I can only advise from my own experience and what worked for me. Send a resume with a personally written cover letter. The cover letter is where you can explain what you are looking for, notably be up front about your last college course. Follow up with phone calls in 2 +/- weeks. I've never had success with cold calls and pounding the pavement, although others swear by it. I've always been told to check the website for info on applying, or they kindly take my resume and put it promptly in the round file.

In an interview it's ok to ask about benefits and IDP. I'm sure you won't need to ask about the benefit plan as it's a major thing for most people. Do note that taking one day off per week could make you part-time and ineligible for benefits at some firms. Definately tell them your goals of getting licensed. If you don't get a positive response to that run from there.

As for contracts. That's news to me. Maybe for working a temp/consulting job? Don't let it bother you. I've never heard of it.

You should always ask about health benefits (and other benefits, and vacation time, etc.) But the time to do this is usually in a second interview or in a phone call in which you're offered the job - or toward the end of the first interview, but only if the employer brings up benefits, compensation, or related topics first.

If you're going to include info in your resume about your IDP goals then you should make sure to also include what skills you can bring to the firm. You don't want to write a letter that sounds like you are primarily concerned with what the firm can do for you (and you don't want to come across that way in an interview either.) This is not to say that you shouldn't discuss your goals and what you're looking for in a job - just that you may want to lead with why you are a good match for the firm and how you can help them.

I agree with A that part-time situations rarely include benefits (don't expect paid vacation, health insurance, etc. if you aren't putting in at least 35 or 40 hours per week.) But some firms are willing to allow a fulltime 4-day week (meaning 10+ hours per day.)

I've never heard of an intern being required to sign a contract either. Some firms require interns to sign agreements promising not to moonlight, non-compete clauses, or other documents regarding firm policies. But a contract would be very unusual.

Some things to keep in mind regarding your IDP and registration goals: the average time between graduation and completion of architectural registration is currently 6 1/2 years (as reported by Residential Architect magazine.) The average intern holds 3 or more jobs prior to completing IDP. So, while it's reasonable to be interested in how the firm supports interns in providing them with appropriate IDP experience (and to make sure that the firm has a registered architect to sign your paperwork), don't be too surprised to find that firms seem a little uninterested in your goal to get licensed. A lot of firms assume that interns will come and go quickly and that especially in the case of a new grad in an entry-level job that they probably won't be the firm you're with when you finally do get registered...

One last note: for your work experience to count toward IDP at all you either have to work fulltime (no less than 35 hours per week) for at least 10 weeks consecutively, or part-time but no less than 20 hours per week for at least 6 months. Anytime you dip below the fulltime limit or below 20 hours per week you're considered to be starting a new employment situation as far as NCARB is concerned, and you have to start counting weeks from the beginning again. So make sure that your class schedule allows you to hold a position that fulfills IDP, if that's a primary goal right now.

Good luck.

thanks for the suggestions

i'm slightly confused about interns now. who are considered as interns?

and out of curiosity, how many days of paid vacation do architects normally get in a year?

You have good reason to be confused about the term "intern." It has been applied to someone who has little architectural education to someone who is not yet licensed.

As Formerlyunknown points out, it could take as long as six and a half years to become registered after graduation. Thus, the potential span of an intern's career before getting licensed could be more than 10 years. It's what I call being the "eternal intern."

"Interns" with more experience are sometimes given other titles in architectural firms, however... architectural technicians, project assistants, etc. Confusing, indeed.

It depends on your source. For example, the AIA salary surveys consider ONLY people working fulltime in their first 3 years after graduation to be interns. (They consider anyone with more than 3 years of experience to be an "unlicensed designer" or similar term.)
But NCARB considers anyone enrolled in IDP to be an intern - which could mean that you're a student who has finished your 3rd year of an architecture major - or that you have 10 years of experience but haven't finished IDP!

In general most employers consider anyone who is a student in an architecture program, or a new grad, or anyone up to 4 or 5 years of experience, to be an intern. But lots of firms simultaneously give their more experienced interns other titles, such as "designer", "job captain", etc. Sometimes there are even Project Managers and/or Associates who are simultaneously interns by NCARB's standards....

