intern in europe usually means student who works for free or close to it. i am not sure but it is possible you will be able to get your license in at least some of the european countries as well based on what you have done so far.

which may make it a bit odd for you when looking for a position.


in usa your position would be entirely the opposite. since you are licensed you are ahead of many, but your education is not comparable (since japan's system is not accredited, etc). in that case i am not certain if that is an advantage or a disadvantage.

i guess the easiest way to go ahead is to be honest with the offices you apply to and say you are not sure how you would fit into the system, but that you are looking for an entry position...

hopefully a few more people will chime in with better advice than mine. either way, good luck!

I can't speak directly to the Japanese system, but I've worked in NYC for a bit, and I imagine that if you've got 5 years of post-university experience, most offices here would consider you a junior or intermediate architect, regardless of whether or not your degree is officially accredited in the States.

I suspect that, like most things in architecture, your portfolio and working experience will be what gets you in the door of an office, especially in the bigger cities of the States or Europe that are accustomed to international applicants.

Good luck!

Thank you very much for your informations!

if I can speak English fluently, then I will apply for junior architect position. however, I am stlll worried about the problem.
anyway I will ask to the Human & resources Dep.


yes, I agree with the importance of the portfolio.
will you do me a favor to consider with that?

http://issuu.com/syuko/docs/portfolio/1?mode=magazine


I'm wondering;

whether I should put my diploma or not

the excerpt from portfolio should be more minimal or I can put more some? (ex. detail drawings)



cheers!

Just to play devils advocate but if you're not a US citizen, you will have a hard time especially since there are a lot of US citizens out of work right now...

And many firms refuse to pay for H1 B Visa sponsorship. I'm just saying....

Best of luck.

thanks med !

same situations in Japan, too.
and people　says "because of recession.."

but some Japanese citizens also enjoy their work and
dicide to quit their job by themselves and search for next step if they need. Also many foreigners come to Japan and enjoy their job.

I want to be the latter.
however, I have to consider about what you said, I agree.

thanks

first off let me congratulate you on being able to travel pretty much anywhere in the world, getting back to your post question.

"what do you think the differences between applying for an internship or a junior architect position?"

I don't know how well people abroad know it, but the USA is the most elitist architecture system in the world. Meaning basically legally speaking we are all interns until the day we pass the licensing exam, no matter how many years of experience you may have or how many masters or phd's, you could never call yourself an Architect.

between unlicensed interns fresh out of college and interns that have over a decade of experience, there may only be a difference in how a potential employer uses you based on the experience you may have.

I do know some people that really know how to be good architects, but refuse to get a license, and those kind of people will get payed more than a typical intern with a few years of experience.

your portfolio needs to show more drafting details, and more descriptions about what you actually did for those projects, right now it looks like a portfolio prepared to get accepted into a masters program. a designy one.

hope this helps out.

ps don't come to Chicago its as dead as a desert out here.

Second that regarding the portfolio: maybe a few more details and measured drawings... I wouldn't cram them in though, your layout is nicely balanced graphically, so another page for each projects with enlarged plans/sections/details would help round out your experience.

Also, probably no need for degree/diploma in the portfolio itself, but definitely include a CV or resume with your qualifications if you mail this to offices.

sorry to late answer.

Here I minimized each text and pages.

http://issuu.com/syuko/docs/syuko_ka...?mode=magazine

I put details for just one project so as to remain short.
I get rid of the contents page and moved it to the front page.
I also customized my university project page to fit the other project.



thanks DonQuixote, I understand.
I need to go back to an university, outside Japanese system.
Traveling around the world as a student or professional, it is not easy for me either. trying.
I just asked about the apprication to the firm if I could apply for a juior architect. ofcourse I don't care to start as the intern.
do you work at Chicago??


Thanks blanco teko
I put details in each projects for complete virsion and get rid of them (except for one project) to make it short in excerpt version.
and do you think how long I can put my experience in the CV and cover letter?? I refer the RIBA's sample CV, but I feel my CV is a bit too much with 'my role ' each projects. however, I want to show them somewhere in CV or cover letter.

thanks

sorry to late answer.

Here I minimized each text and pages.

http://issuu.com/syuko/docs/syuko_ka...?mode=magazine

I put details for just one project so as to remain short.
I get rid of the contents page and moved it to the front page.
I also customized my university project page to fit the other project.



thanks DonQuixote, I understand.
I need to go back to an university, outside Japanese system.
Traveling around the world as a student or professional, it is not easy for me either. trying.
I just asked about the apprication to the firm if I could apply for a juior architect. ofcourse I don't care to start as the intern.
do you work at Chicago??


Thanks blanco teko
I put details in each projects for complete virsion and get rid of them (except for one project) to make it short in excerpt version.
and do you think how long I can put my experience in the CV and cover letter?? I refer the RIBA's sample CV, but I feel my CV is a bit too much with 'my role ' each projects. however, I want to show them somewhere in CV or cover letter.

thanks

leisa... your professional work is so nice! why look for a job in the u.s. when you're designing such beautiful things in japan! i kid... (but only a little!)

thak you very much jk3hl!

I was in charge of these projects, but these are not my own project
but my office's.
Do you think is the text show enough that or I need to add more abou it ?? (the pink colored text in each project text show 'my role in the project')


*
i tried to push the link botton my self and failed.
I don't know but please try the following if someone interested in

http://issuu.com/syuko/docs/syuko_kato_sample_from_portfolio?mode=magazine

leisa, i think you definitely have the right amount of text - though it would be really great to see a few more great photographs of the finished work, or process models, or something of the sort.

jk3hl, I see. the process is indeed necessary for that.

I'm going to prepare for that from now on and I'll upload later,

and I will also put some more photographs for my complete virsion of the portfolio. (I have gotten rid of some for this excerpt virsion.)

I appreciate if you give some advice after I apload it again after few more days!

I added PROCESS contents in each projects.
I will add some photographs also in complete version of the portfolio,
but this is the final version for the excerpt of portfolio to make it short in this time.


http://issuu.com/syuko/docs/architecturalportfolio?mode=magazine


Thanks all !

those diagrams are nice - lookin good!

thanks for coming back to this topic again jk3hl!

wish me luck and i will go to NY one day!

hi leisa, I'm now a Taiwanese student studying in New York as a third year architecture student. however i really want to have a internship opportunity in Japan. Do u recommend any international firm? thanks