Okay so I just graduated from a 4 year architectural degree a few weeks ago. To keep it short, it was a life changing experience! Anyways I thought long and hard contemplating if I need a year off in between my graduate studies. I decided for it. So now that I’m a fresh grad with some intern experience I am looking for some employment. In the past 4 months I cannot find a job to save my life. Main reason? This question right here: “Are you going to go back to grad school after a year? Cause we are looking for someone to stay longer than a year.” I’ve gotten this question four times already, all at four different firms, and I don’t know if I should be honest anymore. Yes I want to go to graduate school in a year, but that’s not what they want to hear. Now this is a small firm that work on custom McMansions. It’s not my dream job… but in a year span there are a lot of projects that I would see designed and built… rather than working on projects that last 2-3 years as my last internship. My answer to this question recently consists of being undecided of grad school and than wandering of mentioning that I am currently registered with IDP and eventual would like to get my license working under the principals… but they seem to shrug their shoulders at that. It seems like they just want a draft monkeys who will never advance in their life. Yes I understand that I need to put my hours… better yet… YEARS in as a CAD monkey… I get that… but I want to better myself… not to be a slave laborer on someone else’s behalf and fortune for the rest of my life. Does this make sense to anyone? Obviously it doesn’t make sense to these employers. Anyways… what kind of advice do you guys have for me? Right now its looking like I will be going back to the place I interned last. It’s not the most desirable place to be, but the people there are friendly, nice, and are willing to work around my hours if I go back to graduate school. Problem is that they probably don’t even know what IDP stands for and their work does not excite me at all. They do mostly governmental and commercial jobs that are boring to say the least. I’m a confused individual lol! What do you guys think I should do?
I had the exact same problem and, though I felt terrible about it, I ended up "omitting" the truth (after getting the same reaction you got in the first few interviews). If they asked, I said I'd like to go to grad school "some day", therefore not lying.
I have actually found that a surprising number of people are unsupportive of continuing education. Maybe it's their own insecurities… or if they never got a masters...i dunno, but it's very very sad.
I have a tendency to be so busy taking care of other people that I neglect myself...this time, I had to come first. In my experience, most people straight out of school don't keep their first jobs for more than 6-9 months...so it doesn't make a difference whether you leave for grad school or because it isn't a good fit. I'd say at least 80% of my class is on their 2nd or 3rd job (class of '06)...
uh oh! This was going to be my plan after I graduate next spring from a 4 year undergrad. What kinds of firms turned you down (size, type of projects, which cities)? I've been taking intensive spanish classes and want to work abroad which would obviously be a short term (1 year, hopefully, but maybe less) job anyway. But now my plans... oops.
The honest truth is that you PLAN to apply to start graduate school in a year, but you don't REALLY now what's going to happen. You may change your mind. You may apply and not get accepted. It's impossible to say with certainty that you'll have to resign in a year, even with all the best-laid plans. Keep this in mind....
From my experience, much larger corporate firms have the ability to take in short term interns because they can afford to. You would be doing smaller firms a great dis-service because a new employee is a relatively large investment. Unless of course, you have a set of skills/knowledge/abilities that can be of value to them, in which case that should be communicated effectively.
My route is pretty interesting. Went to college for 5 years, including co-ops, and earned a Bachelor of Urban Planning, graduating June '05. I looked for full-time work around Cincinnati where I live, but didn't have much success. I eventually expanded my search to the midwest and out south/southeast, but still no success, with some agencies/companies saying "you're great, but we hired someone with a master's." Stupidly, I took trips and such without much real income, and the debt of all of this is kicking my ass.
I was just accepted to M. Arch 3+ at Ohio State, but I have a bad feeling this debt thing will cancel me out for loans (I still have outstanding debt for undergrad). Right now, I'm getting an hourly stock job at a superstore, at least until August/September. I could do better, but sadly it seems better has long passed. I didn't look for/take part time work because I didn't want to leave a bad impression. But now that I think I have finally found the path to what I want to do, I likewise now fear that that path will collapse because of some missteps.
I had always come under the idea that working short term is actually a greater plus for a company since they pay you hourly, maybe half the regular salary of anyone else you don't get comp time you don't get vacation and they don't have to pay you anything like dental/medical insurance etc You come you do work for them you leave, you're doing them a really big favor and it's costing them next to nothing.
