Starting a career as a spec writer?

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1

I recently received my B.A in Architecture and have been working with a spec writing company for 2 years now.
Most of my professional experience has been assisting the spec writers with formatting, quality assurance, and integrating the specification documents into e-SPECS.
We use e-SPECS products and MasterSpec to aid in our specification development and I have become very familiar with both.

I would eventually like to move on from merely assisting the spec writers to becoming a spec writer…I think.
Although, I have been contemplating the following questions:

Is the job market for spec writers fading away? Getting better?

Can I make a career out of spec writing without the worry of losing my job and financial security in 5 or 10 years?

Any feedback would be helpful!

2

Things change… and then they change again. You can reasonably expect your career in architecture to last 35, 40, even 50 years. Looking at a 5 year (or even 10 year horizon) seems short sighted in that context.

What I am seeing is a shift from in-house spec writers to outsourcing to specialty consultants. There are pros and cons to this, and it seems to vary considerably in different parts of the country. Working as an in-house spec writer in a larger firms enables you to make a lot of contacts and build relationships that can be extremely beneficial in the long run. I would think it would be very difficult to start a spec writing consulting firm early in your career.

The strength of any spec writer is both the breadth and depth of knowledge of building products and systems. When you add the dimension of resource people to help you with specific questions and keep you current, you are a valuable knowledge of resource which can enhance services offered by design professionals.

The biggest threat to this strength is the attitude by many (architects, owners, and contractors) that a BIM model solves all this stuff. What I see in a lot of BIM discussion (but not all of it) is the lack understanding of products and the complexities that can introduced into the process when integrating those products into a whole. Many experienced spec writers believe that we bring a unique perspective to this, and many are making a living working with firms on such tasks.

A good question is “What will specs look like in 10 years?” At the beginning of my career, specs looked like a big book that smelled of mimeo fluid with “original” text generated on a typewriter (an IBM Selectric if you were on the cutting edge). We went through offset reproduction and are now in the last throes of electrostatic reproduction and when from primative text editing through word processing with advanced macro and formatting capabilities. Many specs are now published and distributed electronically without being committed to paper. What’s next? or more importantly for you is what’s next after the next thing that comes after the next thing.

I believe the fundamentals will remain the same: understand contracts, understand products (how they are made, how they get to the job site, and how they are incorporated into the project), and understand relationships between various project participants. You will have to also learn to handle and even manage change. If you can do all of this, you can be successful.

3

In my opinion, without the experience of creating construction drawings, reviewing submittals, and performing construction administration and site observations, one would have a difficult time providing the level of specification consulting that architectural firms need.

I dont think there is any job in the architectural community that comes with job or financial security.

4

I have to agree with both Peter & Ronald.
I went through the process that Ronald describes and have been an “in-house” spec writer since I started writing specs full time in the mid-nineties. I was a staff architect prior to that doing all of the things that Peter & Ronald mention.
As for job security - I lost my job as a specwriter twice in the last 13 years. One due to poor middle management and the last time due to the economy. I am currently employed.

5

I would agree that job security is difficult in architecture but one way to increase your perceived worth this early in your career is to have a broad range of skill sets rather than a specialized focus. I also agree that creating CDs, reviewing submittals, and doing CA are valuable things for any architect to have and maybe even more beneficial to a future spec writer.

I do believe that having/developing the technical knowledge required to write specs could actually help you in terms of job security in the long run. In terms of the next 5-10 years; your best job security will be a growing economy. If you figure out how to make that happen please let the rest of us know.

6

Here’s one possible career path to consider: Start by pursuing CDT and CCS certification as soon as possible, if you aren’t already; continue full-time in specifications until you have the requisite experience necessary to qualify to take the CCS test (I haven’t checked the current experience requirements).

At the same time, pursue architectural registration (without a B. Arch, you may now have to explore alternative paths, if any remain). Develop your expertise in AutoCAD and Revit (through good courses, if not already competent) to the extent that you can find a job working in an architectural firm doing construction drawings.

Seek experience in as many aspects of architecture as possible, including construction administration; your spec experience and certification should be a bonus to a prospective employer. Then, with CA experience, pursue CCCA certification to double up on your credentials.

Finally, with a well-rounded architectural background, especially experience in “how to put a building together” (detailing, etc.) and CA, you will have the experience it takes to succeed as a full-time in-house specifier (your versatility, including Revit and CA competence, should be the bonuses at that point).

If you like security, seek a full-time specifier opening with a stable, major firm. If none is available, consider becoming an independent specifications consultant (see www.scip.com).

The good news is, since so few architects like to do specifications, they avoid learning anything about specifying, for fear that they will sometime be tasked with doing that. So they need help from those who have that ability. Same applies to CA (especially submittal review).

