4 a foreigner applying for internships in the U.S. -U.K. / i wanted to know if any1 could help on (is it 4 free or not? do we get paid?)
Or else / do u think theres enough time to work to be able to live there for a period of 6 months or so !
Thx !
firms, especially if they are aia firms, are EXPECTED to pay you for the work you perform. you should not agree to work without pay or for very low pay. (many people accept ridiculously low wages so that they can work for a star architect, but this just undercuts the abilities of other offices to compete.)
6 months should be an acceptable period to many firms, though not all. your usefulness will be affected by the fact that you won't be around through the full life of any one project from start to completion - but in many places that won't matter. it's not unusual for students and recent grads here to take summer jobs (3 months), and it can work well for both parties.
the main questions most offices will ask are about your abilities: drawing, various software (administrative and drawing), english (writing and speaking), modelmaking, etc.
some firms are set up to be able to take you on just because helping interns along is part of what they see as their firms' missions. they will be less concerned what you already know and will be interested in teaching you. others will be taking you on to try to get what work they can out of you in the short time you have with them. hard to suss out which a firm is when you first meet them unfortunately.
I am a fresh graduate with a Bacheolars degree in Biomaterial Science and Engineering from the University of London. I have decided to apply for a graduate course in Architecture for the 06/07 entry. I hope to do an internship with an architect firm to fill the time in between, preferably in the states. However, i feel kinda anxious about even trying to apply for an internship in an architecture firm (due to my graduate degree) and face the fact of being turn down. Would my small amount of experience in some form of AutoCAD engineering software and portfolio of artwork be of any help?
Hello Steven,
I'm an architecture undergrad (India). I read your post about some firms in the United States that specifically teach interns. That's their mission.
Well, I'm looking at working in a firm for 6 mnths as part of my practical training semester and the kind of firms you mentioned would suit me perfectly. I really want to learn in those 6 mnths.
Please, could you send me the names of such firms or atleast where I can get more information about them?
dante, i wouldn't worry about your situation. If you want an internship and the firm needs an intern, they'll hire you, train you, make you stamp drawings, file bs, or whatnot. Your ACAD and artwork will come in handy when applying for a job, but don't worry if your experience isn't at an actual arch firm (although it helps) (actually, there's a guy who just got hired who i believe has very little experience with CAD or architecture, but he's learning and there's plenty of intern-esque work to do) you may even be able to find a firm that does has a lot of interaction with what you specifically studied in school, somebody with a structural dept. in house. but it all comes down to demand and presentation, don't be shy. plus, if you just get interviewed, at least you get to step inside and look around.
verity, it's hard to actually produce a list (perhaps stevers has got a few in mind) but I would check out the aia site, look at websites of firms you're looking at, and then call 'em up and ask them if you could submit a resume, what their firm is like for interns, etc. if they don't give you the time of day, well, you can expect how they treat interns. if they spend a couple of minutes and chat with you, it may be worth a try, regardless, you'll learn a bunch...
(ok, i think i'm just rambling, i got to get back to work so i can get out of here!!)
I think Steven put it very well. A side note is the size/type of firm that you're looking for should be important. Keep in mind that a large firm will be very difficult for you to become accustomed to and well associated with during a 3 month, or even 6 month period. Smaller firms are much easier to accomplish that over such a short period of time.
However, the larger firms will be easier to find, and may be more willing to hire foreign interns, let alone interns. They also will have you doing more tedious tasks.
These are all generalizations though. It will ofcourse depend on your skill level, your attitude, and who takes you under their wing.
On a side note, try not to abbreviate so much when posting. The occasional u instead of you is ok, but all this 4 and 1 and ne, we have all become lazy when it comes to typing (unless you're posting with your cell phone). And thank you Verity and hellbydante for not starting new posts when this one was sufficient enough to add your questions.
Internships U.S. / U.K.
4 a foreigner applying for internships in the U.S. -U.K. / i wanted to know if any1 could help on (is it 4 free or not? do we get paid?)
