monster huh? hmmmm.

get a list of all the architects in your city, and start sending out resume's eventually something will bite.

Include a well written cover letter explaining your experience, what architectural programs you know how to use and also a few quality prints of your work.

If that does not work, start calling

If that does not work, contact your local AIA, and try to get in the door there... maybe volunteer your time for some event, you may end up meeting someone, or they may pass your name along.

posting to monster, etc and passively waiting for someone to see your post will not get you anywhere. you def. have to be active in your search.

remember, with all consideration, you are almost useless to a firm at this stage in your career - an associates degree with zero experience will not raise a lot of eyebrows, this is why you have to go above and beyond.

look at the small firms, the really small guys, they just may be looking for a part-time drafter, which may not be what you are looking for, but it will at least give you office experience and will give you some credentials for your next job search.

also, with the small firms, you may actually be drafting, where as if you happen to get in the door with a larger firm, you will most likely start the coffee and office supply person

dont worry, we have all been there, keep up the search and good luck

also,
the no-brainer

search through the extensive job listing here on archinect

start in a larger firm as a model builder then work from there.... ask the project managers every now and then if they need some help in cad or graphics or soemthing to help break the ice......

it'll be hard but you have to prove yourself...... and monster sucks donkey balls........ been there and got picked up by a recruiter that thenlow-balled me......i'm over it....

also look at small machine shops/tool and die shops/etc that could use a young cat on autocad....... also look into cabinet/millwork shops and do shop drawings........

for now, dont limit yourself just to architecture......


2:37am

I've posted here before that the jobs I got starting out were ALL a matter of being in the right place at the right time. And I got almost all of them by actually showing up at the door of the office, resume in hand, saying "I'm ready to start working today".

Architecture, especially for small firms, is a total feast-or-famine line of work. If a firm is suddenly slammed with several jobs, they might not even have time to look for a new draftsman, but if you showup on their doorstep this minimizes the amount of time they have to spend looking/inteviewing etc. Also, even five minutes with someone can give them a good sense of whether you are crazy or not, which is honestly a big motivator: hiring someone who seems like they will fit in to office culture is important, and if you have a decent chemistry off the bat that helps. Dress nicely, look both optimistic and eager, and offer to be a slave to start.

By "slave" I mean: if someone offers you a job making coffee, TAKE IT! My first three jobs were basically making coffee, running prints, and delivering sets of drawings to contractors. If you prove yourself over even a couple of weeks as a reliable worker, you'll move up no problem. Getting your foot in the door is about being willing to do whatever it takes to get some experience under your belt. Be valuable in whatever way you can to a firm, and they will keep you and eventually teach you more.

Also, if no one bites, going to visit the offices in person gives you the chance to decide for yourself which firms you might want to pursue. Without stalking anyone, be politely persistent with the firms you liked: call them every two-three weeks to see if anything has come up, offer to build models, pick up redlines, whatever it takes.

And remember networking: talk to your friends, your parents, your dentist, people at church/club/whatever, your friends' parents, etc. and find out if anyone knows any architect personally, then ask that person to make an introduction for you. If you get to talk to anyone, especially if you've made a good impression but the firm you are talking to says they have no work, ask them if THEY know who might be busy, then follow up.

And as was said above: we've all been there. Try to stay positive and keep trying, if you are active in your pursuit eventually something will come through. Good luck!

Some advice - dont be meek. Get in there. I have in the past, and at the moment, get potential employees meekly texting, emailing, and making sheepish requests for jobs. Jesus, be bold. Go into the firms you want to work for and have a conversation with the director. Dont think that people are doing you a favour by giving you a job. You have skills that are needed. Get on with it.

