This makes architecture a very influential profession in today’s society

This makes architecture a very influential profession in today’s society.
Perks: Seeing your designs on paper become a reality.Drawbacks: Four to five years of courses, followed by two to three years of work experience before sitting the professional Riba (Royal Institute of British Architects) exam. Trying to do everything for everyone and losing yourself in the confusion.Qualifications: You will be expected to present a portfolio of your work at the interview, and for many schools, this is an important factor in offering you a place on an architecture course. The portfolio should present a broad mixture of your relevant work experience, (including sketches and freehand drawings). You should also be proficient in technical drawing and computer-aided design. Employers don’t expect skilled architectural work in your portfolio, but evidence that you have the potential skills to produce it.Way in: You should be able to sketch and draw freehand You will also need a portfolio. Most architecture students try to get work experience during summer vacations. A minimum two years of professional training employment is an essential part of the architectural course.

You need to study on a validated course in order to become a fully qualified architect.Starting salary: Around £25,000, although salaries vary across the country, according to the size of the practice and any specialist skills that are required Larger practices tend to pay more than smaller ones. Salaries differ between the public and voluntary sectors, local government, housing associations or in-house architects working for a commercial or industrial company. There may also be added benefits such as a company car, pension, private medical insurance and a performance-related bonus.More information: Visit the Royal Institute of British Architects website at www.architecture ; or e-mail them at bal inst.riba Role model: Norman Foster (British Museum’s Great Court, the “wobbly bridge”), Richard Rogers (The Dome, Lloyds building, Pompidou Centre).Need not apply: If you lack an imaginative streak, you are easily frustrated and have no negotiating skills.Career prospects: Architects’ skills are in demand in all areas of the construction and design industries. A graduate can pursue a career in other areas such as teaching, engineering, designing and surveying. The economy significantly affects the amount of work available. Competition for year-out jobs is fierce, especially in cities.Do say in interview: “In a rapidly changing world, we need to keep pace with progress.

I am excited by change and I would jump at the chance to build the future.”Don’t say: “I don’t really hold with this modern stuff Give me a nice Georgian vicarage any day…”. A string of other train operators are to follow the lead of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Trains and cut fares to try to persuade disaffected passengers back on to the railways. A string of other train operators are to follow the lead of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Trains and cut fares to try to persuade disaffected passengers back on to the railways.
South West Trains, the biggest commuter franchise in the country, was preparing to launch a range of cut-price fares last night aimed at off-peak leisure travellers. Some industry insiders said SWT may emulate Virgin by halving the price of tickets for a period.Go-Ahead, which owns the Thames Trains and Thameslink franchises, also indicated it was planning fare reductions.

“I certainly don’t rule out fare incentives to kickstart the leisure market although it won’t be as spectacular as half-price travel for a month,” said the company’s deputy chief executive, Chris Moyes.Sir Richard Branson announced yesterday what he described as the “world’s biggest rail offer” in an attempt to lure passengers back to his trains.The Virgin tycoon said he was cutting nearly all the fares on the West Coast line by half for a month from 5 February to 4 March in an attempt to kick-start a rail recovery, and he challenged other train operators to do the same.Thousands of passengers have deserted the railways since last October’s Hatfield crash, which led to widespread chaos when Railtrack imposed more than 800 speed restrictions, some as low as 20mph.Virgin Trains normally carries about 1.6 million passengers a month but in the weeks before Christmas that fell by 640,000 as commuters sought alternative means of transport. The company claimed yesterday, however, that it had restored passenger levels to 70 per cent of the pre-Hatfield total.Other rail companies have reported passengers leaving “in droves” and a study commissioned by Railtrack has warned that it could take five years to persuade all customers to return to the trains. Sir Richard, who will spend up to £10m on the offer, said on BBC Radio’s Today programme: “It is up to us to prove that research wrong.”He promised there would be no conditions attached to the offer and no “catch”. As from next month it will be possible to travel between London and Manchester and London and Liverpool for £10 return.A first-class return ticket between London and Manchester will come down from £230 to £115 and the premium fare from London to Birmingham will be cut from £137 to £68.50.The west coast line has been one of the most heavily criticised routes since Sir Richard took over, but he said new trains, due to arrive shortly, and improved lines meant the service would continue to improve.”If we can get people back on the trains and get them to experience trains again we will keep them,” he said.

“Now is the time to recover passengers lost in the last three months and kick-start business travel.”Sir Richard said the company was hoping to attract an extra million passengers during the promotion and he said he was confident of recovering the £10m cost over the next 12 months. “It is a gamble but a risk worth taking,” he said.Most tickets are included in the offer, first and standard class, “savers”, weekly season tickets and existing cut-price special offers.However, some local routes, such as between Euston and Milton Keynes, will not be included in the deal to avoid overcrowding on the trains.* Conservatives restated their faith in privatised railways with the launch yesterday of a policy document promising to continue the “railway renaissance” they say was sparked by the sell-off under John Major.Far from accepting government claims that the fragmentation created by privatisation is to blame for the chaos on the railways, the Tories say Labour caused the crisis by trying to impose central control.Launching the document “Believing in Britain’s Railways”, Bernard Jenkin, the Tory transport spokesman, insisted that the Conservatives remained wedded to the “bold vision” of privatisation.Mr Jenkin said: “The outlook for Britain’s railways should be spectacular.”. Tony Blair has assured Rupert Murdoch in private that he will not call a snap referendum on the single currency shortly after the general election. Tony Blair has assured Rupert Murdoch in private that he will not call a snap referendum on the single currency shortly after the general election.
The Prime Minister’s pledge means that a national vote on the euro is unlikely to take place until the autumn of next year.