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Job opportunities for a Indian grad (B.Arch) in US

s_haveli

I am a graduate from Indian school, with four years of working experience. Would like to know about the job opportunities in US.

Any comments, suggestions??

 
Jun 27, 11 1:18 am
sameolddoctor

As you might be aware, there is a serious downturn in the US economy, and there are many more talented, experienced and highly educated people without work. So this is obviously not a good time to enter this market looking for work.

Generally speaking though, it would be next to impossible for you find work here without a US degree. So, the best bet might be to do graduate school here, then look for work. The economy might have improved by then as well.

Jun 27, 11 3:40 am  · 
1  · 
medi

Yes - to add to sameoldoctor's advice, there is very little chance they would sponsor you with an H1B Visa.

I've worked for quite a few international firms here in the US and those who have degrees outside of the US are US citizens.

Jun 27, 11 9:14 am  · 
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s_haveli

Thanx for ur suggestions!

But are there any slight chances of getting in as an intern maybe w/o pay for a while at least?? Just to give it  a try any firms if anyone can suggest?? (architectural/interior design )

Jun 29, 11 12:57 am  · 
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bLAyer

you cant work without a visa. Once they sponsor you for one there has to be a salary which meets prevailing wages.

Jun 29, 11 2:10 am  · 
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muskan

Hey any luck with job.As am sailing in same ship..

Mar 16, 12 11:46 pm  · 
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cipyboy

.. pardon me but, I strongly suggest that you research first (in depth) more about the situation here in the US before throwing out this question. the answer is pretty obvious, and why would you want to work halfway around the globe as an intern without pay anyway,  if I may ask?

Mar 22, 12 11:43 pm  · 
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zonker

Don't do it  - it does not make any sense - it barely makes sense for us U.S. graduates

 

Mar 23, 12 12:19 pm  · 
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cipyboy

like what zenakis said

 

Apr 9, 12 2:02 am  · 
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elnickie

I am looking for an intern position in the US too... The situation in the US may be critical, but in Italy (where I am from and where I studied) it is just desperate

Apr 9, 12 5:15 am  · 
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cipyboy

elnickie, the least you can do is go to US and study again, you'll have better chances...

 

Apr 9, 12 8:58 am  · 
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get on my level

I'm pretty sure that the best thing for you to do would be to get some semblance of student status in your own country, and then apply for internship as a student.

Im american and have worked in france for 6 months, and generally it is much easier to get an internship if the government thinks you are a student, so just make that happen in anyway you can (enroll part time or something at a public university), and then do apply as a student. 

sublimespaces,  Why wouldnt you want to work half way around the globe?  that would be amazing.  

Apr 9, 12 2:22 pm  · 
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cipyboy

@ get on my level, it seems to be counterproductive travelling all the way to the US without any assurance of a job, makes a lot of sense, doesnt it? Sure, I'll go overseas but I have to be sure of what my destination could offer. I worked in Singapore 3 yrs  prior my stay here inthe US.

I did mention that the easiest way for a foreign architect to get a job here is for him to go to school first...

Apr 10, 12 12:39 am  · 
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muskan

Even am looking for job in usa and am from India and worked for 5 years in Inda.How shd i procced to get a job here.Its been long have been looking for job but no response..

Jul 23, 12 2:58 pm  · 
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muskan

Even am looking for job in usa and am from India and worked for 5 years in Inda.How shd i procced to get a job here.Its been long have been looking for job but no response..

Jul 23, 12 2:59 pm  · 
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gwharton

The USA is temporarily closed for repairs. The management regrets any inconvenience.

Jul 23, 12 3:10 pm  · 
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deepshah1991

lol

Sep 22, 17 3:06 pm  · 
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curtkram

let's think outside the box here.

if you guys fixed the global economy, that would spur growth in architecture firms everywhere.  italy might not be as bad off as it currently looks, since there is a not impossible chance that germany, the imf, the euro, and whoever else could potentially work together to help you guys out.  maybe.  there really isn't anyone left to bail out the US, except maybe some middle eastern royal families with oil money.

ultimately what we need to do is get some businesses growing so they need to move into newer and larger buildings, which perhaps an architect could design.  so if you could do that, i think it would be easier for you to find a job overseas and you wouldn't even need to become a student.

maybe marry an american to get citizenship so you don't have to worry about the visa, too.

