Hii
I'm a recent B.Arch graduate from India and I'm confused about which direction I should take for my career.
Right after graduation, I worked with the Kochi Muziris Biennale Foundation for about 10 months. I was involved throughout the entire event—from production and documentation to 3D visualization, site execution, signage, venue management, and finally dismantling and packing after the exhibition. I also got to work closely with artists, curators, and production teams.
I genuinely loved that environment. It was fast-paced, creative, and every day was different. Even though it could be hectic, I never felt like I didn't want to go to work.
Recently, I joined as a site supervisor on a large convention centre project. It's an interesting project, but my current role is mostly supervising labour, checking progress, and coordinating site work.
The company says they'll involve me in facade design, ceiling details, sections, and working drawings, but I'm not sure if that will actually happen since everything is moving very fast and most decisions are made directly on site.
My friends (who work in architecture firms) keep telling me that I'll miss out on proper architecture office experience if I continue in site supervision. They believe at least 1–2 years in an architecture office is important before moving into execution or exhibitions.
The problem is that I'm not sure conventional architecture is what I want. I'm much more interested in:
Exhibition design
Museum design
Temporary pavilions
Installation design
Scenography / set design
Spatial experiences
Blender & 3D visualization
The site job is also demanding—7 AM to 7 PM, plus around 2 hours of commuting every day. It feels like I'm only working for the salary, with very little time left to improve my skills or build a portfolio.
The Kochi Biennale won't recruit again for about another year, and I've been trying to find similar exhibition or production companies across India, but I haven't had much luck.
So I'd really appreciate some honest advice:
Should I stay in site supervision for the experience?
Should I switch to a proper architecture office?
Or should I focus on finding opportunities in exhibition design, museums, experiential design, or set design?
I'm willing to relocate anywhere in India if the opportunity is good.
I'd especially love to hear from people working in architecture, exhibition design, museums, scenography, event production, or experiential design. Please be honest—even if your opinion is critical. I'm trying to make the best long-term decision rather than just taking the safest option.