The 2005 AIA salary survey says that the average architecture firm employee has 21 days of paid time off - which usually includes 6 to 8 holidays per year, 2 to 3 weeks or so of vacation, and a few sick and/or personal days.
But keep in mind that this is an average of everyone at all experience levels. Entry-level employees in many firms start with 2 weeks vacation. In many other firms they start with only 1 week.
Some firms give a 3rd week of vacation at the 3-year mark, whereas others don't give a 3rd week until you've worked there 5 years or even longer.

Policies can vary very widely from firm to firm. It's always good to talk about these issues - and even to get them in writing in a letter format if possible - before accepting a job.

Call to ask the best method of resume delivery - get an email address, a snail mail address, a fax number, and the name of the person you should attention it to. Have a phone conversation with that person if possible. This puts a personal touch in it so that your resume doesn't go straight to the recycle bin.

It's fine to ask about IDP stuff, but have some tact and wait for the right moment in the interview.

Definitely make them aware of your situation re: schooling in the interview, either when they ask about your schooling, or when you settle down to talk timing, benefits, salaries, etc. If they don't ask, maybe wait for that until they've seen the portfolio. They'll be more open to this if they've already decided they like you than if you confront it straight off. Volunteer to work extra the other days of the week so that you will still be a full time employee (I know two people who have done this), or be prepared to be considered a part-time employee and go benefit-free until graduation.

The only sort of contract you should sign would be a non-disclosure, an exclusivity (if that's cool with you, if it's not let them know that), and an at-will contract detailing the terms of your employment. The key there is 'AT WILL'. This means that either party (employer or employee) can terminate the arrangement at any time with no notice for any or no reason. Treat anything that is not at-will, or 'BINDING', with the utmost caution. Read it very, very carefully, as you should do with anything you sign, and you will probably find that you shouldn't be signing it. Mind mentioning what firms, if any, have every required a binding contract?

Good luck!

Formerlyunknown was right! My friend had to sign an agreement promising not to moonlight...he just emailed me today. Sorry, my mistake.

"Definitely make them aware of your situation re: schooling in the interview, either when they ask about your schooling, or when you settle down to talk timing, benefits, salaries, etc. If they don't ask, maybe wait for that until they've seen the portfolio. They'll be more open to this if they've already decided they like you than if you confront it straight off."

A very good point rationalist! thanks

Oh another question, how does overtime work? When are you qualify to get OT? Are you automatically paid overtime if you must stay longer to finish your work? Or are you SOl?

check out this thread: Best Way to Approach a Firm

in addition, i strongly suggest that you seek out the placement office at your university and make an appointment with them ... most universities have good resources to help graduates prepare themselves for a job search ... they should be able to advise you about the vast majority of the questions you raise here.

Thanks BlueGoose. I did a job related search in the site and have already read some threads about job related questions prior to posting this thread (including the one you have posted above). I felt it was helpful but did not address some of the questions that I have posted. Thus created this post.

I did go to the career center at the university actually. The staffs there gave me some pretty good incites, but also gave me some pretty vague answers about architecture related questions. They even suggested I asked fellow peers about my concerns since they are more knowledgable in the field.

Overtime is a sore issue in the architecture world.

Technically most people working in architecture firms are deemed "Exempt Professional" by the Department of Labor. This means that they can be salaried, with no overtime. Usually in cases involving architecture firms the DOL has ruled that anyone with a professional degree and at least 1 year of fulltime experience since graduation can be classified as Exempt Professional.

So people with less than a year of experience, or those who do not have professional degrees really should be paid overtime. And some states have additional laws that wouldl require some more experienced employees to be paid overtime as well. However, it is very difficult to get these laws enforced. Architects who don't pay overtime to these entry-level people are occasionally fined - but this is basically a slap on the wrist...

