From my recent job search experience, most mpls firms don't advertise openings, but they will meet with prospective candidates (like you) and make an offer if it suits them.

there are a wide range of firms here, can you help narrow down your desired experience (beyond 3d monkey)?

what do you want: starchitect, green, $$$ corporate, well rounded small office, or multi-disciplinary a/e, to name a few of the choices...

I'm hoping for a small firm that has their hands in a great many things. I am aiming for the lest amount of monkeying and the most experience to up the learning curve. To that end I'm currently tentatively visiting with U+B, Locus, and Altus. I have used my Pro Practice class assignments to interview and begin to connect with some of these firms and this seems to be the next step in establishing a relationship that will end in a job offer. I'm working on a sample of my work to take with me. I guess I was hoping to broaden my list beyond these three firms to other smaller firms that do strong work. I realize it will be a low $$ pursuit but I'm concerned with a strong base of hands-on knowledge.

no personal knowledge of those firms... maybe Betadinesutures, A or some of the twincities refugees have good insights to add. There are a few threads about firms in mpls, so use the search box at the bottom of the forum index.

Locus is a funky firm. Saw them at an AIA seminar on young firms. Not sure the setup but they have done the construction as well. Somewhat a design build. So on those nice Minnesota summer days you can take a break from CAD money to swing a hammer. Something I often wish I could do at my job.

There are scores of small firms around here. Quite a few are in the suburbs, but don't assume that means they lack design talent. Good place to search them out is www.aia-mn.org

Good luck!

If you can get in an in with MS+R, their offices are the most beautiful i've ever seen!

I had a dinner there last spring for accepted prospective grad students (i didn't enroll though) and they catered a dinner in their offices above the mills museum, looking out over the river. I was very impressed with the firm's work (one only needs to look at the mills museum itself to get convinced) and would personally jump at the chance. i met a couple of the head honchos, and numerous other employees, all of whom were extremely personable.

julie snow's work is also very nice, and seems to have a good amount of variation. I don't know more about the firm than the few built projects that were pointed out to me, though.

If I were moving back to Minneapolis, I would try to work for SALA, but I like residential and the principals have always been nice to me. I also liked working for Miller-Dunwiddie, but that is a bit larger firm. I say avoid HGA, and others of that size and you will be fine.
j

On avoiding HGA. They are a huge firm and have a reputation for high turnover, but of all Mpls firms they do get the pick of the litter when it comes to available projects. If you want to do high design they have carved out the numero uno spot in town for that. Each year they carry several jobs through DD and hand them off to other local "production" firms.

SALA is one of the best residential design firms in town, of which there are numerous. Not sure how those smaller firms are handling the housing downturn. ESG, a large firm which was heavily leveraged into the condo boom, hasn't been taking that downturn too well.

MS&R has a good view from their offices. My opinion of the building differs from many. Personally I see it as a quite mundane glass skinned office dropped into the blown out shell of a historic masonry building. That said, I have no opinion on their other work. The people there are certinaly nice.