I'm currently in 2nd year co-op at Carleton's arch. program (Canada). I'm having trouble getting any interviews with firms and I'm worried that it's an issue with my resume or webportfolio (I have a paper portfolio too, but I haven't gotten to the stage yet where I can bring it in and show it to a potential employer. yes. it's sad.)
Anyway...here it is www.wingseewu.com . Tear it up, trash it, but please give me some constructive critiscism. I really need some help. Personally, I think I might be running into trouble because I'm not being concise enough and trimming down the site to relevant samplse of work. And yes, I also know that it might also be a possibility that I'm not getting interviews because my work just isn't good. Be honest, I need to get things straightened out.
By the way, does anyone have any samples of good web portfolios that they could show me as well?
at your level, you obviously have talent, it's not your web portfolio or resume that's key; you need to get something physical into the hands of potential employers (i assume for an internship?). even a few pages of work, probably CAD stuff is best, but that depends on what you want to do. Lots of employers, from what I understand, don't even want to take the time to go to a website; they want to have something in hand to look at for 30 seconds & decide if they want to bring you in. For a 3 month internship, think first about what you can offer them, and then about what you want to get out of it. Write specific cover letters for each firm based on that. don't stress the web portfolio too much. it looks good, though.
if the job interview you seek is for something other than a 3-month internship, let us know.
i suggest making your photography section less redundant with your studio sections. it is obvious enough in your studio documentation that photography is important to you. in the separate photography section, only have non-studio stuff.
ms. pudding if you want you can take a look at my portfolio at www.peitergregory.com I took a very different approach to showing my work than you did. Im not saying that it is better than yours, or that its that good even. in fact I would love to hear what other people think of it. You feel that your not being concise as to where I don't think I say enough, or show enough at times.
it is always good to look at other web sites and portfolios to see how people are doing things, if you want I can give you a few of my friends web sites that you can look at as well for comparison. i don't want to post them on here though so send me an e-mail through the forum and Ill send you the links.
i think that your webfolio could be a powerful first impression, it you organize it better. your first page is basically blank. it should be the most impressive, 'the money shot', giving visitors a 'wow' first impression.
the work on the site is very nice, it just needs to be easier to access and process. it takes too long to drill down through your menu on the left. try summarizing each studio into one page that visitors can scroll through, either vertically or horizontally, but be consistent.
a section highlighting your cad skills would be beneficial.
also, your 'work' graphic is pixelated in a bad way. you need to clean that up, antialias it or something... if its on every page, it needs to be very good.
on your resume, you might want to make your name and titles smaller, to make the font sizes a little closer to the overall text.
after you make the changes, post the link to the new site... good luck!
Gorgeous website pgb. It's just elegant. I hope in a few years I'll have the quality and body of work that you do.
Yeah i agree about the crappy resolution of the work image. I'm home this week for reading week and cringed when i saw it from the home computer. Definetly agree with the redundancy of the photo section as well. My resume objective isn't so great either. I didn't really want to put one in but I ended up being pressured into it and carelessly whipped something up. Is it okay if I cut it out? I think in general it's kind of meaningless...because my objective is pretty much the same as anyone else who is applying.
These things will all be fixed once i go back to school. Thanks for all the suggestions. keep them coming.
ms. pud, the work in your portfolio is awesome, especially for a 2nd year student. I can't see anything Wrong with your web portfolio, especially not to the point that an employer would not hire you because of it. As this is the case where I'm from, some employers are a little, frightened i guess, of work that is not in line with what they are used to doing. that's just a possibility, as i am not sure of the quality of firms in your area.
As for improving your site, with the suggestions from everyone above, i think you'll be sitting pretty. The only comment i have is that, if you find some time on your hands, you should look into adding some finesse. its kind of basic now, which actually may be the best possible backdrop for you work, but you should experiment with giving the web design the same justice as the design the work presented. it takes some time but you might be able integrate your webdesign (navigation, background, etc.) with your work. If you find your experimenation doesn't produce, then you can just leave it as is and still have a very solid online portfolio.
ms pudding, what type of job are you looking for? regardless of your talent, nobody is going to hire you as a architectural designer [you need to finish your studies first]. so you're basically going to be a cad person [nobody will call you for that since your resume states you're just learning autocad, or at least that's what it sounds like], a model builder [could be fun for 4 months, don't think you'll learn much though] or a graphics person [maybe you could push this angle but you'll find a lot of competition there].