There's a pretty wide range of ways in which firms deal with the overtime issue.
There are lots of firms that do pay overtime (often time-and-a-half) to their hourly employees. Some firms pay overtime to more experienced staff too.
Some firms don't pay overtime, but provide "comp time" - which is basically extra vacation time based on the number of overtime hours you accumulate over months or years.
Some firms don't pay overtime at all. This seems to be especially common with so-called "starchitect" firms - which often have interns clamoring to work there and don't feel the need to be competetive (or fair) with their policies.
There are even some firms out there that tend to get most of their intern labor for free, because there are enough interns out there who choose (and can afford) to work for free for the experience and credentials of having worked for a famous firm.

If the firm does pay overtime, the way in which they approach the overtime situation also varies from firm to firm. Yes, in some firms if you just work more than a 40-hour week and record the extra hours on your timesheet then you'll be paid overtime.
However, most firms spend a lot of time allocating staff and budgets to each project, and they usually have an idea of whether overtime fits into the project budget (and how much overtime.) So some firms don't allow overtime unless you're working on a project whose schedule requires it, and will tell you when you can work it.

The "culture" of a lot of firms includes people working crazy hours (60, 70, 80 hours per week), while other firms have more normal hours. Some firms build overtime into their budgets and don't blink when interns hand in timesheets with 75 hours on them for the week.
But other firms will look at a few hours of overtime on your timesheet as meaning that you're not working efficiently/competently during the normal workday.

It's a good idea to try to speak with other interns in any firm that you're considering. Ask the firm if there is someone else in your position in the firm that you can talk with. Try to get a feel for this person's attitude about the firm, what kinds of tasks they work on, whether they feel that they're being challenged and getting varied experience, what kind of hours they work, how much responsibility and creative latitude they're given, etc.

i expect that you will find most firms offering 10 days of paid vacation to regular, full-time emloyees and somewhere in the range of 6-7 paid holidays per year ... most will give you up to 5-days of paid sick leave ... some firms will combine all of the above into "personal leave"

At the first firm I worked in after graduation they gave 1 week of paid vacation to new hires with B.Arch degrees and 2 weeks to those with M.Archs. I've never found any other firm that differentiated benefits in this way, though I've worked in some firms with preferences for hiring those with one or the other degree.
In that firm everyone got 3 weeks of vacation after working in the firm for 3 years.
The other firms I've worked in have had 2 weeks vacation to begin with, but part-time people have never been eligible for paid time off in any of the firms I've worked in.
I think your biggest hurdle will be the issue of needing one day off per week. It may take awhile to find a firm that's flexible about that. Also, you may find that because you're still taking classes some potential employers might see you as more of a student intern than a fulltime graduate intern.

6 to 8 holidays is normal in my experience. That's Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, and sometimes the Friday after Thanksgiving and the day before or after July 4th.
Our firm gives 6 days of sick leave to fulltime employees. In other firms I had anywhere from 3 to 10.
I was paid overtime in 1 large firm, at which I was paid hourly. At all of my other jobs I was salaried with no overtime. My current firm pays overtime only to hourly people, which are CAD techs, new grads, and students. There is a cap of 5 hours of overtime per week unless more has been discussed in advance.

if you haven't read these two threads yet, you might want to take a peek:

advantages/pitfalls of being salaried over hourly

non-disclosure / non-competition agreements

One big difference in applying is that bigger firms tend to have a receptionist or someone at the front door whose job it is to sort people out (some even have human resources departments). It’s pretty easy to just drop by and give your application to these people or ask if they are hiring or how they like to do it (some places like you to send in disposable work samples others have you drop off a portfolio and come back and get it). Smaller places are going to just have a bunch of architects in a bit room and you look like a jerk walking in a bothering someone. With these places you should call and ask if they are hiring and to who’s attention you should send the application to (and send work samples so they can loose your portfolio). In either case have an extra resume and your portfolio ready and with you. I’ve been told to just come in a talk to whoever (if you do stop in come around lunch or at the end of the day when people tend to be hanging out feeling chatty). If they say that they aren’t hiring but send a resume anyway, do it but don’t expect much. When you are just starting out you job description for the first little bit is going to pretty much be “extra pair of hands” so you’ll most likely be picked up quickly and informally, in a moment of busyness and kept on after if you work out and they can. Job hunting gets more elaborate when you get more experienced and specialized. It’s tough and, unlike most work where you get half way done or almost done you either have found a job or you haven’t so it wont feel like you are getting anywhere until, all of a sudden, you do. Good luck.

