We recently lost an intern who after a mere 70 days left for a closer commute.
We spent a lot of time training him and we were awful in chronicling his training program.
His replacement who is fresh out of U of I with his BS in Architecture studies and has no work experience, started this week and has received the following lessons:
Intro to ACAD in a firm - the etiquette of layer standards
Where the coffee is
How to measure a building
How to put the measurements into cad.
How should we spoon feed the rest of the information.
no rhyme or reason, and no order to amount of responsibility. first job was a design for a temple, all by my lonesome...then interior elevations for a housing project...then structural dwgs and calculations for a hospital...etc, etc, ad infinitum. spoon-feeding never ever ever happened. asking questions was encouraged but no one would tell me how to do the work if i din ask. not even how to make coffee.
design level was so-so, but i sure as hell learned a lot. and fast.
Next week is reviewing the plan with a job captain, learning intro to sections then developing elevations.
Also basic reading assignment in simple building codes as been given. (I was surprised that basic codes were not discussed in under-grad.)
As an added bonus he gets to learn how to professionally and consistently answer phones. (this is an after 2:30 pm function and as back up when the office manager is out)
Hmm, it's been a long time. I'd say, the faster, the better; the more you throw at him, the better. I mostly remember being stone bored with nothing to do during my early internships, and hated them. A challenge is always fun.
The firm I currently work at has an extensive orientation program (thanks to the complaints of several interns).
We assign each new employee an intern and an associate to help them through their first few months. On the first day they are walked through a lot of the standard office protocol (timesheets, outlook, filling out forms, etc.). Then they spend some time with the other intern telling them about office standards for CAD, Photoshop, Indesign, etc. The associate goes over the office philosophy/politics, and talks about what everyone in the office does (like pm's and interns and support staff).
During their first week the associate and intern take them out to lunch to discuss how everything is going. We try to put them right on a project so they don't sit at their desk spinning their wheels.
Do you have other interns at your office they can connect with to go over the other office stuff? It's nice to talk to someone that does the same type of work and is in the same position as you will be, and it is also nice to have someone delegated to the 'orienting' task so the new person knows it is intended that they ask them questions.
However as I am finding out coming out with a four year degree only allows you to move around in AutoCAD and play with Photoshop. Our new intern had never heard of fire resistance ratings in school nor could remember the actual size of a 2 x 4.
We are talking spoon feeding here.
The ADA details are something important, but we might have to start with "what is a detail and how are they used?"
Possibly, and I hope so. I have formally recommended it during staff meetings and I occasionally copy clip threads to specific people for them to read and discuss.
We don't pull any punches at the office either.
I try and have everyone involved in the interviewing process and we all knew that our new intern was very green.
What I would like to hear is that I think that the first 100 days is foundation in which a lot of our preconceived notions of architecture practice are made.
While we will try and get our new intern into pinups, brief client contact, as well as productive on a project in that time.
What do others think would be helpful for the intern get exposed to during this period?
Should there be a test?
Should there be active testing (ARE based of course) in the first year?
dsc - you are probably one of the more conscientious employers or bosses around, i wish i could have worked for someone like you. a couple of things i'd do; nuture, as much as you can, their talents, expose them to the language of construction, UL, IBC and how to research products and call for code assistance are uniformly important and are things that i wish even now i had more time with, contracts - throwdown A201, A101, B141 and others as part of homework, read on their own time and test them on it, not a formal test but perhaps a kind what if a happens....introduce them to SMACNA, site, site, site visits - i have been doing this for 10 years and i think i have been on a site maybe 12 times, but never in an official capacity, you know not perfrming any punchlists or the like, get them pointed in the direction of becoming an architect and they'll waffle less and see that you are motivated and will become motivated to do more.
yes layer standards are important, but that is easily pounded early on in whatever job the new guy gets, that they will either get it or get going...
design level was so-so, but i sure as hell learned a lot. and fast.
But at least you got to design. I do agree with the learning a lot part, specially the kind of stuff about working in an office that they just cant teach you in school.
yeah, cuervo, i was lucky. the office was run like sejima's or ito's place, but without the design ambition. the latter aspect sucked, but the former was very cool. nothing like being chucked in the deep end to learn to swim. great place for the ambitious. not so good for anyone wanting to work 9 to 5 and do the same job everyday...
it was also a strange place in that the staff (of 15 architects) would get a raise every year based on skills aquired, but we would also get a raise if we had a child or got married...the idea being that we would need more money if supporting a family than if single...we also shared in profits in the form of 2 annual bonuses that usually added 10-20,000 dollars to the base income each year, even for a newbie like myself...i tell ya it really spoiled me for working in regular offices back in north america.
Our new intern is making progress. He just received his first paycheck on Friday. Cad etiquette is coming along but on as builts / filed measuring accuracy is key.
Learning time sheets, learning to access the network. Was logging is as the employee he replaced (bad). Killed the machine he was working on during a power surge. Learned now to save early and often. Learned that when the office manager needs help moving files he is the man. We are in the process of reworking the office file storage and had him move the product samples to the back shed. In the process I showed him the products that we are keeping and why. Most fun samples that he did not know: ridge vent, snow gem, paralam, and microlam.
