recently got an internship from som but later got another one from a small firm. don't which one i should take. so curious about som internship. is it worth it? any experience? does the name of a company tell anything? or just nothing?
wow thexm, what an interesting question, and such a well-crafted post. i'm so glad you've come to the membership of archinect to seek advice in this situation. pfffffffffffffffftttttttt (that's a fart sound)
god, i think this is by far my meanest post
somebody tell me that i shouldn't be so rude, somebody!
All things being roughly equal (pay, location, etc.), I would probably take the SOM job, because I would probably end up wondering 'what if' later on if I didn't. Plus, large offices sometimes have pretty good mentor-type programs, whereas smaller offices (at least in my experience) really just need to put you on whatever you're billable at.
i would ask:
1.) which office?
2.) what year are you in school?
3.) were you born rich?
the answer to #1 doesn't really matter. it was incredible to spend a summer and fall in chicago, but something in me wishes i'd also done other internships in their SF and NY offices too.
the answer to #2 does matter. they took some lower-level (i.e., lower than 2nd year m.arch / lower than 3rd year b.arch) students when i was there but it was all modelmaking and photoshop for those. if you are right before your last year of school, though...it was incredible for me (i was 5th year) because i was actually doing things and learning a helluva lot. they will tend to move you around, which in a summer internship situation is good...you get to try a lot of different opportunities.
the answer to #3...ok. if you have a trust fund or a rich daddy or something else you can afford to work for some starchitect for free and pad your resume.
go ahead, it's ok, you should want to pad your resume. names open doors in the future.
but if you maybe have to live off your internship, som will do right by you. it won't make you rich but (at least in chicago) you'll be able to pay the bills and actually spend money drinking and having fun (som'ers drink a LOT, it's like the australia of architecture firms).
and frankly, the som name does put smiles on interviewers' faces. som and kpf are two of the very rare firms that straddle the line (perception-wise) by being both very corporate and very competent design-wise. i worked on some really cool, well-designed, well-detailed, well-built projects.
get to work on a couple CD sets, bring 'em to your interviews...ah, yes, you will be rewarded.
May 9, 06 10:00 pm ·
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som internship. is it worth it?
recently got an internship from som but later got another one from a small firm. don't which one i should take. so curious about som internship. is it worth it? any experience? does the name of a company tell anything? or just nothing?
wow thexm, what an interesting question, and such a well-crafted post. i'm so glad you've come to the membership of archinect to seek advice in this situation. pfffffffffffffffftttttttt (that's a fart sound)
god, i think this is by far my meanest post
somebody tell me that i shouldn't be so rude, somebody!
ok, don't be so goddamn rude.
All things being roughly equal (pay, location, etc.), I would probably take the SOM job, because I would probably end up wondering 'what if' later on if I didn't. Plus, large offices sometimes have pretty good mentor-type programs, whereas smaller offices (at least in my experience) really just need to put you on whatever you're billable at.
it's a fair question...
i would ask:
1.) which office?
2.) what year are you in school?
3.) were you born rich?
the answer to #1 doesn't really matter. it was incredible to spend a summer and fall in chicago, but something in me wishes i'd also done other internships in their SF and NY offices too.
the answer to #2 does matter. they took some lower-level (i.e., lower than 2nd year m.arch / lower than 3rd year b.arch) students when i was there but it was all modelmaking and photoshop for those. if you are right before your last year of school, though...it was incredible for me (i was 5th year) because i was actually doing things and learning a helluva lot. they will tend to move you around, which in a summer internship situation is good...you get to try a lot of different opportunities.
the answer to #3...ok. if you have a trust fund or a rich daddy or something else you can afford to work for some starchitect for free and pad your resume.
go ahead, it's ok, you should want to pad your resume. names open doors in the future.
but if you maybe have to live off your internship, som will do right by you. it won't make you rich but (at least in chicago) you'll be able to pay the bills and actually spend money drinking and having fun (som'ers drink a LOT, it's like the australia of architecture firms).
and frankly, the som name does put smiles on interviewers' faces. som and kpf are two of the very rare firms that straddle the line (perception-wise) by being both very corporate and very competent design-wise. i worked on some really cool, well-designed, well-detailed, well-built projects.
get to work on a couple CD sets, bring 'em to your interviews...ah, yes, you will be rewarded.
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