The future of architectural and design firms in the United States looks bright. According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the architectural market is expected to grow 7% by 2024. Thanks to progress in Congress on federal infrastructure initiatives and a healthy overall marketplace, architectural firms are in a good frame of mind about the future, especially those in the greater Kansas City area.
A number of Kansas City area firms made the 2016 Engineering News-Record‘s “Top 500 Design Firms” list, including Burns & McDonnell, HNTB, TranSystems, Populous, and CRB, while up-and-coming firms start up in the Kansas City area regularly. As the market continues to grow, all of these firms will need to be actively recruiting engineers, architects, and other positions to keep up with their growing workload.
While those who are outside the industry may imagine architecture and construction as a simple two-step equation—the architect designs the building, and a contractor actually builds it—the reality is that many more moving parts make up a design firm than most people probably realize. One of those indispensable components is the architectural (or structural) engineer, who assists with the design process, helping to analyze blueprints, buildings, or construction prototypes to detect potential flaws, ensure safety, increase efficiency, and decrease costs.
As architecture firms take on more and more complex projects, their need for skilled engineers grows. Engineers help architects to understand building codes or compliance issues and work with different departments in coordinating their efforts to help ensure that the project is completed on time and up to specifications. They also assist with investigation and survey efforts before or during projects by traveling to building or construction sites to inspect systems, foundations, and facilities, and because of their expertise they often fill the role of on-site management.
These are just a few of the ways that engineers help to shape the modern architectural landscape, and a few of the reasons why design firms are recruiting engineers in greater numbers every day. With the market for architectural firms expected to grow steadily for at least the next seven years, it is expected that hiring for new jobs will become increasingly competitive, especially in areas like Kansas City, which is home to a number of well-regarded architectural firms, as well as a large pool of highly skilled applicants.
As hiring becomes more and more competitive, the value of recruiting engineers with the help of a trusted recruiting firm in Kansas City grows. Both the most qualified candidates and the most competitive employers will turn to recruiting firms to find architectural engineers and fill other highly skilled positions in an increasingly competitive market.
Austin Nichols Technical Search has been one of the most trusted technical recruiting firms in Kansas City since 1988, dedicated to helping their clients find the best candidates for every position, and helping candidates find the dynamic careers to which they aspire.