for a 3 - 4 month job, the website takes too long to read. too much for someone that the office is going to loose in 4 months. also, if you're going to be a cad drafter, it takes too long site browsing [i got tired before getting there] to find a good section or good plans, so you basically have proven plenty of talent but no entry level marketable skills. you need to push those a little.
too bad college dont teach what architects really need(want) ie knowledge of codes, knowledge of building systems etc. of course if it did everyone would change majors. good luck.
aml, you're right. Originally, I wanted to tie in a job portfolio and a personal archive of work into the same site, and I think I got a little carried away with how thorough I was trying to be. I guess I'll play around with stripping down the site to just some model shots, some drafting, and some formz.
Regarding the type of job I'm looking for, well, I'm looking for an entry level position: cad, site surveying, photocopying, whatever. I am obviously not qualified to do anything more with a 2nd year undergrad education. I just want a feel for how the workplace works. I'm taking a year off after third year to work and then hopefully after that I'll have a general idea of what kind of direction to take with my career and next few years of studies (i.e. if I absolutely hate it, I'll find something else to do with my life). After all, school and work are two completely different worlds, right?
Any personal stories you guys have to share about your first job hunt or first job? Was it as trying as mine? Because I have no clue what I'm doing right now and I'm getting no results so far. I remain optimistic (!) but still, it's hard.
Talk to people. Word of mouth. Subtly let professors know that you're looking for a job. Also, check out the job board at your school, they can be very good. I'm 25, and every job I've ever had since high school has been through some connection I've had along the way.
I wasn't able to check out your site becasue my mac couldn't pull it up. I'll try again later on pc.
ms. pudding, great work...but not great portfolio/website
the stuff is all over the place, and with the relatively laid back schedule that i have, if i get bored seeing it...i can only imagine super-busy principals not wanting to see beyond the first few 'clicks'
and the resume could also be a bit concise. what strikes me is 'working on a knowledge of autocad 2004' - i think employers do not want people with almost no 2D cad experience, which seems to be your case - at least for architectural companies. I would just suggest to put autocad in your list of softwares, but make sure you learn it by may.
I think you really need to display your work properly, and as someone said before, in print form - just 5-6 pages. you might want to send them some 2-3 page samples with your resume and then go show them your portfolio later
ms p..
i concur with some of what has already been said...
specifically..the site takes too long to load...and when it does you
sometimes have to go through three layers of menu to see anything...
i'd get rid of anything redundant..their's plenty of work here and repeating
info makes it look as though you're trying to make more..when there
doesn't really need to be..
most of all though..if found trying to scroll through your images sort of
tedious..the initial menu is kind of small..and then when you click to
get the larger image it doesn't get its own window...so you have to scroll
that to see the whole image...i'd have the larger windows open so you can
see the whole thing.
MOST importantly is what everyone else said..noone is going to go to a
webpage on a resume..it's all about immediacy..you need to print out at
least three pages of your best work...most firms i've worked in get literally
stacks of resumes...if you don't have imagery to make yours stand out it's
not going to...don't make people do work they don't have to do to...make
the package you put together make them want to check out your site...
all in all i think you have some good work and some intelligently put
together work...but the website doesn't help accentuate that..yet.
My first interview with a major firm they reviewed my portfolio seemingly intensely, for longer than I thought they would - and followed up with "nice graphics did you do these yourselve" - about the resumes gohsted background image - got the job but got the hint.
Second job with a major - liked my example sets of cd's and didnt even open portfolio - got the job, got the hint.
Have tangible stuff - ie pics of stuff youve built- diagramatic stuff that indicates you'll do well at drafting and yes a good portfolio that says you can design, but do not expect it for your work description. Patience.
My quick reaction?
I suggest that you reduce bulk of the text. For example, the word "interesting" doesn't mean much. I always expend an annoying amount of effort to kill the "useless words" problem in my writing!
Also, I saw at least one misspelt word, "permanant". (permanent).
The web design.
Rather useless looking 'stylings' in the menu frame's logo "work": The grey line across the top of the "w". The extra 'limb' extending horizontally rightward from middle of the "k".
