To say that job titles shouldn't include the word 'architect' unless they are actually an architect?

[itssunnyyay]

Hi all, so my partner is an architect, It takes years to become an architect and you have to be registered on the RIBA (royal institute of British architects) to call yourself an architect.

I have noticed an increasing number of jobs using the job title 'architect' that has nothing to do with architecture.. for example, "solution Architect" which is 'responsible for evaluating an organisations business needs and determining how IT can support those needs leveraging software" so .. not an architect.

Other job titles are "software architect", "senior enterprise solution architect manufacturing", "web solutions architect", "HR solutions architect", "finance and accounting digital architect", "analytics implementation architect", "deputy food architect", "platform architect" ... the list goes on

Isn't Architect a protected title? IMO job titles should actually mean something, and all of the above mean absolutely nothing?

@Burgoo

There are very few protected titles that I think should be mandated. Unless there is a definite potential harm that could be caused by misusing a title, I would say its a little precious to demand they are all protected. The key ones IMO that should be protected are:

Judges/Lawyers
Police Officers/Detectives
Nurse/Midwife/Physiotherapist/Occupational Therapists/Social Worker
Psychologist/Psychotherapist
MP and ministers
Pilots
Opticians
Vets

Basically any job where there may be a risk to public safety and/or legal implications associated with the term. For example, if your qualification is needed in order to practice safely and competently then its likely needed.

Ironically the term "nurse" and "psychotherapist" are not actually protected. You can call yourself a "nurse" but not a "registered nurse" but most people won't tell the difference. You don't have to be accredited to be called a psycho-therapist either!

Yeah I think psychotherapy and nursing should be protected, dietetics is protected and I also think that nutritionist should be protected as there's so many people who get a certificate online after 4 hours of study and call themselves a nutritionist

@jeremyjamjam

But your OP is a little offensive *@itssunnyyay*. "Those job titles mean absolutely nothing". They are skilled roles and the job title describes what they are. I have a job title that is protected. But the individual words within in can be used on many different ways and mean many different things depending on the order and context.

Your post just shows your ignorance really.

Okay I can see how that particular line could come across as rude, but there are a lot of titles that don't really mean very much and I think food architect is one of them. I'm not saying it's an unworthy job, but the job title sounds stupid to me

I did google what the jobs are, I do understand they are design jobs mostly within IT and Tech, I just don't get why the use of the word design or designer has been replaced with architect, it doesn't offend me or keep me up at night lol

You haven't understood the jobs then and you don't understand.

You could say a buildings architect is just a designer because they design the look and feel of a building.

In fact the skills require clear understanding of requirements, the components needed, options on components needed, sources of those components, cost of materials and suppliers, knowledge of the regulatory requirements, risk analysis, software options to run on those components, security, energy footprint, distribution of systems, planning work, understanding what specialist skills are needed at each stage, liaising between many different teams, tracking budgets, bringing all areas of the design together and ensuring it makes sense end to end, dealing with problems during build etc etc etc.

That's from a job spec for a technical architect btw not a buildings architect.

The protected part is the RIBA letters after his name, the term architect for someone who designs and builds a solution predates its focus on buildings architecture rather as "doctor" was an academic term before it was awarded as a courtesy title.

I'm an architect (in areas of IT), and engineer and a doctor. Of those three, the title I think needs protecting is "engineer" as misuse of that title causes far more problems than misuse of architect and the use of an academic title by medics.

I guess as you are a dietician Op you could call yourself a diet architect

@Jenasaurus

I guess as you are a dietician Op you could call yourself a diet architect

Or a Nutrition Architect, that sounds good

Or a Nutrition Architect, that sounds good

Actually dietician is a protected title for good reason I'd say. In a world where a million instagrammers promote woo bollocks as "wellness nutrition" the title of properly trained and clinically experienced dieticians needs protecting!

My dad is an architect. He gets more annoyed with people who have access to sketch-up and the like who whip up a floor plan and tell others they "are practically architects just cheaper". But have no actual qualifications or knowledge of what they need to do to create proper architectural drawings and schemes.

@C8H10N4O2

I did google what the jobs are, I do understand they are design jobs mostly within IT and Tech, I just don't get why the use of the word design or designer has been replaced with architect, it doesn't offend me or keep me up at night lol

You haven't understood the jobs then and you don't understand.

You could say a buildings architect is just a designer because they design the look and feel of a building.

In fact the skills require clear understanding of requirements, the components needed, options on components needed, sources of those components, cost of materials and suppliers, knowledge of the regulatory requirements, risk analysis, software options to run on those components, security, energy footprint, distribution of systems, planning work, understanding what specialist skills are needed at each stage, liaising between many different teams, tracking budgets, bringing all areas of the design together and ensuring it makes sense end to end, dealing with problems during build etc etc etc.

That's from a job spec for a technical architect btw not a buildings architect.

The protected part is the RIBA letters after his name, the term architect for someone who designs and builds a solution predates its focus on buildings architecture rather as "doctor" was an academic term before it was awarded as a courtesy title.

I'm an architect (in areas of IT), and engineer and a doctor. Of those three, the title I think needs protecting is "engineer" as misuse of that title causes far more problems than misuse of architect and the use of an academic title by medics.

