I have now graduated and am on the great quest of finding and job and being responsible. So I wondered how the job hunt is going for the rest of the grads. I find it somewhat scary because your first job can either make or break you. Any thoughts?
Nah. First jobs only break you... only after you've had one really bad one do you really know what you are looking for. So don't worry about it too much and go with your gut. If you get bad vibes or it doesn't look like anyone is having fun, stay away. Ditto if you interview at 6:30 on Friday night and everyone is still working silently.
I have already had that summer internship that breaks you. I was ready to quit the second week of work, unfortunately I can never use them as a reference...my last day was not so professional.
But I am really worried about finding that job where I fit and continue to learn beyond the practical aspect. Maybe that is asking too much. Has anybody moved out to a city where they don't know a soul?
on the subject of internships,
i started with a firm in january and have worked part time untill now. No one is usually receptive to me and i have to walk around asking people if they need help with their jobs. usually they are too busy.
the question is, should i stick it out for the summer surfing the internet and doing random tasks, or look for something more rewarding?
sorry . . . summer internships really don't count. from my experience working with summer interns (i never did while in school) they almost were liabilities. the interns were never in the office long enough to be committed to a project and usually got stuck in the model shop making trees or picking up basic redlines. if i were in school looking for a job go work on a framing crew or somewhere in the construction field - at least you will get a perspective from the other side. i worked for a landscaper one summer simple because i didn't want to be stuck in an office all summer. i got paid more and by the end of the summer i had a great tan.
I think you're making too much of this. A first job won't "make or break you" - it can only teach you/expose you to more information. Maybe it will suck, maybe it will be fun. But the important thing is that you be a sponge and soak up as much as possible. If you find yourself in a firm where no one is giving you work to do/seem too busy for you/etc., then have a sit-down with the principals (two if possible, so they both know what's going on and are accountable to one another for whatever they told you in the meeting) and tell them you need to be more challenged. If they don't rise to it in the next month or so, move on.
I'm not sure what exactly you mean by "make or break" anyway. Do you mean in terms of getting reccomendations for future work? Do you mean you'll learn a "style" there and never be able to break free of it? Jeez, if that was the case I'd still be doing Dryvit Hampton Inns and I'm sure half the other people on this board would tell you the same thing. You learn what you can, pick up what seems good and leave the rest as "experience".
It's good to remember that in an interview you are interviewing the firm as much as they are interviweing you. As Janosh said, if it feels good, go for it. If it feels like a bad fit, and your bank account can last a bit longer, then keep looking. But also remember the vast majority of young architects job skip for the first 5 years out of college - no one is going to have a problem with you doing that, as long as your portfolio shows that you picked up some skills along the way.
eh, I'd say that a first job CAN make you, or break you, as CAN any job. But it is more likely to be one of many steps towards figuring out exactly what you want out of a firm, and hopefully, eventually, getting it.
OK rationalist is right - any job can make or break you, in the sense that it might make you give up or succeed. But she is also right that most likely it will be just one step among many on the way to first defining and then achieving your goals. (God I sound like one of those inspirational posters with a picture of a seagull.)
In the interest of being helpful, I'll say again something I've said many times on these forums when the topic of job searching comes up: I've had a lot of success in handing a resume in person to a potential employer. Call the firm and ask who a resume should go to, then stop in and ask to see that person for two minutes (this only works at firms of less than 20 or so - in a big firm you'll never get past the receptionist).
As AP's linked story says, a lot of big firms get 50 resumes a day. A smaller firm where you can show your face is more likely to remember your work if they associate you with it. And there is a brief moment of personal interaction in which they can see that you are likely not an axe murderer or anything. Dress well, present yourself confidently, shake hands, and see how it goes. This is just my opinion and experience, please don't take this as the only way or even an always-appropriate way to get a firm introduction.
Looking for work sucks, but you'll feel so good when something comes through, and even if it is a crappy job it will teach you something: both marketable skills, and what to look for in your next job.
"you'll work there for a few months or a few years and then move on. try to learn a little bit and make some money in the process"
... i'm sure it was just an oversight on "j"'s part, but you also might want to consider making a contribution of some sort while you're there.
good employers have a genuine interest in providing work experience that is both enjoyable and development for their staff. but, it's important to remember that you're there to make a contribution. in my experience, the more you work at making a genuine contribution, the more rewarding the overall experience becomes. if you're just marking time until the next thing comes along, it will be painfully obvious to everybody there, no matter how well you think you're disguising it.
your first job is going to suck. that's a fact, but what you won't yet realize is that pretty much all jobs suck. that is why most of us can't wait until we start our own firms and can be our own bosses. there's a reason why so many offices are sole practitioners.
oh...and after you've been a few other places you might even realize that your first job was pretty sweet.
"and after you've been a few other places you might even realize that your first job was pretty sweet." ....Thats a pretty scary thought. You would think you should be on the up and up but I completely understand your point.
But yes, the economy is very good and we can now be picky when we choose our jobs (at least I hope can).
If I was at a bar, I would tell you my glorious last day story, due to it only being funny when you are drunk.
my first job was great and so was my second, fourth, and sixth. my third and fifth did suck though. that's why i only stayed three months at each of those.
due to the fact that I used my last name as my log-in, i can not divulge the story. sorry
AP: I enjoyed the blog, I remember reading that awhile back. Hope everything is working out. I assume to expect the same. Are there any other job search stories (original point of the thread)?
May 24, 06 12:29 am ·
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...now get a job you bum
I have now graduated and am on the great quest of finding and job and being responsible. So I wondered how the job hunt is going for the rest of the grads. I find it somewhat scary because your first job can either make or break you. Any thoughts?