Any purpose of the right parentheses among the gray underline characters in the leaders of the expanded menus is a mystery (to me).
I like the 3 pane layout; images always above and text always below. (And this standard layout might simplify addition of web pages.)
I began a web portfolio. The photos just don't look very useful, so I've abandoned the web thing. But I can email some of the photos to satisfy (?) some employers specific interests. More important (imo), I now have approx half-page (or less) of promo/outline for each of my projects. Each outline briefly lists purpose, highlights, and other points of interest. I will use these as handouts during interview presentations of my best project (or best two projects).
I hate pdf, so I looked at your html resume. I'd get rid of the italics formatting of that lone italicized phrase: "Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Co-op"
On my 17" CRT, after dragging the vertical frame back to your default position, your resume's bullet indents seem to "dance" left-and-right. But, I suspect fixing this might not be worth the trouble.
Also
industrial and fashion design
should begin uppercase, like its list siblings:
Industrial and fashion design
In terms of content, your resume looks great. Would you loan me a couple A grades? :-)
Originally, I wanted to tie in a job portfolio and a personal archive of work into the same site, and I think I got a little carried away with how thorough I was trying to be. I guess I'll play around with stripping down the site to just some model shots, some drafting, and some formz.
Maybe change the menus so they obviouslysplit/demarcate your major job goals? For example: a Formz, axo's, dwg, etc group... split within the root menu from a group of your multiple "art" endeavours?
(page needs title)
it looks as if the thumbnails economize d/l time, yet show enough to invite mouse clicks. for example, the tn's are b&w, though fullsize are color or colored.
another option:
work construction for a summer--you can always find work as a laborer. also, you may find it will help you out next summer when looking for an internship. not that you would learn a great deal about how to put together a building from just a few months as a laborer, but many employers view this as valuable experience. and you may find you enjoy the hell out of it. if you spend a few summers doing it, i think it definitely helps you out eventually.
If nothing else, its great to listen to the subs bitch about the architect. I've worked for various subs and one general contractor. Its all the same thing...!@@$%$%#$%^#$% ARCHITECT!@#$#$^#$%#$
sounds like you're concentrating a little too much on the web portfolio (even though it has a lot of compelling images) than on your resume and printed work. other than a phone call, these are the first items they'll associate with you. they have to be memorable, concise, and convincing. package a couple pages of strong work to send along with your resume. in all honesty, offices will not visit your webpage simply because it's listed in your resume. first you gotta hope that your resume is eye-catching and easy to scan enough for them to read it in full. only if you've got some skills they're looking for may someone take the time to visit your page. however this is an IF. online portfolios are problemmatic because employers need to research you, a potential maybe/maybe not employee.
work on your resume. highlight the practical skills that employers look for. i had to read through a lot of lines before i knew you were computer savy with imaging software. also careful with the tone of the resume. you've descriptions which say you've got some skills but they're not developed enough - but will be (your currently building auotcad experience, your desire to grow and gain working experience) everybody's learning, which is okay to admit. but to a summer employer they don't want to hear that you're not up to par yet. if par is the level at which you become a bankable employee. i'm not saying lie on your resume, but describe what you know now, give them something concrete, not a promise that in 3 months time you'll know more about the program. work related experience sounds like regular studio projects, tell them what you did, responsibilities, actions, achievements that make it stand out froma studio project, or made you highlight them on your resume. your desciptions of the moel and panels sounds like something highlighted better with a portfolio, save it for that.
all in all your imagery is strong, architects are visual people, add some of this to your resume to catch their eye.
Don't put anything in your portfolio that you don't want to do in the job you are applying for. If you want to learn how to build something, don't fill your book with sexy computer renderings. You will be hired to make someone else's designs look cool, rather than design yourself.
Feb 25, 05 4:03 pm ·
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any portfolio tips for employment?
I'm currently in 2nd year co-op at Carleton's arch. program (Canada). I'm having trouble getting any interviews with firms and I'm worried that it's an issue with my resume or webportfolio (I have a paper portfolio too, but I haven't gotten to the stage yet where I can bring it in and show it to a potential employer. yes. it's sad.)