He also learned how to use wasp spray. Used the entire can too but missed the nest. -- Go figure.
All in all I have hope. Need to get him on a job site though.
1) tease them for knowing autocad or photoshop - real architects draw by hand
2) have them only do the tasks they are trained for, such as making coffee, moving heavy objects, killing bugs and making copies.
3) publicly abuse them when they screw up. They sure won't do that again!
4) Let them do a design task - they'll like that! Then, after they've worked on it for a month or two, come over to their desk, wad up their drawing and say "now we'll do it my way!"
5) Wonder why they don't already know what took you years to learn. Shake your head at the state of the educational system.
Let them do a design task - they'll like that! Then, after they've worked on it for a month or two, come over to their desk, wad up their drawing and say "now we'll do it my way!"
As a recent grad from U of I myself, and now an architectural intern, I have found that spoon feeding isnt the way to go. The firm I work at took the first day for all the intro stuff, autocad layers, where everything is, standards, etc.. but then after that i have been on my own, and it is perfect. When i have a question, i ask....when i make a mistake, i am told. All you need to do is be approachable and remember that to keep an intern interested let them work on a diverse range of projects in different phases. I have already touched upon client contact, schematic design, rendering, and construction documents in 4 months because i show the capability and responsibility. we also do a lot fo lunch-n-learns which is a great way to learn b/c everyone is in there with you, and breaks up the day. The staff treats me like an adult, not an intern to that would be fun to abuse...
Ah. but do you have a masters or a BS? There is a big difference.
No we do not abuse interns. It is just that the person with the least amount of experience winds up doing the “other tasks as assigned†a lot more often then a PA. Note I was helping him pitch the older samples.
It really does come down to the individual. We had a summer intern three years ago that during her first week she was exposed to all of those aspects of practice.
Throughout that summer and the following she contributed greatly to the firm. The last three interns have had limited exposure to real world architecture and have not had the impact. Maybe it is a culture fit. Possibly you were at the head of your class. Good luck in your pursuit of a masters.
Also our intern is currently grinding redlines on three house plans in Cd’s as well as getting into SD on two additional houses. However the accuracy is still a factor. It takes most interns six months to get to a billable position.
Sep 4, 06 7:54 pm ·
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The first 100 days….
The first 100 days....
We recently lost an intern who after a mere 70 days left for a closer commute.
We spent a lot of time training him and we were awful in chronicling his training program.
His replacement who is fresh out of U of I with his BS in Architecture studies and has no work experience, started this week and has received the following lessons:
Intro to ACAD in a firm - the etiquette of layer standards
Where the coffee is
How to measure a building
How to put the measurements into cad.
How should we spoon feed the rest of the information.
It sounds like your a good firm to start of at. I was pretty much just handed work to do and left to fogure out on my own...
my first real job was like muerto's description.
no rhyme or reason, and no order to amount of responsibility. first job was a design for a temple, all by my lonesome...then interior elevations for a housing project...then structural dwgs and calculations for a hospital...etc, etc, ad infinitum. spoon-feeding never ever ever happened. asking questions was encouraged but no one would tell me how to do the work if i din ask. not even how to make coffee.
design level was so-so, but i sure as hell learned a lot. and fast.
funnest place i ever worked. anarchy is great.
Next week is reviewing the plan with a job captain, learning intro to sections then developing elevations.
Also basic reading assignment in simple building codes as been given. (I was surprised that basic codes were not discussed in under-grad.)
As an added bonus he gets to learn how to professionally and consistently answer phones. (this is an after 2:30 pm function and as back up when the office manager is out)
Hmm, it's been a long time. I'd say, the faster, the better; the more you throw at him, the better. I mostly remember being stone bored with nothing to do during my early internships, and hated them. A challenge is always fun.
The firm I currently work at has an extensive orientation program (thanks to the complaints of several interns).
We assign each new employee an intern and an associate to help them through their first few months. On the first day they are walked through a lot of the standard office protocol (timesheets, outlook, filling out forms, etc.). Then they spend some time with the other intern telling them about office standards for CAD, Photoshop, Indesign, etc. The associate goes over the office philosophy/politics, and talks about what everyone in the office does (like pm's and interns and support staff).
During their first week the associate and intern take them out to lunch to discuss how everything is going. We try to put them right on a project so they don't sit at their desk spinning their wheels.
Do you have other interns at your office they can connect with to go over the other office stuff? It's nice to talk to someone that does the same type of work and is in the same position as you will be, and it is also nice to have someone delegated to the 'orienting' task so the new person knows it is intended that they ask them questions.
All good thoughts.
However as I am finding out coming out with a four year degree only allows you to move around in AutoCAD and play with Photoshop. Our new intern had never heard of fire resistance ratings in school nor could remember the actual size of a 2 x 4.
We are talking spoon feeding here.
The ADA details are something important, but we might have to start with "what is a detail and how are they used?"
every u of i grad i have encountered has been very very good.
dsc_arch: Have you ever wondered if your employees read Archinect?
