I'm a 2nd year undergraduate architecture student who is passionate about the subject and absolutely determined to go into the field. I would love a summer internship but I'm having trouble finding any. I realize architects themselves are having trouble finding work, but where/how should I go about getting an internship? Thanks so much!
Just keep going - that's the best you can do. If you don't find an internship, it's OK - don't sweat it in the least! I was in the same spot once and couldn't find an internship for the summer because of a shitty dot.com bust economy. I just ended up enjoying the summer off. Worked at some surf shop part time for bum paychecks for summer dollars. And like you, I was also very passionate and commited to architecture but there just wasn't any hiring anywhere!
When I was hunting for a real job prior to finishing grad school no one asked me about summer internships or why I didn't do summer internships. Everyone understands that a shitty economy is a shitty economy. And if someone DOES grill you about it, you don't want to work for that organization anyway.
No regrets looking back on it. I'm glad I took time to enjoy myself! you'll have plenty of time to work at great firms on great projects. I'm currently working at one of the big global behemoth firms (every one knows it) working on some awesome projects and it's pretty sweet!
I agree that they generally don't mean much, though they certainly could if you found the right one (like a true mentor or someone that cared, vs. someone that wants the starbucks picked up).
There are so many resources online these days that you can really get pretty well educated, at least on things like history, current trends, etc. Read, read, read, study, study, study (looking at pretty pictures counts), come up with a personal project and dive in, and be prepared to throw it away later on as you learn (that's what I did, spent a summer designing, doing awesome drawings, then realizing it royally sucked a year later and throwing it away, but I learned how to learn).
Have fun and diversify. Learn some business (how many people go through college and don't graduate with at least a minor in business still makes me scratch my head), read books on how the financial world works, without it architecture does not exist.
advice for an arc student?
I'm a 2nd year undergraduate architecture student who is passionate about the subject and absolutely determined to go into the field. I would love a summer internship but I'm having trouble finding any. I realize architects themselves are having trouble finding work, but where/how should I go about getting an internship? Thanks so much!
Just keep going - that's the best you can do. If you don't find an internship, it's OK - don't sweat it in the least! I was in the same spot once and couldn't find an internship for the summer because of a shitty dot.com bust economy. I just ended up enjoying the summer off. Worked at some surf shop part time for bum paychecks for summer dollars. And like you, I was also very passionate and commited to architecture but there just wasn't any hiring anywhere!
When I was hunting for a real job prior to finishing grad school no one asked me about summer internships or why I didn't do summer internships. Everyone understands that a shitty economy is a shitty economy. And if someone DOES grill you about it, you don't want to work for that organization anyway.
No regrets looking back on it. I'm glad I took time to enjoy myself! you'll have plenty of time to work at great firms on great projects. I'm currently working at one of the big global behemoth firms (every one knows it) working on some awesome projects and it's pretty sweet!
Where are you? That would help.
I agree that they generally don't mean much, though they certainly could if you found the right one (like a true mentor or someone that cared, vs. someone that wants the starbucks picked up).
There are so many resources online these days that you can really get pretty well educated, at least on things like history, current trends, etc. Read, read, read, study, study, study (looking at pretty pictures counts), come up with a personal project and dive in, and be prepared to throw it away later on as you learn (that's what I did, spent a summer designing, doing awesome drawings, then realizing it royally sucked a year later and throwing it away, but I learned how to learn).
Have fun and diversify. Learn some business (how many people go through college and don't graduate with at least a minor in business still makes me scratch my head), read books on how the financial world works, without it architecture does not exist.
This is so encouraging :)
I'm from central jersey, ~1hr out of NYC, which is nice.
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