Anyway...here it is www.wingseewu.com . Tear it up, trash it, but please give me some constructive critiscism. I really need some help. Personally, I think I might be running into trouble because I'm not being concise enough and trimming down the site to relevant samplse of work. And yes, I also know that it might also be a possibility that I'm not getting interviews because my work just isn't good. Be honest, I need to get things straightened out.
By the way, does anyone have any samples of good web portfolios that they could show me as well?
at your level, you obviously have talent, it's not your web portfolio or resume that's key; you need to get something physical into the hands of potential employers (i assume for an internship?). even a few pages of work, probably CAD stuff is best, but that depends on what you want to do. Lots of employers, from what I understand, don't even want to take the time to go to a website; they want to have something in hand to look at for 30 seconds & decide if they want to bring you in. For a 3 month internship, think first about what you can offer them, and then about what you want to get out of it. Write specific cover letters for each firm based on that. don't stress the web portfolio too much. it looks good, though.
if the job interview you seek is for something other than a 3-month internship, let us know.
i suggest making your photography section less redundant with your studio sections. it is obvious enough in your studio documentation that photography is important to you. in the separate photography section, only have non-studio stuff.
my 2 cents.
ms. pudding if you want you can take a look at my portfolio at www.peitergregory.com I took a very different approach to showing my work than you did. Im not saying that it is better than yours, or that its that good even. in fact I would love to hear what other people think of it. You feel that your not being concise as to where I don't think I say enough, or show enough at times.
it is always good to look at other web sites and portfolios to see how people are doing things, if you want I can give you a few of my friends web sites that you can look at as well for comparison. i don't want to post them on here though so send me an e-mail through the forum and Ill send you the links.
PGB
i agree, you have talent...
i think that your webfolio could be a powerful first impression, it you organize it better. your first page is basically blank. it should be the most impressive, 'the money shot', giving visitors a 'wow' first impression.
the work on the site is very nice, it just needs to be easier to access and process. it takes too long to drill down through your menu on the left. try summarizing each studio into one page that visitors can scroll through, either vertically or horizontally, but be consistent.
a section highlighting your cad skills would be beneficial.
also, your 'work' graphic is pixelated in a bad way. you need to clean that up, antialias it or something... if its on every page, it needs to be very good.
on your resume, you might want to make your name and titles smaller, to make the font sizes a little closer to the overall text.
after you make the changes, post the link to the new site... good luck!
wow, nice site peiter... makes me jealous.
To quote you objective ....by gaining hands-on working experience in an architecture and design firm.
I know jack about grammer, but "hands-on working" seems a little redundent , but more important it seems awkward.
That is the first piece of your writing that they will see, have it represent as well as the rest of your work.
Gorgeous website pgb. It's just elegant. I hope in a few years I'll have the quality and body of work that you do.
Yeah i agree about the crappy resolution of the work image. I'm home this week for reading week and cringed when i saw it from the home computer. Definetly agree with the redundancy of the photo section as well. My resume objective isn't so great either. I didn't really want to put one in but I ended up being pressured into it and carelessly whipped something up. Is it okay if I cut it out? I think in general it's kind of meaningless...because my objective is pretty much the same as anyone else who is applying.
These things will all be fixed once i go back to school. Thanks for all the suggestions. keep them coming.
ms. pud, the work in your portfolio is awesome, especially for a 2nd year student. I can't see anything Wrong with your web portfolio, especially not to the point that an employer would not hire you because of it. As this is the case where I'm from, some employers are a little, frightened i guess, of work that is not in line with what they are used to doing. that's just a possibility, as i am not sure of the quality of firms in your area.
As for improving your site, with the suggestions from everyone above, i think you'll be sitting pretty. The only comment i have is that, if you find some time on your hands, you should look into adding some finesse. its kind of basic now, which actually may be the best possible backdrop for you work, but you should experiment with giving the web design the same justice as the design the work presented. it takes some time but you might be able integrate your webdesign (navigation, background, etc.) with your work. If you find your experimenation doesn't produce, then you can just leave it as is and still have a very solid online portfolio.
good work.
ms pudding, what type of job are you looking for? regardless of your talent, nobody is going to hire you as a architectural designer [you need to finish your studies first]. so you're basically going to be a cad person [nobody will call you for that since your resume states you're just learning autocad, or at least that's what it sounds like], a model builder [could be fun for 4 months, don't think you'll learn much though] or a graphics person [maybe you could push this angle but you'll find a lot of competition there].
