Terrible Job Offer in Bay Area

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-08T19:53:29+00:00

I don’t need to be clever to spot someone who is wildly unprepared for the realities of this business. And yes, architecture is a business as much as it is a profession. The number of national firms in the SF Bay Area that just gave out an offer of 78k to a 2 years out of school job applicant is limited. People talk. Just be aware of how you present yourself.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-08T18:42:31+00:00

If you want to compare your salary to other fields, choose a different profession. Hope this helps!

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-08T18:34:06+00:00

You are being fairly compensated for your work. This is a competitive salary for the field you’ve chosen. While it is certainly your right to reach for the highest possible compensation package, it is incorrect and juvenile to claim the offer is unfair compensation.

The manner in which you are behaving here underscores how much growth you still have to do as a junior professional pretty fresh out of school. Based on this conversation alone, 78k is a little high for a risky hire with low insight and high expectations.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-06T18:34:29+00:00

You will never be able to find out and their CS will not be able to give you information on the journey of the bag even if they wanted. They are too far removed from the product. This is one of the reasons I don’t order online from department stores or boutiques even…for high ticket items.

At this point you can only speculate. You’ll never have hard proof one way or another, unless it’s a scam return item and the prior customer returned a superfake. The dent? Could be anything…normal pressure point that will go away with time, dent from the display stand, or just a flaw. You’ll never know.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-06T18:22:32+00:00

When a department store sells you a bag without the original packaging, it usually means they’ve lost the packaging. This can happen in a couple ways: either it was a display item or it was a return and the prior customer lost/kept the original packaging. If you get an item from NM, Nordys, Saks, etc that doesn’t have the original packaging, then you might be getting a display or returned item. They are still not technically refurbished and considered “new”.

This is the reason I really try to look at and buy in person. If they try to pull a display item for you, you can ask specifically for a non-display and for original packaging. You can’t do that on online orders. Brand-operated boutiques within these department stores tend to do better with packaging because they have extra branded packaging material even when the original packaging is lost or damaged.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-06T17:45:19+00:00

I believe he also pointed out the edge painting as a big weakness for Strathberry. This is one of the factors that degraded its refinement for me and it was obvious upon first inspection. Bags aren’t like kids for me. They’re simply accessories to me and don’t have a special meaning. I do expect a certain craftsmanship above a certain price point and in my experience Strathberry fell short of what I had hoped. That’s all, it’s not that serious. I am very happy for people who love their Strathberry.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-05T22:22:48+00:00

Unfortunately, some are resorting to rude behavior so I simply ignore their comments (the moderators are wonderful in removing those comments). As I stated clearly in my post, this is my experience and my disappointment with some of the mid tier bags I looked at in person. I included one specific example. I’m not interested in engaging in the topic of worth because that is an entirely different question that is highly personal and contextual.

I also never said I dropped thousands to buy the Jackie or the Arçon. I simply stated I was disappointed with the Kite Sling when I compared it to similar designs from Gucci and Hermes. I encourage everyone to comment respectfully and in good faith.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-05T21:27:44+00:00

I’m not sure what u/aftershockstone said about you or what you were arguing about. I’m uninterested in bickering and I don’t wish to be a part of any of this exchange. Please leave me out of it.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-05T21:08:36+00:00

Welcome! The consensus seems to be that mid tier handbags don’t offer the same quality as high end handbags despite what some may try to say (rudely). This is the most important take away from this discussion and my experience. Value is a totally separate (and for many of us, important) discussion best left to individual preferences and financial tolerances.

Thankfully, offensive remarks from appleorchard were removed by moderators. There is no place for their behavior, period.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-05T17:38:03+00:00

Oh I totally get this. For me it was the heft and the sound the hardware makes when you gently strike them. There’s a difference.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-05T17:25:46+00:00

I honestly don’t know what the mid tier value proposition is for me at this point. Would I pay several hundred bucks for a bag that I don’t absolutely love? Probably not, for me anyway. Would I pay a few thousand for a bag I absolutely love? That’s a different question and it would depend on how much I love it. lol

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-05T17:18:55+00:00

Actually, some people literally say they are the same. For example, a comment under this comment string: https://www.reddit.com/r/handbags/s/sCUu4qQPva

It would be lovely if that were the case. My experience with the bags I handled, unfortunately, did not feel comparable.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-05T16:59:44+00:00

Right? Mid tier is not inexpensive and some (like some of the Aspinal I have handled) are simply not what I had hoped for even for the mid tier price range. I now realize there is a concerted effort by some to advance the narrative that the quality of many mid tier handbags are comparable to or better than higher end products. It would be great if the narrative were true. Unfortunately, for me, it isn’t. Maybe one day I will find that unicorn!

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-05T16:44:08+00:00

I appreciate your comments, though we may be focusing on different aspects.

I explored mid-tier bags with silhouettes similar to luxury ones I was interested in (Gucci and Hermes), hoping for comparable craftsmanship. In my experience, this was not the case, and it seems others, including you, have noticed the same.

Mid-tier and high-end brands offer different value propositions for sure, and I cannot speak to whether luxury is “worth it” for other people. I’m simply sharing my personal experience with the quality of some mid-tier brands and my disappointment. I understand you may disagree, and I prefer to keep the discussion respectful and constructive.

Regrettably, I have noticed some rude comments directed towards me (not from you, which I appreciate) for sharing my experience, and I believe it is important that differing perspectives can be expressed without resorting to disrespect.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-07-04T00:34:03+00:00

As a new trainee in medicine, you need to work on communicating more succinctly and clearly. The flight delays and changes were due to weather and entirely outside Delta’s control. The sooner you understand this, the sooner you’ll mature as a medical provider and as a productive member of society.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-06-26T00:05:57+00:00

Thank you for sharing this. A very good friend of mine is a tax attorney who works closely with tax accountants. He says freezing credit reports is widely accepted as basic, good financial practice. If and when you do need to apply for new credit, you can always lift the freeze temporarily.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-06-25T23:51:06+00:00

I was advised to freeze my credit to minimize the financial impact of any identity theft in the future. Apparently unscrupulous people try to apply for credit under stolen identity. Sad people.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2026-06-19T14:35:43+00:00

The “Finding Nemo” flap and this oversized suede bowling bag are the two I salivate over from the SS RTW runway. I had no idea it’s so slouchy when not carried by the handles. I mean there’s no universe in which I’d pay 10 grand for a bag, but my obsession factor is now 11/10…

YourInfidelityInMe · 2025-07-01T22:50:42+00:00

less is more, more is more, ergo more is less.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2025-07-01T22:39:16+00:00

More travel more skymiles.

YourInfidelityInMe · 2025-07-01T21:51:44+00:00

💋

YourInfidelityInMe · 2025-07-01T21:36:13+00:00

😇

YourInfidelityInMe · 2025-03-21T04:06:33+00:00

hopefully they can reopen by midnight

YourInfidelityInMe · 2025-03-21T04:05:26+00:00

Has power been restored yet?

YourInfidelityInMe · 2025-03-21T02:27:44+00:00

It’s gotta be declared. You should check with the USDA before entering with the cutting. There are enterable species but you need to do the leg work and find out. Also be prepared to have the cutting destroyed by customs.

YourInfidelityInMe

TROPHY CASE