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Timing of Graduate School vs. Junior Architect

Vibration

After graduating with a B. Arch degree the past winter, I was fortunate to be accepted into a graduate school for M. Arch II with a 20k scholarship. Since there are only around 5 months remaining until the semester begins, would accepting a job offer as Junior Architect be an awkward choice?

 
Mar 17, 17 10:40 am
Non Sequitur

First of all, why go for an M.Arch if you already have an accredited B.Arch?

Second... if offered a job, be upfront about your plans for graduate school.  Maybe you can score a part-time gig with the office and keep working during the Masters.

Third... it's not called junior architect, it's intern, designer, or tech.

Mar 17, 17 11:09 am  · 
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eeayeeayo

If the employer knows that you'll be leaving for grad school in 5 months then that's perfectly acceptable.  Some firms will be perfectly happy with hiring young production/design help on a short-term basis.  You might fit right in with their projected workload, if they're likely to be busier in spring and summer.

I suspect though that you mean is it awkward to take the job without telling the employer that you know you'll be leaving in 5 months.  If that's the case then yes, that's going to be awkward.  Worse than awkward, it will probably result in resentment on their part when they find out - because of course they're going to realize, based on the timing, that you must have known this when they hired you, and that you deliberately neglected to mention it.  All of that will probably mean they won't be a good reference in the future.  Architecture is a small world.  Be upfront with employers now - otherwise it may get around that you're undependable and inconsiderate and affect your prospects long after graduation.

Mar 17, 17 11:12 am  · 
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Vibration

I see, thank you for the advice. I agree with what you're saying. Hopefully they're open to hiring short term.

Mar 17, 17 11:14 am  · 
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think_again

If you accept the job and they agree as well, just plan for the transition from full-time to part-time. It was difficult for me because I had delegate responsibilities to someone else that perhaps didn't plan for the additional work.

Mar 17, 17 11:58 am  · 
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Vibration

Being part-time while pursuing a masters sounds very difficult. For my case, the school and office are about 90 minutes apart so this doesn't seem like an option.

Mar 17, 17 12:05 pm  · 
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