for a 3 - 4 month job, the website takes too long to read. too much for someone that the office is going to loose in 4 months. also, if you're going to be a cad drafter, it takes too long site browsing [i got tired before getting there] to find a good section or good plans, so you basically have proven plenty of talent but no entry level marketable skills. you need to push those a little.
too bad college dont teach what architects really need(want) ie knowledge of codes, knowledge of building systems etc. of course if it did everyone would change majors. good luck.
aml, you're right. Originally, I wanted to tie in a job portfolio and a personal archive of work into the same site, and I think I got a little carried away with how thorough I was trying to be. I guess I'll play around with stripping down the site to just some model shots, some drafting, and some formz.
Regarding the type of job I'm looking for, well, I'm looking for an entry level position: cad, site surveying, photocopying, whatever. I am obviously not qualified to do anything more with a 2nd year undergrad education. I just want a feel for how the workplace works. I'm taking a year off after third year to work and then hopefully after that I'll have a general idea of what kind of direction to take with my career and next few years of studies (i.e. if I absolutely hate it, I'll find something else to do with my life). After all, school and work are two completely different worlds, right?
Any personal stories you guys have to share about your first job hunt or first job? Was it as trying as mine? Because I have no clue what I'm doing right now and I'm getting no results so far. I remain optimistic (!) but still, it's hard.
Talk to people. Word of mouth. Subtly let professors know that you're looking for a job. Also, check out the job board at your school, they can be very good. I'm 25, and every job I've ever had since high school has been through some connection I've had along the way.
I wasn't able to check out your site becasue my mac couldn't pull it up. I'll try again later on pc.
i think your website is great. just be patient, and you'll find something.
it took me months to find a job, and if i ran out of optimism, i wouldn't have gotten my current job.
good luck!
ms. pudding, great work...but not great portfolio/website
the stuff is all over the place, and with the relatively laid back schedule that i have, if i get bored seeing it...i can only imagine super-busy principals not wanting to see beyond the first few 'clicks'
and the resume could also be a bit concise. what strikes me is 'working on a knowledge of autocad 2004' - i think employers do not want people with almost no 2D cad experience, which seems to be your case - at least for architectural companies. I would just suggest to put autocad in your list of softwares, but make sure you learn it by may.
I think you really need to display your work properly, and as someone said before, in print form - just 5-6 pages. you might want to send them some 2-3 page samples with your resume and then go show them your portfolio later
a couple of student websites:
http://www.bsu.edu/web/mapardek/
http://www.factoryentropy.com
http://www.generalacres.com
ms p..
i concur with some of what has already been said...
specifically..the site takes too long to load...and when it does you
sometimes have to go through three layers of menu to see anything...
i'd get rid of anything redundant..their's plenty of work here and repeating
info makes it look as though you're trying to make more..when there
doesn't really need to be..
most of all though..if found trying to scroll through your images sort of
tedious..the initial menu is kind of small..and then when you click to
get the larger image it doesn't get its own window...so you have to scroll
that to see the whole image...i'd have the larger windows open so you can
see the whole thing.
MOST importantly is what everyone else said..noone is going to go to a
webpage on a resume..it's all about immediacy..you need to print out at
least three pages of your best work...most firms i've worked in get literally
stacks of resumes...if you don't have imagery to make yours stand out it's
not going to...don't make people do work they don't have to do to...make
the package you put together make them want to check out your site...
all in all i think you have some good work and some intelligently put
together work...but the website doesn't help accentuate that..yet.
My first interview with a major firm they reviewed my portfolio seemingly intensely, for longer than I thought they would - and followed up with "nice graphics did you do these yourselve" - about the resumes gohsted background image - got the job but got the hint.
Second job with a major - liked my example sets of cd's and didnt even open portfolio - got the job, got the hint.
Have tangible stuff - ie pics of stuff youve built- diagramatic stuff that indicates you'll do well at drafting and yes a good portfolio that says you can design, but do not expect it for your work description. Patience.
My quick reaction?
I suggest that you reduce bulk of the text. For example, the word "interesting" doesn't mean much. I always expend an annoying amount of effort to kill the "useless words" problem in my writing!