I would fully agree with Liberty. I started working in a firm when I was 18, just off the High Plains of the Dakota in Copley Square in Boston as a "Go For"....ya go for this go for that. I did learn Bean Town like the back of my hand. I always strived to get things delivered as quickly as possible and not be a tourist. With time I was working on models and doing the poche work on site plan renderings. After awhile found myself in a comfortable place in the firm while still going to school at night. On thing I will always stress is take care of the Boss, no matter if it means making a ginger bread house with the marketing person and her boyfriend just because the bosses birthday falls on Christmas. It pays off, I offered as much as I could and I received ten times from that firm what I gave. I have been kicking around for many years, and the longest I was ever between jobs was two weeks. I must stress, I didn't have a silver spoon or connections, just the drive to get in a firm and be productive.

snooker and LB both give good advice ... but you also should consider how you can go about your search with a reasonable degree of efficiency - for you and for the firms. firms in most parts of the country are busy right now and they're doing lots of advertising ... the career center at aia.org currently lists over 1,000 design jobs that you can sort by state. think about what you can offer these firms and send those who are looking for help a polished, professional inquiry...that's the best way to connect with firms who need help.

while I understand the logic in the advice given by others about just showing up at a firm, you also may want to consider that not every firm finds the spontaneous appearance of a candidate on their doorstep to be a professional approach. with everybody so busy right now, such unannounced visits may be seen by some as intrusive. I advise that you start working through normal channels and see where that may take you.

In addition to the fine advice posted above, I would also suggest working for a subcontractor that produces shop drawings for construction. In the old days (a couple years ago, actually :)), most of the shop drawings I received were hand-drafted, but nowadays they are almost all CAD drafted and are of much better quality.

Structural steel and ornamental metal fabricators, window & curtainwall manufacturers/suppliers, and even some high-end custom cabinetry shops would be the first places to look.

It might seem like a step back from working in an architecture office, but it is still related to architecture and would probably teach you a thing or two about detailing that will prove invaluable when practicing as an architect.

Just a thought...

I am gonna knock on your door,
ring on ya bell,
tap on ya window too!

Research, get a map, print a handfull of resumes, or a catchy flier, pocket your portfolio, dress nice (shorts, singlets and thongs are not a good look people, even if the office is casual) pop on a smile and start walking and talking, (dont forget deodorant)


and follow up, a phonecall, a postcard to say hi and remind them of your fantastic work, or if ya really keen on a firm and they seem interested, pop on back .......


maybe even take some bikkies......
some beer..............
bribes sometimes work......


just be yourself, be prepared to sit down and cad or sketch something straight away, be prepared for a trial, be prepared to mulitskill, even answering phones or photocopy. still at uni, you may not get a job, but showing someone your portfolio and what you are about can set you up with a mentor for life..... get out the scout uniform....

and have fun! Nothing is worse than seeing a "trawler" so disheartened. If you are having a day of poos, head to the pub or do something fun for the afternoon.....

and most important, smile and thank the receptionist, write down their name etc...... they can be your best friend or worst enemy.............

Thank you, all of you, and I will take your suggestions into consideration. I appreciate the help, you don't how much it means to me.

And for heavens sake, finish school!!! My associates got me nowhere. I bartended my way through college and now, a few classes away from my bachelors, I finally landed a job in the biz. I thought with an Associate in Architectural Technology degree I could get a job anywhere doing CAD. Boy was I wrong.

I suggest the backdoor approach...

But not with your foot. Unless you are using "foot" as a unit of measure.

Well so far, I've sent my resume and recent work i've done in school to some firms but no response yet. Most of my stuff is CAD though, so I'm not sure how far that'll get me. I;ve been planning to visit a local firm also but, I'm afraid that I most likely won't get a position

take my advice: be bold.

check your local AIA chapter's website, they should have a job board... if not, stop by the office and talk to the executive director... bring resumes...

if there are any architecture schools in your town check to see if their website has a job board, if not call the department and ask if they have any job listings... i often see advertisements for part-time or full-time drafting work on my local school's site...

I got my first job without any formal architecture schooling and minimal CADD skills. I just started cold-calling firms from the yellow pages and the first person to answer the phone hired me. And after 7 months on the job, i was project manager for a Burger King! I quit the next week...