I've spent my career to date working for smallish firms known for their design skills. I'm arranging interviews at much much bigger firms, which might not be great design studios, but have a boatload of work, and are willing to pay much more. their smallest projects have construction budgets that are nearly double our most expensive current project.
so, for the interview, what do you think i can show them?
to date, I've kept my portfolio pretty slim and included projects that I knew would attract some attention in past interviews. However, an AIA award winning (small) project won't be a big deal to the big firms, but I'm not interested in joining any of these firms to become a draftsman, so I'm not keen on showing a big set of CDs, either.
Show the same material you've been showing. They're probably going to expect to see at least some CDs, so you may want to include some good pages of a half-size set - perhaps some elevations and details... But an award-winning project is still an award-winning project - and you should show that. Large firms will understand that you are coming from a smaller-project background.
If you "don't want to become a draftsman" you'll probably want to make sure to have good photos of built projects, along with all the process stuff for those projects - from feasibility studies and adjacency sketches (if any) right up through presentation stuff and partial CDs, and stress your role in the design, project management, and construction admin on those projects.
You should be expecting questions about the projects' budgets, square footages, construction schedules, and your role in these matters. (In other words, if you present yourself as the project manager of a project but don't know what the project cost you're going to end up looking silly - and possibly end up a draftsman.) You may want to format your resume to list your projects, their types and sizes, and cost (or sometimes cost per square foot.)
Mar 17, 05 4:59 pm ·
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from small design firm to big multi-discipline firm
I've spent my career to date working for smallish firms known for their design skills. I'm arranging interviews at much much bigger firms, which might not be great design studios, but have a boatload of work, and are willing to pay much more. their smallest projects have construction budgets that are nearly double our most expensive current project.
so, for the interview, what do you think i can show them?
to date, I've kept my portfolio pretty slim and included projects that I knew would attract some attention in past interviews. However, an AIA award winning (small) project won't be a big deal to the big firms, but I'm not interested in joining any of these firms to become a draftsman, so I'm not keen on showing a big set of CDs, either.
any advice or random thoughts appreciated.
Show the same material you've been showing. They're probably going to expect to see at least some CDs, so you may want to include some good pages of a half-size set - perhaps some elevations and details... But an award-winning project is still an award-winning project - and you should show that. Large firms will understand that you are coming from a smaller-project background.
If you "don't want to become a draftsman" you'll probably want to make sure to have good photos of built projects, along with all the process stuff for those projects - from feasibility studies and adjacency sketches (if any) right up through presentation stuff and partial CDs, and stress your role in the design, project management, and construction admin on those projects.
You should be expecting questions about the projects' budgets, square footages, construction schedules, and your role in these matters. (In other words, if you present yourself as the project manager of a project but don't know what the project cost you're going to end up looking silly - and possibly end up a draftsman.) You may want to format your resume to list your projects, their types and sizes, and cost (or sometimes cost per square foot.)
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