I am in the middle of my M. Arch I, Track 3 Master of Architecture degree at UIUC and I landed a Summer Internship at a large-scale, high reputable design firm in Chicago (firm will remain unnamed...). I started my internship at the end of May and will be here until August 21st, but throughout the Summer the design director that I work for has asked me a several times if I "really have to go back to school" and if I could stay and work there past the Summer for any given amount of time.
The first time this came up in private conversation, and I immediately dismissed the idea and thought it would be totally insane to not go back to school in the Fall. I still have a year and half to go, and I want to graduate more than anything. A few weeks later, however, the question of me staying to help on incoming projects and competitions still comes up when we talk, and now I'm starting to think maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to to do an extended internship and go back to finish my graduate program next Fall. I know that some schools will even incorporate extended co-op programs into their curriculum to begin with, so maybe it's not a totally radical idea.
It may sound naive, but I'm really not worried that I would never end up going back to finish my degree, which seems to be the most common negative reaction I've received when asking for advice. I have invested so much time and hard work in graduate school, and I'll need an architecture degree to get future jobs and eventually get licensed anyway. I know that I will go back, but I wonder if I'll regret not finishing up school sooner rather than later. I suppose my real question is, would this opportunity to work for an additional year at an internship be beneficial to me, or is it better to keep plugging away at school and graduate so that I can land the actual, full-time position that I desire?
I realize the value of work experience when interviewing for entry-level positions out of school, but I also don't want to be over qualified for available positions when I do finally graduate. If I do stay and work here until next Fall, I'll have about 4,000 out of the 5,600 IDP hours required by the state of Illinois (hours from previous internships as well), and could start taking exams immediately upon graduation. I've never been one to turn down any type of opportunity to advance my career, but I'm just not if I need to say yes to this one.
Before you consider this too much one way or the other, make sure there's a real offer on the table. Firms always say to interns "do you really have to go back to school in the fall?", to indicate that they appreciate them - but it doesn't always mean there's really a choice to stay. If you're really interested in staying on longer, schedule a meeting with the partner to find out whether there's a full-time opportunity available - and if so, how sure is he that it's likely to last through the year. What if that project goes on hold? Does it seem like there's enough work to keep everyone going anyway? Or is there more than a slim chance you might end up unemployed in October?
in my humble opinion, do not consider it unless he offers you a full time job as a Designer. Working for more than 3-4 months as a student intern is a waste of time. That experience on your resume counts for almost nothing and you will be paid very little. Whatever projects you work on, you will work on them as a student intern which is generally not regarded as a significant position with 'professional' contribution entailed. The only way I would condone doing this as an intern is if you got to work closely with some extremely gifted individual who would teach you a lot.
Extended Internship?
I am in the middle of my M. Arch I, Track 3 Master of Architecture degree at UIUC and I landed a Summer Internship at a large-scale, high reputable design firm in Chicago (firm will remain unnamed...). I started my internship at the end of May and will be here until August 21st, but throughout the Summer the design director that I work for has asked me a several times if I "really have to go back to school" and if I could stay and work there past the Summer for any given amount of time.
The first time this came up in private conversation, and I immediately dismissed the idea and thought it would be totally insane to not go back to school in the Fall. I still have a year and half to go, and I want to graduate more than anything. A few weeks later, however, the question of me staying to help on incoming projects and competitions still comes up when we talk, and now I'm starting to think maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to to do an extended internship and go back to finish my graduate program next Fall. I know that some schools will even incorporate extended co-op programs into their curriculum to begin with, so maybe it's not a totally radical idea.
It may sound naive, but I'm really not worried that I would never end up going back to finish my degree, which seems to be the most common negative reaction I've received when asking for advice. I have invested so much time and hard work in graduate school, and I'll need an architecture degree to get future jobs and eventually get licensed anyway. I know that I will go back, but I wonder if I'll regret not finishing up school sooner rather than later. I suppose my real question is, would this opportunity to work for an additional year at an internship be beneficial to me, or is it better to keep plugging away at school and graduate so that I can land the actual, full-time position that I desire?
I realize the value of work experience when interviewing for entry-level positions out of school, but I also don't want to be over qualified for available positions when I do finally graduate. If I do stay and work here until next Fall, I'll have about 4,000 out of the 5,600 IDP hours required by the state of Illinois (hours from previous internships as well), and could start taking exams immediately upon graduation. I've never been one to turn down any type of opportunity to advance my career, but I'm just not if I need to say yes to this one.
Good or bad idea? Help!!
Before you consider this too much one way or the other, make sure there's a real offer on the table. Firms always say to interns "do you really have to go back to school in the fall?", to indicate that they appreciate them - but it doesn't always mean there's really a choice to stay. If you're really interested in staying on longer, schedule a meeting with the partner to find out whether there's a full-time opportunity available - and if so, how sure is he that it's likely to last through the year. What if that project goes on hold? Does it seem like there's enough work to keep everyone going anyway? Or is there more than a slim chance you might end up unemployed in October?
in my humble opinion, do not consider it unless he offers you a full time job as a Designer. Working for more than 3-4 months as a student intern is a waste of time. That experience on your resume counts for almost nothing and you will be paid very little. Whatever projects you work on, you will work on them as a student intern which is generally not regarded as a significant position with 'professional' contribution entailed. The only way I would condone doing this as an intern is if you got to work closely with some extremely gifted individual who would teach you a lot.
What do you get paid now? What will you get paid during your extended 'employment'?
Can anyone smell that smell?...slave labor... isn't that the verbiage that is to replace the term 'intern'.
Am I the only one who's worried that someone can complete 75% of IDP through short-term internships?
I would finish the degree. Work will always be there. Get school out the way.
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