Jul 23, 12 3:29 pm  · 
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metal

visa quota is full this year. maybe try again in 2 years

Jul 23, 12 6:59 pm  · 
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cipyboy

nidhi are you currently in the u.s.? if not, dont be surprised. i would recommend you guys should do some research first ...

Jul 24, 12 11:20 pm  · 
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muskan

yes am in USA.Been 7 months but no job yet.

Aug 13, 12 10:15 pm  · 
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pankhuri

I am too looking for a job in USA and i have worked for  4+ years in India as an architect and interior designer. It's been 5 months now i m trying badly to get a job but no response from anywhere. I can see some openings but when i apply to that, i don't get any response. It's kinda frustrating  :(

Oct 25, 12 5:40 pm  · 
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Aishwarya.mm

Had any luck? I'm in the same situation.

Apr 12, 23 9:13 pm  · 
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bernardmvjitorr

go back and earn 100$ per month in india

Jan 5, 24 3:39 am  · 
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tashmai

Hi, I'm an architect who's freelancing a few projects in India currently. I have a bachelor degree in architecture and four years of work experience in the same field. However, I will be getting married and moving to the US in 2016. My fiancee has been in the US for the last 16 years, and is a green card holder. So my question is if I have to do school to get a job, or if I can do an internship and get a job. Will being a green card holder help getting a job without having to do school?

Apr 29, 15 3:19 pm  · 
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Hi, even I am sailing in the same boat.. I want to know the current scenario..is that still the same? any betterment in terms of jobs?

Jun 8, 15 12:58 am  · 
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natematt

The industry is currently doing much better in the US. if you are moving to a large market you will quite likely have opportunities if you are a skilled individual. The conditions of practice here seem to favor people that are educated in the US, but if you can demonstrate acceptable technical competency it shouldn't be much of a detractor. You will have a hard time getting licensed though.

Jun 8, 15 1:22 am  · 
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thanks natematt..for the comment

Jun 9, 15 5:52 am  · 
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Lavanya Karri

Hie, my name is Lavanya Karri. I am in US on H4 visa. I finished my B.Arch in 2015 June and came USA. I dont have any experience. How can I get into profession here? Do I have to study further or write exams here to get a license here or any online courses available

Mar 22, 17 4:25 pm  · 
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masochist

hi , its illegal to work as H4 spouse visa.You will have to find am employer who is willing to switch from h4 to h1b . But its a tough sell at the interview.

Jan 11, 18 12:51 pm  · 
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bernardmvjitorr

marriage doesnt mean you can work here, go take a loan get a masters and pay back then work

Jan 5, 24 3:37 am  · 
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playboykhan

Can we get directly  job in foreign after completing Architecture course from India?

Oct 10, 17 10:37 am  · 
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randomised

If you're good enough...personally don't think I ever came across a portfolio from India even worth considering an internship. But maybe that's just me.

Oct 10, 17 12:58 pm  · 
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sameolddoctor

Wow, look at the blatant racism here. Would love to see your portfolio, randomised.

Oct 10, 17 7:11 pm  · 
1  · 
randomised

That was not intended to be racist sameold, I've just never received a solid portfolio from there, I don't dismiss portfolios based on country or anything besides its content.

Oct 10, 17 10:54 pm  · 
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BulgarBlogger

slight chances of getting in as an intern maybe w/o pay for a while at least??


I mean seriously- if you are willing to work without pay, maybe you arent worrh hiring at all...

Oct 10, 17 12:11 pm  · 
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randomised

Is it racist to state to never having received a decent portfolio from India? That's news to me.

Oct 11, 17 2:06 am  · 
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sameolddoctor
Randomised:
A. Still waiting on your portfolio
B. What you're saying in essence is that I don't want to hire anyone from India. Yes, that's considered racism, as you've targeted employees from a certain country, enough to call it out in a public forum
Oct 11, 17 11:41 am  · 
1  · 
randomised

A. ... B. Nope, what I said was that I've never received a decent portfolio from India, that's not racism, you jumped the gun there. I never dismissed a good portfolio because it was sent from India and I never dismissed a bad portfolio because it was from an Indian.

