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Can I still apply for internships?

leriot

Hi! I have graduated from a 6 years architecture program in 2013 and will pursue MA degree later on. I also have 1,5 years of working experience.

I wish to work for an international company and was considering applying for an internship, but I realized too late that most of intern positions are open only for currently enrolled students. Should I still apply for internships or should I pursue another position? (Junior architect maybe? In my home country I am currently employed as an architect, but I suppose it works differently in other countries).

Please, I need an advice. Most of the most interesting employers have either project/team leader positions or even higher or internships. I am no project leader, but so it seems that nobody wants junior architects:( How does it work in Europe and America?

P.S. I am more interested in working at a good office than having a bigger salary.

Plus, is it ok to send resume/portfolio to an office if there's no position opened?

 
Mar 7, 15 8:05 am

There are different kinds of internships. The example requiring applicants to be students are academic internships.

In the U.S., another kind of internship as in the structured internship programmed called IDP, is really just paid employment positions and you are recording those hours spent doing specific kinds of activities as defined by NCARB. 

In that case, you don't necessarily look for positions by the title 'intern' but look for all positions in architecture (as it relates to buildings not some tech field), and record the time spent in each activity area as broadly defined by NCARB. Which requires you to think over what activities you done that day or week, the time spent and categorized appropriately.

These are simply work experience recorded and submitted to NCARB as documenting your experience to qualify ultimately for licensure. 

In your case, if your goal is to become licensed as an architect in the U.S., you would probably be more interested in completing IDP than academic internship for college course credits. In which case, you look for a job you would be qualified for by education/experience at least on paper. Whether you are a good fit is another matter.

Mar 7, 15 3:30 pm  · 
 · 
leriot

@Richard Balkins Thank you! I will research IDP internships.

Mar 8, 15 4:44 am  · 
 · 

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