Possibly, and I hope so. I have formally recommended it during staff meetings and I occasionally copy clip threads to specific people for them to read and discuss.
We don't pull any punches at the office either.
I try and have everyone involved in the interviewing process and we all knew that our new intern was very green.
What I would like to hear is that I think that the first 100 days is foundation in which a lot of our preconceived notions of architecture practice are made.
While we will try and get our new intern into pinups, brief client contact, as well as productive on a project in that time.
What do others think would be helpful for the intern get exposed to during this period?
Should there be a test?
Should there be active testing (ARE based of course) in the first year?
dsc - you are probably one of the more conscientious employers or bosses around, i wish i could have worked for someone like you. a couple of things i'd do; nuture, as much as you can, their talents, expose them to the language of construction, UL, IBC and how to research products and call for code assistance are uniformly important and are things that i wish even now i had more time with, contracts - throwdown A201, A101, B141 and others as part of homework, read on their own time and test them on it, not a formal test but perhaps a kind what if a happens....introduce them to SMACNA, site, site, site visits - i have been doing this for 10 years and i think i have been on a site maybe 12 times, but never in an official capacity, you know not perfrming any punchlists or the like, get them pointed in the direction of becoming an architect and they'll waffle less and see that you are motivated and will become motivated to do more.
yes layer standards are important, but that is easily pounded early on in whatever job the new guy gets, that they will either get it or get going...
But at least you got to design. I do agree with the learning a lot part, specially the kind of stuff about working in an office that they just cant teach you in school.
i think its great that young people are getting the opportunity to read my posts! thanks dsc, for making the world a happier place!
lol, vado.
yeah, cuervo, i was lucky. the office was run like sejima's or ito's place, but without the design ambition. the latter aspect sucked, but the former was very cool. nothing like being chucked in the deep end to learn to swim. great place for the ambitious. not so good for anyone wanting to work 9 to 5 and do the same job everyday...
it was also a strange place in that the staff (of 15 architects) would get a raise every year based on skills aquired, but we would also get a raise if we had a child or got married...the idea being that we would need more money if supporting a family than if single...we also shared in profits in the form of 2 annual bonuses that usually added 10-20,000 dollars to the base income each year, even for a newbie like myself...i tell ya it really spoiled me for working in regular offices back in north america.
First 100 days update….
Our new intern is making progress. He just received his first paycheck on Friday. Cad etiquette is coming along but on as builts / filed measuring accuracy is key.
Learning time sheets, learning to access the network. Was logging is as the employee he replaced (bad). Killed the machine he was working on during a power surge. Learned now to save early and often. Learned that when the office manager needs help moving files he is the man. We are in the process of reworking the office file storage and had him move the product samples to the back shed. In the process I showed him the products that we are keeping and why. Most fun samples that he did not know: ridge vent, snow gem, paralam, and microlam.
He also learned how to use wasp spray. Used the entire can too but missed the nest. -- Go figure.
All in all I have hope. Need to get him on a job site though.
accuracy is also key in field measuring...
i like this thread... doesnt make me hostile at all.
-back to job hunting
My suggestions on how to train a new intern:
1) tease them for knowing autocad or photoshop - real architects draw by hand
2) have them only do the tasks they are trained for, such as making coffee, moving heavy objects, killing bugs and making copies.
3) publicly abuse them when they screw up. They sure won't do that again!
4) Let them do a design task - they'll like that! Then, after they've worked on it for a month or two, come over to their desk, wad up their drawing and say "now we'll do it my way!"
5) Wonder why they don't already know what took you years to learn. Shake your head at the state of the educational system.
Well, anyway, that's how it worked for me...
that is for next week.
As a recent grad from U of I myself, and now an architectural intern, I have found that spoon feeding isnt the way to go. The firm I work at took the first day for all the intro stuff, autocad layers, where everything is, standards, etc.. but then after that i have been on my own, and it is perfect. When i have a question, i ask....when i make a mistake, i am told. All you need to do is be approachable and remember that to keep an intern interested let them work on a diverse range of projects in different phases. I have already touched upon client contact, schematic design, rendering, and construction documents in 4 months because i show the capability and responsibility. we also do a lot fo lunch-n-learns which is a great way to learn b/c everyone is in there with you, and breaks up the day. The staff treats me like an adult, not an intern to that would be fun to abuse...
Ah. but do you have a masters or a BS? There is a big difference.
No we do not abuse interns. It is just that the person with the least amount of experience winds up doing the “other tasks as assigned†a lot more often then a PA. Note I was helping him pitch the older samples.
Sorry Jekle, I did not see your other post.
It really does come down to the individual. We had a summer intern three years ago that during her first week she was exposed to all of those aspects of practice.
Throughout that summer and the following she contributed greatly to the firm. The last three interns have had limited exposure to real world architecture and have not had the impact. Maybe it is a culture fit. Possibly you were at the head of your class. Good luck in your pursuit of a masters.
Also our intern is currently grinding redlines on three house plans in Cd’s as well as getting into SD on two additional houses. However the accuracy is still a factor. It takes most interns six months to get to a billable position.
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