Hmmm I have a relevant question...

Let's say you get a job offer right after the interview, but you're still waiting to hear from your first choice. What are some of the best ways/techniques to respond w/o having to accept/reject the job offer, or even worst loose the job offer?

wanna: I would tell them that you have other interviews scheduled (even if that's not true) and that you will need some time to make a final decision. Give them a reasonable time frame in which you expect to get back to them (three weeks max, maybe a little longer if they know you are relocating and/or about to graduate). Keep in touch with the person with whom you interviewed. A call or e-mail under the pretense of asking a question will let them know you're not blowing them off. Most firms will give you a few weeks to decide, but I think asking for much more than that would call your interest in working for them and your reliability as a decision maker into serious question.

"Should I send off my resume? Or would you suggest that I go in person and ask if firms have positions available?"

My first step would be to look in the want ads. Not in the regular newspaper, but the local AIA chapter's want ads. Many have them posted online.

Secondly: many AIA chapters also have links to members' websites. Peruse these links and see whose work you like. Many firms post job listings (only) on their own websites (I have many theories on why but they're not for here). Other firms may not post specific listings but may mention a contact to whom resumes, etc may be sent. Send the contact a nice "cover" e-mail and 2-3 PDF pages of your best work. It's a teaser. Then call THAT PERSON 2-3 days later and simply ask if they have received what you sent. If you get to speak to that person you will probably be able to sense immediately what your immediate chances are. Then--KEEP IN TOUCH with those contacts until you have found a job. Architects can be notorious for taking extremely long amounts of time to choose candidates or decide upon hiring someone. Then they give you a call and expect you to interview that afternoon and show up at work the next day (sometimes).

Thirdly, if no hiring contacts are mentioned -- and you really like the firm -- confidently call the office and ask what the principal(s) e-mail addresses are. I tended not to even mention my name when I asked this question -- hold off on your first impression -- be somewhat anonymous. Then do as I mentioned above...call them, leave a voice-mail (probably), ask if they got your stuff. Keep on it (but don't be obsessive...once a month is probably fine). Always be CONFIDENT, polite, and somewhat eloquent when you call.

"During the interview process, would it be advisable for me to express my interest in becoming a license architect, and would like my supervisors to sign off my IDP? or is this unnecessary?"

I agree with the post above that said that licensure/IDP is somewhat a non-issue when it comes to entry-level employees. UNLESS you are asked the question by the employer. Then tell them your goals.

"Can I ask about health benefits?"

Absolutely, but only if you feel like you're "in there," so to speak. That's a question you ask only when the interview is going well. It will seem presumptuous if the interview is tanking.

"Also I am a fall graduate so I still need to complete a course during the Spring, which requires me to take one day off of work during the weekdays. So do you think firms are flexible with schedules? What are my chances of getting a job with a schedule like that?"

Be upfront, offer to work 4 10-hour days a week, and be prepared to receive some offers of pay way lower than you think you deserve. This isn't a bad thing -- you simply negotiate a raise when you formally graduate.

"Lastly, I've heard from fromer classmates that some firms require employees to sign contracts. To sign/not sign?"

In the US contract workers are not considered employees. Some firms will try to hire you as "contract" so that they can refrain from paying employment taxes. Under the law, contract workers must be allowed to have (somewhat) flexible work hours and locations. If you're required to show up from X AM to Y PM and use their equipment, you're an employee, not a contractor. Any firm that tries to treat you differently -- run.

That being said, short-term contract work can be a valuable way to get acquainted with a firm (and them with you) without the pressure of having to keep you on should things go awry. Indeed, when you're cold-calling and cold-emailing you may get a good response if you ask if firms have short-term staffing needs that someone like you can fill.

Bonne chance!

how much salary should i expect to get hourly as a rookie in northern california?