What changes after you graduate if it's been easy to get co-ops while you're in school.... i'll have worked at three firms by then, what changes to make people all of a sudden think you're too overqualified ? is that it ? but too underqualified as compared to a master's student ?
you can either tell them that you are not going to go to school in a year and they hire you or you work at burger king until you go to grad school. the truth is this profession has painted itself in a corner with its idp requirements and grad school requirements to perform what is basically a journeyman's career, and you shouldn't suffer because of the structure. do what you have to do to get ahead.
since you haven't applied to or been accepted to any graduate schools, you have no idea what will happen in one year. You don't owe the interviewer any more information then you are 'eventually planning on going to grad school'. Ok, if you are leaving in 4 months, that's a different story, but one year is a long time, and hey, you really don't know that you will end up going.
since you got the first 4 years of your education in architecture, you can start wracking up IDP units.
not sur if is nail in coffin. i don't tink it helps cuz can be seen as overqualified (some people get intimidated by education)...
on other hand my own prof is dr. and has own succesful practice, as do many famous-ish japanese architects...so maybe it depends where you are.
me? i will focus on own office after finishing phd next year...but i have been working in offices for many years so am not an un-trained (in practical sense) academic...maybe the distinction is training...?
anyway...rationalist/treekiller at al gots its right...no need to shoot self by divulging career plan when it isn't certain....
There are plenty of firms out there that are ready and willing to hire co-ops or interns for 6-month periods. I'd try applying as that instead of as a full-time employee. You might not be able to get a complete package of benefits but you'll gain experience.
this is your chance to explore a different kind of career completely, since you know that it's for a finite time. (i liked bookstores and music stores, personally. and retail hours will spoil you. you have days where things are open and you're not at work!)
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo damn good point you make there. Sure i'll be in debt up to my eyeballs but i've been envious of baristas and music store employees for ages. Life may in fact be too short to spend the entire time building a resume so you can die.. :P
those bookstore and music store jobs really pay well too. here's an idea, if you can't find a swell architecture job during the summer or during the time you want a break from grad school, get a swing shift job someplace that will pay your bills and go find a firm that you like and propose to do an unpaide three day a week internship.
May 24, 07 1:07 pm ·
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Unemployed due to wanting to continue my Education
Hey Guys!
Okay so I just graduated from a 4 year architectural degree a few weeks ago. To keep it short, it was a life changing experience! Anyways I thought long and hard contemplating if I need a year off in between my graduate studies. I decided for it. So now that I’m a fresh grad with some intern experience I am looking for some employment. In the past 4 months I cannot find a job to save my life. Main reason? This question right here: “Are you going to go back to grad school after a year? Cause we are looking for someone to stay longer than a year.” I’ve gotten this question four times already, all at four different firms, and I don’t know if I should be honest anymore. Yes I want to go to graduate school in a year, but that’s not what they want to hear. Now this is a small firm that work on custom McMansions. It’s not my dream job… but in a year span there are a lot of projects that I would see designed and built… rather than working on projects that last 2-3 years as my last internship. My answer to this question recently consists of being undecided of grad school and than wandering of mentioning that I am currently registered with IDP and eventual would like to get my license working under the principals… but they seem to shrug their shoulders at that. It seems like they just want a draft monkeys who will never advance in their life. Yes I understand that I need to put my hours… better yet… YEARS in as a CAD monkey… I get that… but I want to better myself… not to be a slave laborer on someone else’s behalf and fortune for the rest of my life. Does this make sense to anyone? Obviously it doesn’t make sense to these employers. Anyways… what kind of advice do you guys have for me? Right now its looking like I will be going back to the place I interned last. It’s not the most desirable place to be, but the people there are friendly, nice, and are willing to work around my hours if I go back to graduate school. Problem is that they probably don’t even know what IDP stands for and their work does not excite me at all. They do mostly governmental and commercial jobs that are boring to say the least. I’m a confused individual lol! What do you guys think I should do?
I had the exact same problem and, though I felt terrible about it, I ended up "omitting" the truth (after getting the same reaction you got in the first few interviews). If they asked, I said I'd like to go to grad school "some day", therefore not lying.
I have actually found that a surprising number of people are unsupportive of continuing education. Maybe it's their own insecurities… or if they never got a masters...i dunno, but it's very very sad.
