: to the extent you're interested in applying to firms that aren't advertising, you have something of a challenge ahead of you. Here's my take on the problem.

first of all, try to remember that the firms are not looking for reasons to provide you with a salary ... they're looking for people who can help them serve their own clients and complete their own projects. so, you have to be in a position to provide some value.

second, try to remember that the people you will be approaching are approached all day, every day, by other candidates. they're already very busy and distracted ... most are not deliberately ignoring your inquiries. many will prefer to hire somebody they already know or who is known by somebody in their firm. use whatever network of friends and colleagues you have to make connections.

third, try to remember that it's up to you to make it easy for the firm to review your credentials. keep it very simple and straightforward. nobody's really going to read a cover letter with seven paragraphs of narrative explaining why you think it would be cool for you to work at their firm. keep the cover letter short and to the point ... if you don't have something valuable to say that the firm will find interesting, don't write it.

forth, most firms can make a preliminary judgment based on a simple resume and a few examples of your work ... keep the resume concise (no more than one page, tops) ... don't pad it ... they know you're a student and they know what to expect.

fifth, send along some GOOD images of a few pieces of your work ... something that is eye catching and will immediately express what you might be able to do for these folks. they're experienced professionals ... it doesn't take much for them to figure out your probable ability to contribute. if they like what they see in your resume and mini-portfolio, they'll call you in for an interview.

sixth, prepare what you're going to send so that it can be e-mailed in 1 or 2 PDF files ... no more. keep the image resolution modest so the file size will be modest -- if they look at your work on screen, it doesn't need to be a 7 mb file. most likely, they're not going to print it. if you're going to direct them to a website to view your images, make damn sure it works and is fast -- you'll lose them quickly if it's not.

seventh, call the reception desk at the firms that interest you ... don't expect to get past that desk on your initial call ... politely ask for the contact information for whoever does that firm's hiring ... ask if they prefer a mailed or an e-mailed submittal ... follow that guidance to the letter.

eighth, start early and be patient. many firms may not know until a few weeks ahead of time whether they can hire you or not. politely followup by e-mail (if you have an e-mail contact) from time to time ... but, don't pester them every day ... that's the kiss of death.

ninth, try not to get too frustrated ... these firms are not trying to make your life miserable ... they've just got their own agenda and you're not necessarily at the top of their list ... if they need you, they'll hire you. if not, they won't. don't take it personally if you don't hear from them immediately, or at all. most firms will try to respond, but at this time of year, I receive so many unsolicited resumes (about 25 per week) that I simply can't always stay on top of them.

tenth, stay positive ... if you're looking in the right places, something will come through if you do your homework and apporach enough firms. but, remember, right now your goal is to get a job - not necessarily your ultimate 'dream' job. once you have some experience, each successive job will be all that much easier to obtain. don't set your standards so high that you go for a long time without work -- that can get hard to explain and it will hold back your development.

Best wishes, and good luck.

I would definitely apply at firms even if they don't have openings. Several firms have created jobs for our students once they saw their work.

Don't work for free (I keep hearing about a few starchitects who expect students to work for nothing).

Make sure your cover letter highlights what you can do for them, not how cool you think they are.

quizzical covered everything else. :)

wow, quizzical, that was amazingly helpful for all of us who may be looking for summer jobs. i am thoroughly impressed. i would have expected some cynical response (from some other users who shall remain nameless) about searching the archives. now we have a worthwhile post to cynically direct other question-askers in the future to.

Thanks Nicolas ... just trying to be helpful, in a professional sort of way.

Actually, I post here a frequently on such matters ... I think it's mostly a matter of self-preservation. I read lots of resumes and participate in lots of interviews. I see a lot of unnecessary pain (on both sides of the table) because so many young professionals seem not to understand how the process works. That pain, for the most part, is preventable.

Here are some links to a few interesting and useful threads in which I've participated in the past:
Teasers, mailers, micro-portfolios.....
Online Portfolios
Salary Surveys
Job Search Portfolios
Most Ridiculous Job Interview
Interview Questions I May Expect...

You will note that my views on these matters are not necessarily accepted by everybody.

While I didn't participate in any of these, here are some other links that also provide useful insights:
Tips on Finding Summer Internships
Resume Cover Letters
Summer Interning
You know what? Screw Firms
Interview Dress
Questions in an Architectural Intern Interview

quizzical,

I'm teaching portfolio next term, and I really appreciate these posts. Thank you!

Yes, thank you so so much.