: Architect...or rather, the name you can call yourself once licensed in our profession. I'm not, and so if I called myself that somewhere in a dark room with a large curved mahogany table several old men get very upset, let out many a "harrumph!!" and fine me. But the license is coming! Anyway, I digress.
The debate was started because everywhere you look it seems to have become the new, chic distinction of professionalism to tack the title "architect" onto the end of what you actually do. I'm not sure why, perhaps this adds a creative dimension to your job title that sucks in clients, maybe you fancied yourself great with crayons as a child, whatever the reason, as I look now it's everywhere. In fact, I've pulled up CraigsList in the Seattle area, here's what you get if you're an Architect (henceforth in this post the real deal gets a cap in the name) and looking for a job: net architect, software architect, web architect, user interface architect, business organization architect, information architect - what the f*#@ is an information architect?!! Are you the person that creates Wikipedia pages? Or are you the girl in high school that starts rumors?
Now, I realize, should you look up the definition of the word "architect", it says this includes "the deviser, maker and creator of anything." Mind you this definition is listed after several references to someone engaged in the profession of architecture or construction design, but I will acknowledge it's there. That does not mean, however, that it is a professional title. It's a noun dammit! I can't just slap any noun on the end of what I do. Architectural design knight, architectural design doctor, architectural design ninja, they just don't work! You're usurping the title's original meaning to enhance your own image without considering what is entailed by the title. Would I make an awesome ninja? I like to think so, but I don't take the name because it's not mine! I haven't gotten the cool brands on my arms, my roundhouse kick barely goes above my knee and the only time I could get away with sneaking around on rooftops is Christmas when anyone might EXPECT to see a huge dude creeping about.
And so, to you using my future professional title with such whim, stop. Not to pick on a field, but tech people, I'm lookin' at you especially. I know, there's still a bit of a nerdy stigma surrounding the title "programmer", but it's the age of the nerd, embrace it. Google is a kick ass company to work for and Apple computers could only look sexier if they had breasts. You may have put in your dues for your job, but I doubt you spent nearly as many nights sleepless, sucking up fiberglass and insta-set glue fumes trying to assemble a model while containing the shakes from your third red bull and doing your best to not bleed on your work from your 4th x-acto cut, as me and mine have.
I went to school for 5 years. A good school I chose amongst many other good schools. I spent more money than I care to think of on supplies from overpriced, specialized pens, programs and papers. Amongst my many sleepless experiences I went an entire week, 7 days, getting only 10 hours of sleep total, and I wasn't alone. We've walked our shoes thin through every major city on every continent pacing off and sketching and photographing everything. Then we have to work for 3 years, track and submit all that info, and pay thousands of dollars to take a set of exams that will THEN get us the title Architect...should we pass. And so on behalf of the current and future Architects, Landscape Architects, hell even the Engineers (I see you going for that one too you name pirates!) leave the title to those who've suffered for it. Because when you use it, you have no idea what you're saying. And it makes looking for a job on Craigslist very difficult.
