I'm sure some firms are in need of a skilled set of hands to do the "dirty work" of model making and renderings. However, a lot of larger firms have full-time employees whose sole responsibilities are these tasks, and they are damn good at it.

I would look for medium sized firms who have the extra capital available to hire an office lackey, but not enough to fund their own workshops. Also, given that most recent grads are quite proficient at your given skill set, I would tailor my searches to firms that haven't yet delved into more advanced rendering and model-making techniques: essentially older, more complacent firms.

if you dont know all the hotness programs and dont have "office experience" then dont even bother....

I know of a high profile firm in Santa Monica that hires un-trained and non-architecture educated people WAY more often then they should.......

you might as well start your own firm i think you are ready

i meant bfa.

I am interested in an experience similar to an internship, in the sense that I am looking for some insight and experience, while still getting paid.

im sure you can find something...in the meantime you may as well try playing around with cad

I will try. No computer though :(

I write these dispatches from the library.

I know a place that will hire you, I don't know if you would want to work for them though...

why

Not only am I interested in architecture, but I have no money!

they pay their interns like third-world sweatshop labor. You work for them for a predetermined period (like a summer) and at the end of that period you receive a stipend for your work. If you work for them full time (48hrs a week) it comes out to about 1.50 an hour. Its impossible to live on that wage. If they like you and you like them you can stay on full time at a low wage. I got $10 an hour and you may be able to negotiate more, but the boss there is cheap beyond words with pretty much everything that doesn't involve him.

That sounds like shit

what I mean is...

thanks for the tip

architecture is like a big box of cracker jacks................ once you find the prize ...all it is is a sticker to put on your forehead

we're supposed to put it on our forehead!
oh man....

yeah..... it's a scratch and sniff sticker..... so when you get frustrated/confused you scratch your head and the sticker gives off an aroma that is supposed to make you happy...... i heard there was 5 different scents..... apple worm, sandlewood, african musk, joop, cool water

you might be able to get a job as an office assistant...but expect to doing lots of non-architect/non-art work such as answering phones & running to the print shop. probably pays about $10/hour too if you have no experience...but it will expose you to the working of professional architectural practice

an alternative approach, if you can afford it financially, is to identify some offices that you would like to work for and then volunteer to be an "office helper" for graphics & model making. it will take a little time but if you can demonstrate value & competency then there's a good chance you'll be offered something better when it becomes available

i guess my point it that it can be done, but without CAD experience or a degree then you need to be incredibly humble in your approach. it's a competitive world and believe it or not but there are people who do have CAD experience & degrees who struggle to get a foot in the door. but if your humble enough & willing to demonstrate a hunger then you can certainly get into architecture...in fact, that approach could probably get your foot in the door of any profession or career. good luck.

If you can draw and are comfortable using a computer, you can learn CAD in a very short period of time.

I don't know why people make such a big deal out of software - it's the easiest part of our profession. it's the design and management part that is difficult to master.

If you are talented, are eager to learn, and have good people skills, you'll land a job at a firm that sees your potential. However, you should recognize that they are taking a chance on you, and you'd better live up to their expectations.

toasteroven is right

not knowing CAD will set you back a week or 2 tops at the most.
if you find someone willing to let you learn, working with CAD all day for a couple weeks and you will be proficcient enough to be worth your salary

its literally a simple stupid program and takes no time to learn

the hard part is finding someone who will let you learn in the office, while still paying you

but there are paid internships all the time, maybe not paying too well, but they are out there

you have to be ready to be paid like a 19-20 year old who is working over his summer break

but you can definitely get paid

My boss hires non-architect types if they are sexy females. Are you a "10"?

miss Venezuela is

"foreigners who can't get work permits work for cash or free and they have skills"
Thanks, you idiot

its a catch 22

der der der...just know cad....der der der......

i know tons of people who worked in architecture firms with absolutely no architectural (or any architecture software) experience. they did it to see whether they liked architecture - and lo and behold, they liked it a lot, and now they are enrolled in my school! i am not sure how they got the jobs though. maybe they knew somebody working there? maybe if you catch the right firm at the right time they will hire you. if you make the case for why you'd be valuable to them i think someone would hire you. if all else fails, do a career discovery program (i think the most famous ones are at columbia, ucla, and harvard)

discovery program...what channel is that on?????

toasterover & marmkid- don't you think your advice is skewed towards those with an architecture education? Not knowing CAD isn't as big a handicap as it sounds, if you already know the principles of how buildings are drawn in the first place. But CAD is really only one piece of the puzzle for someone without the first clue.

rationalist - I've worked in a couple offices that trained their admin staff to use CAD so they could help out with redlines when we were on deadline (I remember one person actually liking it so much they went back to school for an arch degree). Plus, there are plenty of things for someone like 10 to do in just about any office that doesn't require an architectural education.

rationalist
if you read my post, i said that not knowing CAD will only set you back a week or two, since its such an easy program to learn the basics of
i dont think thats a long time at all

i dont work in NYC, but from my understanding, you cant just walk into a firm with no experience and not much to offer and expect to be good to go

you will need to learn the basics of our industry

for an entry level position, not knowing CAD is a handicap in most firms
and its one that is easily fixed, since its just basic drafting