This past Tuesday I went to the Architecture for Humanity New York Chapter monthly meeting. It has been a desire of mine to be part of the organization and volunteer but since I was in school, I never found the time for it. Now that I’m idle looking for a job, I stopped by to introduce myself.

I thought I would go and not only become part of it but also network and increase my professional contact. The thing is, I wasn’t the only one with this idea. Majority of the people at the meeting on Tuesday were architects and interior designers that were currently looking for work. Most were newly grads like me, and some were experienced designers that had been out of work for at least one year. There were many people from other countries too, like Australia, Honduras and Spain, who came to try their luck in NYC.

Times are really tough, everywhere I look there are designers looking for work. Also, it seems that recent graduates are the most affected by it. We have little experience, know most of the computer programs, have great ideas and are hungry to start working, however the market just isn’t for us.

Nonetheless, volunteering seems like a good idea. It’ll keep myself busy while doing something positive. Nobody said networking would be easy or it is sure to get you a job. Like the meeting proved to be, networking is also good to exchange and discuss great design ideas with other great minds. So make a good impression!