Since most architects hate to do that, those who can do (and can tolerate) that kind of work have an advantage; experience and credentials in those specialties may help you to get (or keep) a job in those recurring times when jobs are few…or, if there aren’t any jobs, to become a consultant with your own one-person firm, without having to develop a general architectural practice when there’s little work out there.

Instead of taking your chances with what few naive owners there may be who need architectural services and are willing to risk using a new firm without a track record, you’ll get to deal with architects as clients, who know they need your help.

(In many ways, the above reflects the path I have taken.)

7

Anonymous,

I am looking for someone with your skill set and experience to round out our dynamic and growing specifications team. I am the Director of Specifications for a large, award-winning architectural firm with offices in the united states and abroad. The work we do is exciting and rewarding!

If you are interested in discussing, please contact me at the following email address and I will get back to you immediately.

specwriterposition@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

8

I’m also one with the opinion that education and experience, exemplified by licensing and certification, are very important for those who regularly produce construction specifications. You can be confident that 10-15 years of experience, on a variety of institutional and heavy commercial projects, in production of drawings, specificaions, and administering construction contracts (from submittals review to field observations and even “clerk of the works” functions), will prepare you to be a top-caliber specifications writer.

That being said, I recognize that some of the most competent spec writers I know do not have an architecture or engineering degrees, nor are they licensed design professionals. I can identify a few who have achieved FCSI status.

The key is the ability to learn and to retain information, with or without a degree, license or certification. Being good at Trivial Pursuit is an asset for spec writers.

The question then becomes, how does one gain and maintain knowledge of construction contract documents (“drawings”, “specifications”, building codes, building materials snd systems and other ethereal stuff of “BIM”)? The answers, I believe include doing spec writing and networking.

In the marketing slogan of Nike, “Just Do It.” After acquiring CDT status (“cadet”?), apply the knowledge of specifcations formats, methods and language to project-specific specs. Develop, update and improve a set of construction specifications, one that you can keep. Learn by doing.

Establish networking with design professionals, especially spec writers. Include trustworthy building product representatives. Work closely with a product rep to update a his/her “master” specification. Build a portfolio of well-written specifications. Be collegial with spec writers, offering your assistance in organizing gatherings of spec writer (including CSI chapter meetings and specifier-only lunch & learn sessions). When you learn something, share it with professional friends; be a giver as well as a taker.

9

The members above have stated it very well. I would add that being a registered architect or a very skillful CAD or BIM technician would provide the career specifier with more job security. Therefore, maintaining the skills and educational credentials to maintain licensure would be time well-invested.

I have managed to maintain employment as a specification writer and contract administrator without the broader set of skills and higher credentials that an architect usually has. But, as the century progresses, I see that as a less solid basis for job security.

In general, the better wordsmiths often have perspective and training that originates outside the profession of architecture, per se, but an architect ought to be able to acquire that perspective about as easily as the non-architect could.

10

Having a degree is helpful, being licensed is an asset. I don’t have a degree, but I am licensed. I came up using the practical experience method with a couple of very good mentors. Unfortunately, that’s difficult to do these days. I agree with Peter on the “solve all” perception of BIM. It doesn’t.
Spec Writers are here to stay, only our job function will change in the way we produce specs.

To the best of my knowledge currently, only 3 states allow a person to obtain an Architect’s license without a degree - Connecticut, Arizona, and California.

11

Colorado also allows the apprenticeship route - no degree, plus 10 years of experience under the direct supervision of an architect, getting the right experience hours, and one can sit for the exams.

12

I’m one of those non-architect FCSI people and have been writing specs for 35 years, both as a consultant (12 years) and in a firm (currently). The practice is different between a captured specifier and a consultant and the skill set is slightly different, too.
While I don’t disagree that preparing drawings and doing CA probably helps with writing specifications, having that background will not necessarily make you a good specifier. And, I would also contend that most of the long term specifiers who have been away from the “regular” architectural practice would find their skills very outdated if they were to try to exercise them now. Not many people can develop expertise in all aspects.
Specifying is different from “architecture” in that your real strength is that you work on gazillions of jobs in a short period of time – and that’s where you develop your judgement by finding that your documents are interpreted in multiple ways by multiple parties, and that what worked on one job absolutely did not work on the next job. You’ll have people congratulating you on a great document and then have it handed to a bad contractor and find issues you never anticipated. And you’ll do that 20 times a year.

13

Put in terms of logic, having experience preparing drawings and doing CA is necessary but not sufficient to be a good specifier. The mindset of a specifier has to include skepticism, if not cynicism.

And I muchly agree with Anne that in addition to good documentation, a good contractor is necessary for a successful project. The most coordinated set of documents in the world will not help with a contractor who can’t or won’t manage the job properly. On the other hand, an honest and conscientious contractor can make up for a lot of mediocre documentation.

14

We are looking for someone like the Anonymous poster that started this thread. I might be a little late to the ball game but we are an 80 person firm that is quite vibrant. Let me know if there is any interest.

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