Also, I saw at least one misspelt word, "permanant". (permanent).
The web design.
Rather useless looking 'stylings' in the menu frame's logo "work": The grey line across the top of the "w". The extra 'limb' extending horizontally rightward from middle of the "k".
Any purpose of the right parentheses among the gray underline characters in the leaders of the expanded menus is a mystery (to me).
I like the 3 pane layout; images always above and text always below. (And this standard layout might simplify addition of web pages.)
I began a web portfolio. The photos just don't look very useful, so I've abandoned the web thing. But I can email some of the photos to satisfy (?) some employers specific interests. More important (imo), I now have approx half-page (or less) of promo/outline for each of my projects. Each outline briefly lists purpose, highlights, and other points of interest. I will use these as handouts during interview presentations of my best project (or best two projects).
has informative text (imo). If there isn't much to say with text, I believe we should nevertheless compact the text to one or two sentences.
and the model in the 'miscellaneous' group is most beautiful (wink). don't torture her! :-)
I hate pdf, so I looked at your html resume. I'd get rid of the italics formatting of that lone italicized phrase: "Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Co-op"
On my 17" CRT, after dragging the vertical frame back to your default position, your resume's bullet indents seem to "dance" left-and-right. But, I suspect fixing this might not be worth the trouble.
Also
industrial and fashion design
should begin uppercase, like its list siblings:
Industrial and fashion design
In terms of content, your resume looks great. Would you loan me a couple A grades? :-)
Maybe change the menus so they obviouslysplit/demarcate your major job goals? For example: a Formz, axo's, dwg, etc group... split within the root menu from a group of your multiple "art" endeavours?
(page needs title)
it looks as if the thumbnails economize d/l time, yet show enough to invite mouse clicks. for example, the tn's are b&w, though fullsize are color or colored.
http://www.factoryentropy.com
broken.
http://www.generalacres.com
such an 'eccentric' style that i expected to see the "Church of the SubGenius" on his links (or \BUILD) page.
i like the text on
http://www.generalacres.com/kokomo.htm
another option:
work construction for a summer--you can always find work as a laborer. also, you may find it will help you out next summer when looking for an internship. not that you would learn a great deal about how to put together a building from just a few months as a laborer, but many employers view this as valuable experience. and you may find you enjoy the hell out of it. if you spend a few summers doing it, i think it definitely helps you out eventually.
If nothing else, its great to listen to the subs bitch about the architect. I've worked for various subs and one general contractor. Its all the same thing...!@@$%$%#$%^#$% ARCHITECT!@#$#$^#$%#$
sounds like you're concentrating a little too much on the web portfolio (even though it has a lot of compelling images) than on your resume and printed work. other than a phone call, these are the first items they'll associate with you. they have to be memorable, concise, and convincing. package a couple pages of strong work to send along with your resume. in all honesty, offices will not visit your webpage simply because it's listed in your resume. first you gotta hope that your resume is eye-catching and easy to scan enough for them to read it in full. only if you've got some skills they're looking for may someone take the time to visit your page. however this is an IF. online portfolios are problemmatic because employers need to research you, a potential maybe/maybe not employee.
work on your resume. highlight the practical skills that employers look for. i had to read through a lot of lines before i knew you were computer savy with imaging software. also careful with the tone of the resume. you've descriptions which say you've got some skills but they're not developed enough - but will be (your currently building auotcad experience, your desire to grow and gain working experience) everybody's learning, which is okay to admit. but to a summer employer they don't want to hear that you're not up to par yet. if par is the level at which you become a bankable employee. i'm not saying lie on your resume, but describe what you know now, give them something concrete, not a promise that in 3 months time you'll know more about the program. work related experience sounds like regular studio projects, tell them what you did, responsibilities, actions, achievements that make it stand out froma studio project, or made you highlight them on your resume. your desciptions of the moel and panels sounds like something highlighted better with a portfolio, save it for that.
all in all your imagery is strong, architects are visual people, add some of this to your resume to catch their eye.
Don't put anything in your portfolio that you don't want to do in the job you are applying for. If you want to learn how to build something, don't fill your book with sexy computer renderings. You will be hired to make someone else's designs look cool, rather than design yourself.
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