Or else / do u think theres enough time to work to be able to live there for a period of 6 months or so !
Thx !
firms, especially if they are aia firms, are EXPECTED to pay you for the work you perform. you should not agree to work without pay or for very low pay. (many people accept ridiculously low wages so that they can work for a star architect, but this just undercuts the abilities of other offices to compete.)
6 months should be an acceptable period to many firms, though not all. your usefulness will be affected by the fact that you won't be around through the full life of any one project from start to completion - but in many places that won't matter. it's not unusual for students and recent grads here to take summer jobs (3 months), and it can work well for both parties.
the main questions most offices will ask are about your abilities: drawing, various software (administrative and drawing), english (writing and speaking), modelmaking, etc.
some firms are set up to be able to take you on just because helping interns along is part of what they see as their firms' missions. they will be less concerned what you already know and will be interested in teaching you. others will be taking you on to try to get what work they can out of you in the short time you have with them. hard to suss out which a firm is when you first meet them unfortunately.
I am a fresh graduate with a Bacheolars degree in Biomaterial Science and Engineering from the University of London. I have decided to apply for a graduate course in Architecture for the 06/07 entry. I hope to do an internship with an architect firm to fill the time in between, preferably in the states. However, i feel kinda anxious about even trying to apply for an internship in an architecture firm (due to my graduate degree) and face the fact of being turn down. Would my small amount of experience in some form of AutoCAD engineering software and portfolio of artwork be of any help?
Hello Steven,
I'm an architecture undergrad (India). I read your post about some firms in the United States that specifically teach interns. That's their mission.
Well, I'm looking at working in a firm for 6 mnths as part of my practical training semester and the kind of firms you mentioned would suit me perfectly. I really want to learn in those 6 mnths.
Please, could you send me the names of such firms or atleast where I can get more information about them?
dante, i wouldn't worry about your situation. If you want an internship and the firm needs an intern, they'll hire you, train you, make you stamp drawings, file bs, or whatnot. Your ACAD and artwork will come in handy when applying for a job, but don't worry if your experience isn't at an actual arch firm (although it helps) (actually, there's a guy who just got hired who i believe has very little experience with CAD or architecture, but he's learning and there's plenty of intern-esque work to do) you may even be able to find a firm that does has a lot of interaction with what you specifically studied in school, somebody with a structural dept. in house. but it all comes down to demand and presentation, don't be shy. plus, if you just get interviewed, at least you get to step inside and look around.
verity, it's hard to actually produce a list (perhaps stevers has got a few in mind) but I would check out the aia site, look at websites of firms you're looking at, and then call 'em up and ask them if you could submit a resume, what their firm is like for interns, etc. if they don't give you the time of day, well, you can expect how they treat interns. if they spend a couple of minutes and chat with you, it may be worth a try, regardless, you'll learn a bunch...
(ok, i think i'm just rambling, i got to get back to work so i can get out of here!!)
Postal, thanks for making things clear :) Time to search me a firm..
oh, just found this, this is only a small start, but these are a list of firms that got awards for being nice to interns,
http://www.aia.org/idp_pastwinners
I think Steven put it very well. A side note is the size/type of firm that you're looking for should be important. Keep in mind that a large firm will be very difficult for you to become accustomed to and well associated with during a 3 month, or even 6 month period. Smaller firms are much easier to accomplish that over such a short period of time.
However, the larger firms will be easier to find, and may be more willing to hire foreign interns, let alone interns. They also will have you doing more tedious tasks.
These are all generalizations though. It will ofcourse depend on your skill level, your attitude, and who takes you under their wing.
On a side note, try not to abbreviate so much when posting. The occasional u instead of you is ok, but all this 4 and 1 and ne, we have all become lazy when it comes to typing (unless you're posting with your cell phone). And thank you Verity and hellbydante for not starting new posts when this one was sufficient enough to add your questions.
Thank you, postal and SuperBeatledud.
I'll keep all that in mind, got to get down to surfing the net for information on firms.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.