I have a tendency to be so busy taking care of other people that I neglect myself...this time, I had to come first. In my experience, most people straight out of school don't keep their first jobs for more than 6-9 months...so it doesn't make a difference whether you leave for grad school or because it isn't a good fit. I'd say at least 80% of my class is on their 2nd or 3rd job (class of '06)...
uh oh! This was going to be my plan after I graduate next spring from a 4 year undergrad. What kinds of firms turned you down (size, type of projects, which cities)? I've been taking intensive spanish classes and want to work abroad which would obviously be a short term (1 year, hopefully, but maybe less) job anyway. But now my plans... oops.
The honest truth is that you PLAN to apply to start graduate school in a year, but you don't REALLY now what's going to happen. You may change your mind. You may apply and not get accepted. It's impossible to say with certainty that you'll have to resign in a year, even with all the best-laid plans. Keep this in mind....
lie
From my experience, much larger corporate firms have the ability to take in short term interns because they can afford to. You would be doing smaller firms a great dis-service because a new employee is a relatively large investment. Unless of course, you have a set of skills/knowledge/abilities that can be of value to them, in which case that should be communicated effectively.
My route is pretty interesting. Went to college for 5 years, including co-ops, and earned a Bachelor of Urban Planning, graduating June '05. I looked for full-time work around Cincinnati where I live, but didn't have much success. I eventually expanded my search to the midwest and out south/southeast, but still no success, with some agencies/companies saying "you're great, but we hired someone with a master's." Stupidly, I took trips and such without much real income, and the debt of all of this is kicking my ass.
I was just accepted to M. Arch 3+ at Ohio State, but I have a bad feeling this debt thing will cancel me out for loans (I still have outstanding debt for undergrad). Right now, I'm getting an hourly stock job at a superstore, at least until August/September. I could do better, but sadly it seems better has long passed. I didn't look for/take part time work because I didn't want to leave a bad impression. But now that I think I have finally found the path to what I want to do, I likewise now fear that that path will collapse because of some missteps.
I've been told that getting a PhD is like the nail in the coffin.
I had always come under the idea that working short term is actually a greater plus for a company since they pay you hourly, maybe half the regular salary of anyone else you don't get comp time you don't get vacation and they don't have to pay you anything like dental/medical insurance etc You come you do work for them you leave, you're doing them a really big favor and it's costing them next to nothing.
What changes after you graduate if it's been easy to get co-ops while you're in school.... i'll have worked at three firms by then, what changes to make people all of a sudden think you're too overqualified ? is that it ? but too underqualified as compared to a master's student ?
haha, what does the PhD do?
you can either tell them that you are not going to go to school in a year and they hire you or you work at burger king until you go to grad school. the truth is this profession has painted itself in a corner with its idp requirements and grad school requirements to perform what is basically a journeyman's career, and you shouldn't suffer because of the structure. do what you have to do to get ahead.
since you haven't applied to or been accepted to any graduate schools, you have no idea what will happen in one year. You don't owe the interviewer any more information then you are 'eventually planning on going to grad school'. Ok, if you are leaving in 4 months, that's a different story, but one year is a long time, and hey, you really don't know that you will end up going.
since you got the first 4 years of your education in architecture, you can start wracking up IDP units.
mc taco,
it appears you are already learning that honesty is not always the best policy. at least not in our profession.
is the best policy.
sbd 1
not sur if is nail in coffin. i don't tink it helps cuz can be seen as overqualified (some people get intimidated by education)...
on other hand my own prof is dr. and has own succesful practice, as do many famous-ish japanese architects...so maybe it depends where you are.
me? i will focus on own office after finishing phd next year...but i have been working in offices for many years so am not an un-trained (in practical sense) academic...maybe the distinction is training...?
anyway...rationalist/treekiller at al gots its right...no need to shoot self by divulging career plan when it isn't certain....
There are plenty of firms out there that are ready and willing to hire co-ops or interns for 6-month periods. I'd try applying as that instead of as a full-time employee. You might not be able to get a complete package of benefits but you'll gain experience.
this is your chance to explore a different kind of career completely, since you know that it's for a finite time. (i liked bookstores and music stores, personally. and retail hours will spoil you. you have days where things are open and you're not at work!)
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo damn good point you make there. Sure i'll be in debt up to my eyeballs but i've been envious of baristas and music store employees for ages. Life may in fact be too short to spend the entire time building a resume so you can die.. :P
those bookstore and music store jobs really pay well too. here's an idea, if you can't find a swell architecture job during the summer or during the time you want a break from grad school, get a swing shift job someplace that will pay your bills and go find a firm that you like and propose to do an unpaide three day a week internship.
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