Nah. First jobs only break you... only after you've had one really bad one do you really know what you are looking for. So don't worry about it too much and go with your gut. If you get bad vibes or it doesn't look like anyone is having fun, stay away. Ditto if you interview at 6:30 on Friday night and everyone is still working silently.
I have already had that summer internship that breaks you. I was ready to quit the second week of work, unfortunately I can never use them as a reference...my last day was not so professional.
But I am really worried about finding that job where I fit and continue to learn beyond the practical aspect. Maybe that is asking too much. Has anybody moved out to a city where they don't know a soul?
on the subject of internships,
i started with a firm in january and have worked part time untill now. No one is usually receptive to me and i have to walk around asking people if they need help with their jobs. usually they are too busy.
the question is, should i stick it out for the summer surfing the internet and doing random tasks, or look for something more rewarding?
sorry . . . summer internships really don't count. from my experience working with summer interns (i never did while in school) they almost were liabilities. the interns were never in the office long enough to be committed to a project and usually got stuck in the model shop making trees or picking up basic redlines. if i were in school looking for a job go work on a framing crew or somewhere in the construction field - at least you will get a perspective from the other side. i worked for a landscaper one summer simple because i didn't want to be stuck in an office all summer. i got paid more and by the end of the summer i had a great tan.
I think you're making too much of this. A first job won't "make or break you" - it can only teach you/expose you to more information. Maybe it will suck, maybe it will be fun. But the important thing is that you be a sponge and soak up as much as possible. If you find yourself in a firm where no one is giving you work to do/seem too busy for you/etc., then have a sit-down with the principals (two if possible, so they both know what's going on and are accountable to one another for whatever they told you in the meeting) and tell them you need to be more challenged. If they don't rise to it in the next month or so, move on.
I'm not sure what exactly you mean by "make or break" anyway. Do you mean in terms of getting reccomendations for future work? Do you mean you'll learn a "style" there and never be able to break free of it? Jeez, if that was the case I'd still be doing Dryvit Hampton Inns and I'm sure half the other people on this board would tell you the same thing. You learn what you can, pick up what seems good and leave the rest as "experience".
It's good to remember that in an interview you are interviewing the firm as much as they are interviweing you. As Janosh said, if it feels good, go for it. If it feels like a bad fit, and your bank account can last a bit longer, then keep looking. But also remember the vast majority of young architects job skip for the first 5 years out of college - no one is going to have a problem with you doing that, as long as your portfolio shows that you picked up some skills along the way.
eh, I'd say that a first job CAN make you, or break you, as CAN any job. But it is more likely to be one of many steps towards figuring out exactly what you want out of a firm, and hopefully, eventually, getting it.
OK rationalist is right - any job can make or break you, in the sense that it might make you give up or succeed. But she is also right that most likely it will be just one step among many on the way to first defining and then achieving your goals. (God I sound like one of those inspirational posters with a picture of a seagull.)
In the interest of being helpful, I'll say again something I've said many times on these forums when the topic of job searching comes up: I've had a lot of success in handing a resume in person to a potential employer. Call the firm and ask who a resume should go to, then stop in and ask to see that person for two minutes (this only works at firms of less than 20 or so - in a big firm you'll never get past the receptionist).
As AP's linked story says, a lot of big firms get 50 resumes a day. A smaller firm where you can show your face is more likely to remember your work if they associate you with it. And there is a brief moment of personal interaction in which they can see that you are likely not an axe murderer or anything. Dress well, present yourself confidently, shake hands, and see how it goes. This is just my opinion and experience, please don't take this as the only way or even an always-appropriate way to get a firm introduction.
Looking for work sucks, but you'll feel so good when something comes through, and even if it is a crappy job it will teach you something: both marketable skills, and what to look for in your next job.
... i'm sure it was just an oversight on "j"'s part, but you also might want to consider making a contribution of some sort while you're there.
good employers have a genuine interest in providing work experience that is both enjoyable and development for their staff. but, it's important to remember that you're there to make a contribution. in my experience, the more you work at making a genuine contribution, the more rewarding the overall experience becomes. if you're just marking time until the next thing comes along, it will be painfully obvious to everybody there, no matter how well you think you're disguising it.
With that type of innuendo you gotta tell us what happened.
Liberty Bell is right on... A face, not just a name, is really important.
I also think that persisitence counts. I wouldn't have gotten any of my architecture-related jobs without it.
Spelling counts, too! It's persistence, not persisitence.
your first job is going to suck. that's a fact, but what you won't yet realize is that pretty much all jobs suck. that is why most of us can't wait until we start our own firms and can be our own bosses. there's a reason why so many offices are sole practitioners.
oh...and after you've been a few other places you might even realize that your first job was pretty sweet.
"and after you've been a few other places you might even realize that your first job was pretty sweet." ....Thats a pretty scary thought. You would think you should be on the up and up but I completely understand your point.
But yes, the economy is very good and we can now be picky when we choose our jobs (at least I hope can).
If I was at a bar, I would tell you my glorious last day story, due to it only being funny when you are drunk.
moratto I'll go pour a drink now, and by the time you post it I'll be quite buzzed - is that close enough to drunk? I want to hear the story.
my first job was great and so was my second, fourth, and sixth. my third and fifth did suck though. that's why i only stayed three months at each of those.
due to the fact that I used my last name as my log-in, i can not divulge the story. sorry
AP: I enjoyed the blog, I remember reading that awhile back. Hope everything is working out. I assume to expect the same. Are there any other job search stories (original point of the thread)?
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