If you're going to be doing graphic design, I would focus on web design. It's where the $$$ is. 

If you're into print, for the love of god look at www.septemberindustry.co.uk for inspiration. Some of the graphic design I've seen on graduate portfolios posted here has been really contrived and overtly complicated. 

Thanks for the link. They have awesome work.

I'm actually doing almost the same exact thing as you are considering. I graduated in 2010 with my B.Arch (no graphic design minor though), and decided to come home to AZ after being five years away – to spend time with family and friends, etc. I had such a rough time finding anyone with open positions (including construction), I decided to give graphic design a shot since it was something I had some experience and a lot of interest in.

It's been nearly a year now working as a graphic designer (in-house for a company while doing my own freelance) and I'm now getting my applications and portfolio ready for grad school to apply this fall. My graphic design experience, while frustrating at times, has been invaluable; the knowledge I have now for design has more breadth and depth to it, and I'll be able to produce better architecture because of it. Not to mention that understanding professional printing and book design will prove useful in creating my portfolios.

I think as long as you can handle the workload and the stress that comes with working in graphic design (or, in your case, minoring in it as well), it will be a smart move. There's no question that you will expand your skill set and that will make you even more desirable as an architect later on. And don't let your inability to find a job in the architecture industry get you down – the economy will take years to recover, and you are competing with a much larger (and, because of all of the unemployed architects out there, much more experienced) talent pool. Might as well strengthen your abilities and go to grad school until the industry truly gets back on its feet.

P.S. - Web design would definitely be a good idea. It will also allow you to be able to create your own online portfolio, which would be a great asset to getting hired.

shawnswishers.

Awesome its feels so good that someone tried this an is not regretting it. When you went back home did you go to study graphic design or you just started to work without any sort of study in Graphic Design?

I didn't formally study any graphic design when I came home, but I worked in school as a graphic designer for our school of architecture communications. I'd also done some freelance before I got my in-house position.

ok sounds good. Thanks for the output.

I left the traditional career path during grad school (I have a Bach and Masters in Arch, minor in Business - you really should get that, super, super easy to do) to pursue a 3D/graphic/web design career.

The opportunities in the web/graphic world are far more vast (imho) than in architecture and offer a greater work/design ratio (where not many in architecture get to continually design buildings).  Also, I prefer the pace.  Projects start/end so much quicker there is a sense of fulfillment that comes with that.  While it is certainly more 'temporary' in nature, that's also a good thing (client kills a design, as they sometimes do, then you just move on, not wasting 3 years on something that sucks).

Pay is all over the place (unlike architecture).  At the bottom, you have every nephew/niece/neighbor/stay-at-home-mom calling themselves professional graphic/web designers (and it is amazing the conviction some promote themselves with!).  So, at that beginning, you'll be competing with people that are ecstatic making $20/hour (go look at Craigslist for some of the absurd entry levels - I've seen as low as $10/hr before!).  All you need is Photoshop Elements (or a cracked version of PS) and you are a "pro".  This, not coincidentally, has happened to photographer with the cheaper DSLRs, billions of ways to show work, etc.

BUT on the mid level you can command a more respectable salary in line with architecture and better.   As you advance into managerial positions you'll easily surpass architecture in terms of salary.

The BEST part of graphic/web world, imho, is that pay is largely based on talent/skills.  There are no licenses, silly organizations to follow, etc., etc.  There's just talent/skills.  This means that if you are talented and skilled, you can easily skip that first salary phase and make more than you could in architecture, starting off.  

Anyone with a arch degree will automatically be above your average, in terms of education.  Add to that graphic experience (no one cares where you went to school, etc., just what you can do) and you'll have a lot of options.

NOTE- DO NOT assume that because you have taken arch design classes that you are a graphic designer.  It took me years, countless books/classes, learning, learning, etc., to be talented as a professional (just like it did for architecture).  Too many architect's think they are good designers, too many think they are also graphic/web designers without putting the time in.

SUGGESTIONS - there are so many great resources online, so many helpful people that you can really learn a ton on your own time.  Like any design (or any profession) study who is the best, understand why and how they do what they do.  

I love it.  I also love architecture (more, really, but the reality of architecture I do not like, not in the slightest).

Sites to frequent (make a Fav folder called "Daily Visits" and go to them daily, save the images in a organized way, like by designer/company, print out PDFs from Adobe Bridge  (incredibly helpful) and keep in a folder - instant, customized book that costs next to nothing).

www.qbn.com - best forum for all things web/graphics (keep in mind that graphic/web folk are not nearly as 'serious' as they are around here, so you'll get plenty of silly crap)

From there you'll find a billion other links and blogs, but that's the one I go to 30 times a day.

Good luck, feel free to ask anything.  There are many others here that have taken a similar path, also, so browse around too.

At Trace.

Thank you a lot this was very helpful. I will definitively contact you if i need further reference. 

I graduated from a 5-year MArch program last spring and have been freelancing design work ever since. Though this came mostly from my immediate need to make money, I find that even while doing graphic design work I am meeting design professionals and getting valuable references by just staying busy and doing what I can. Being able to step outside of the traditional architectural career path, even just for a few months, has also allowed me to learn much more about where architecture fits into the larger picture of my city and its' design community. I cringe every time I hear the word "network" used as a verb, but regardless of your end-goal (if you even have one), if you give yourself opportunities to represent yourself well and speak intelligently about your interests, good things will come of it.

Glad I could help

I have never been a true "graphic designer" because I only work in "print design." And I can say the very same thing that someone who knows how to design websites does not necessarily know how to make a brochure or a book.

Conversely, I'm probably never going to attempt to try to design a website because general print design methodology just doesn't translate over very well to the web and there's a lot of things I'd like to do but can't because there's just not a good way to translate them over to HTML (like columned text).

I never went to school for graphic design... although I wish I had. Even though I've won some pretty serious awards, people generally want "credentials" know with so many "self-proclaimed graphic designers." On the other hand, I don't charge very much for graphic design because I think flat fees are deceptive unless absolutely warranted (i.e., I know I will totally go over budget on a project) and also because I'm pretty quick. Since I worked and did all of my learning in publishing, I can crank out work relatively quickly (although generally not superb).

Also, I got into urban planning because it requires a lot of document preparation, design and tedious details— things I all like— because I could see back in 2004-2005 that print design was slowly dying (now quickly dying) and there's only a limited amount of jobs out there.

Sadly, I learned the hard way that my school's worthiness for urban planning degrees was a pile of shit and that architecture and urban planning generally requires a little bit of extracurricular educational activities, like taking internships, that I was unable to do because LOL I was working a full-time professional job.

Architecture is a graphics-based business. Personally I hate the graphics that 3d programs churn, so I am really grateful to have the Adobe Suite and suspect you won't regret the time you put into learning it. 
I spent 10 years as a graphic designer before going back to school for an MArch., so I can attest that there is more money, and easier money, in Graphic Design.

im getting a masters of science in architecture at columbia now and alreayd have a barch from cal poly yet ive yet to make a penny off architecture. been working for 9 years. www.emdezign.com join the club. but i can agree with other people that said it before.dont assume you know anything, read up online, follow blogs, do tutorials. and also people often said above that web design is where the money is at, meh, it can be misleading. often i spend a good 45-50 hours a website from start to finish and make 1500.  at the same time i can spend 3 hours a logo (client doenst know this) and charge them 450.