Oct 11, 17 1:22 pm  · 
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sameolddoctor

"If you're good enough...personally don't think I ever came across a portfolio from India even worth considering an internship. But maybe that's just me."

Oct 11, 17 5:33 pm  · 
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choresi

I think he's saying from his experience, he's never received a portfolio he considers good enough for an internship from India. You put on all your own stuff on top of that. And then react to the add ons as if it was from him. I'm pretty sure if it was a good portfolio he wouldn't deny it just because its from India.

Oct 11, 17 8:47 pm  · 
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randomised
choresi

Lol you should "badly reading minds" on wikipedia

Oct 12, 17 9:07 pm  · 
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choresi

*put "badly reading minds".

Oct 12, 17 9:09 pm  · 
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cipyboy

i think we all know what randomised meant, we don't need to negate his intention and misinterpret it.

Oct 13, 17 10:39 am  · 
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zonker

I've spent the last 4 years working for Indian bosses at various firms in the Bay area - esp down in Fremont and Sunnyvale - why can't you find a job in india?

Oct 11, 17 12:19 pm  · 
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randomised

Sameolddoc, for the record, I've just received my very first decent portfolio from India, but unfortunately this time the accompanying cover letter left a lot to be desired.

Oct 16, 17 9:34 pm  · 
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sakshamdeswal

is there any chance of an Indian grad( b.arch from SPA) getting a job in Norway??

Mar 11, 18 6:43 pm  · 
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buzzz

what do american firms look for in a portfolio?

i am a us citizen who studied in india looking for a job now 

Apr 20, 19 10:27 pm  · 
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reminiscences82

Following are my two cents: 
1. Graphic legibility. If the graphics are bad, people don't usually bother to read beyond the first few pages. Good graphics go a long way in making a good impression. That's where I think most portfolio from India don't make the cut. It's a lot to do with graphic training in school more than anything else.
2. If the graphics are good, people will then at least look at the projects. Key things to look at- how clean is the design decision making? how much technical ability you have to figure out funky details? do you challenge yourself in your design work? There are many more things you can add here - personality, work ethic software skills and so on which you can't really judge until after you have worked with someone for a while.

For a firm in US to hire someone on H1B needs a lot of trust in that person's work because of filing and attorney fees. They must be sure you are able to generate that value back for them. Lack of a graphic ability is straight red flag. Honestly entry level/intern salaries are pretty terrible. I am not sure why you would want to travel halfway across the globe just for that. 

Apr 23, 19 12:13 am  · 
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Rssd

You have no idea how bad the entry level salaries are in India.

Apr 12, 23 10:35 pm  · 
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push25

What are the chances of getting into some Companies/ Architecture Solutions Providing companies other than the normal Architecture Firms in US, that too if I am applying at an entry level position and has just one year of full time experience whereas 3 years of internship experience in India.

Jul 6, 21 9:10 am  · 
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Anupooja

Hi, I am currently on my H4 visa and will be getting by EAD(work permit) real soon. I did my B.Arch in India (2012-2017 Batch) and then worked for 4.5 years additional to the 1 year training during the course. I was at the post of Senior Architect while I resigned the job and then shifted here. I am indeed starting my job search (Goodluck to me) and wanna know how the current statistics are. I am pretty confident about my Portfolio and work ethics. I’ve started research on construction techniques here as well. Apart from  my research homework and portfolio what else should I work upon to make sure I get a Job ? Thanks in advance for any suggestions and advice. 

May 25, 23 8:13 pm  · 
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bernardmvjitorr

Indians are far better in terms of delivering quality of work in architecture, US schools and firms would not agree on this, but Indians getting paid like $ 4-6K for one whole year and Americans getting paid like $60-100K is what bothers me, The question is why americans? for a lesser quality in work and being lazy

Jan 5, 24 3:33 am  · 
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