There's a reason that the term Building architect isn't a thing, because it is just architect. That's why all these other 'architect' job titles have other words before them, you say you're an architect (the IT kind) but you aren't an architect..

@Jenasaurus

I guess as you are a dietician Op you could call yourself a diet architect

I guess that could be like a food architect!

I'd only get annoyed if they wore black turtle necks and drove Saabs. Then, I'd be tempted to think they were trying to fool me.

@Otherpeoplesteens

I'd only get annoyed if they wore black turtle necks and drove Saabs. Then, I'd be tempted to think they were trying to fool me.

🤣

I get the frustration. I’m a structural engineer and it gets my goat that the guy who services my boiler is a ‘gas engineer’. No, he’s not an engineer of any kind. No disservice to him, he does a job with skills I’ll never have, but he is not an engineer! Engineers design and analyse. They don’t install boilers or fix your car.

@C8H10N4O2
Your slightly wrong about the protected title bit but it's a common mistake.
RIBA denotes professional membership of the Royal Institute of British Architects
This is optional and not in anyway protected by law although Chartered Architects do need to be registered architects to be members but other membership categories exist in the RIBA that don't require you to be an architect. You can be an architect and not a member of the RIBA and many aren't.
The term Architect is protected by law via the ARB - architects registration board however there is a caveat in that they only prosecute if the title is being misused to misrepresent or deliberately confuse generally within the industry. They readily recognise that Naval Architect or Software Architect aren't doing that.

I'm an architect (in areas of IT), and engineer and a doctor. Of those three, the title I think needs protecting is "engineer" as misuse of that title causes far more problems than misuse of architect and the use of an academic title by medics.

Maybe read up a little bit on what architects do, why the title is protected, and what the implications are for someone who isn't properly trained, qualified, and insured designing a building.

There's a reason that the term Building architect isn't a thing, because it is just architect. That's why all these other 'architect' job titles have other words before them, you say you're an architect (the IT kind) but you aren't an architect

Interestingly the RIBA certified architects in practice in my high street does specify buildings architecture and their subspecialities.

My point was that the term "architect" predates the assumption that it relates to design of buildings, just as "doctor" predates the assumption that it relates to medicine.

Architecting anything is a bunch of activities which are pretty similar whatever you are "architecting".

On a day to day basis my clients could call me Imperial Loo Scrubber so long as they are paying me £££££££ the many years of experience I bring to the jobs of architecting and engineering. I rarely if ever both with the "doctor" except at conferences.

I just don't think that someone that works in IT is an architect.

It's incredible uninformed you are. Even this far into the thread.

They are an architect in the sense of that role, in IT, as 'architecture' can refer to the design of different kind of structures, including IT ones.

If you look up the dictionary, you'll get those definitions too.

What would be ridiculous, is if someone asked eg a software architect their job, and the said 'architect'. Most people would assume that was someone who designed buildings & structures.

A normal person would say 'I work in IT' and only use the actual job description in context.

A normal person would say 'I work in IT' and only use the actual job description in context

^This. And then change the subject rapidly.

Anything else is to invite them to tell you about their broken PC and an offer to fix their router

There is something so embarrassing about starting a thread on MN to defend your boyfriend's honour as an architect. Are you worried that people won't be impressed enough when you say what he does?!

@C8H10N4O2

Yes! 😂😂😂

@SweetPetrichor

I get the frustration. I’m a structural engineer and it gets my goat that the guy who services my boiler is a ‘gas engineer’. No, he’s not an engineer of any kind. No disservice to him, he does a job with skills I’ll never have, but he is not an engineer! Engineers design and analyse. They don’t install boilers or fix your car.

Yeah I also agree with this and the term engineer, although I don't think it's a protected title? But perhaps it should be. Despite what all the IT experts on here say, I do know quite a few architects who don't agree with the use of the term in other professions for loads of reasons from small annoyances that they keep having recruiters contacting them trying to recruit them to be a solutions Architect or whatever, it also screws the salary numbers for architects online and for bigger reasons that they studied for a long time (I'm not saying IT 'architects don't also) and they have to pay for their licensing and if any job can adopt the term architect then it dilutes the responsibilities of the title. I would feel the same if dietitian became a common job title for people who weren't dietitans but obviously that's not gonna happen haha

@itssunnyyay just stop digging now

@TrippinEdBalls

There is something so embarrassing about starting a thread on MN to defend your boyfriend's honour as an architect. Are you worried that people won't be impressed enough when you say what he does?!

Literally not what I'm doing, remove my dp from the equation and I would have the same opinion. I started the thread because I knew that it is a protected title so was curious why other jobs can infiltrate the title. I don't think architect is a particularly impressive job title, but how defensive everyone has got here makes me think that maybe it is! Haha funny 😆

[quote Franca123]@itssunnyyay just stop digging now[/quote]
It's my thread and I'll reply to whoever responds to it?

and they have to pay for their licensing

I also have to pay for my professional body memberships and maintain certification levels.

Like pretty much anyone else in a professional qualification career.

Please can nobody else on this thread tell us what your husband, boyfriend or father thinks.