Is any other fresh graduate having trouble finding a job or am I the only one in the country? I've been applying all summer (except for 3 weeks when I was in Thailand) and have had a few good interviews, all of which resulted in no offer because of project cancellations.
Anyone out there have any pointers for getting a job in a period of economic decline? I've used my old employers connections but they can only do so much if no one is hiring.
Are positions going to open up because peeps are going back to school soon?
Is there anyone out there in the same boat as me?
ps. I've been applying to offices in NYC, SFO and LA. Maybe I should go for a not major city?
Its strange this particular recession because usually during an economic downturn we see steady employment for recent grads because they cost less. The 2000-2003 recession was a good time for grads. I'd recommend Finding any work related to architecture if you have to if only to stay connected to the industry. If your living at home maybe you could hold out longer. Eventually you will get an offer. It may not be a dream job but your first architecture job rarely is.
Have you tried small, local architects? Sometimes they are the best for short term work, like 6 months - just tell them your situation if you want to work for a large firm someday, they will understand. Tell them I need 6 months, they may have a 6 month project you could work on. Just be honest.
try having a degree and construction experience and other things.....
i've been job hunting for about 2 years ir so...... trying to get back into the firms.... but i came to realize that i'm not hirable..... so i have no clue what to do........... i tried firms/exhibit houses/etc...... looks like i fucked myself early on when i decided to go out on my own for a bit....
everyone gives advice regarding finding jobs....but these parts of advice come from those that are already employed and prolly havent been in situations...........most folks have climbed the traditional ladder of the "game".........
it all comes down to how many programs you know and how little you will work for....... and probably office experience.........
good luck with the job hunt............ i'm actually going to give up soon...........i'm getting to stressed out over all the b.s. reasons of why i cant get hired....but yet the firms will hire people that have no clue......
cryzko, what is it that makes you, as you say, 'unhireable'?
suwatch, finding jobs is tough always, and even worse with today's economic climate. here's my advice.
1) send out resumes to tons of firms in all the cities you are interested in. if you send out enough, someone is bound to bite. i had to send out 100 to get my first job.
2) make sure you are very hireable. polish your portfolio, practice your interview skills, etc.
3) utilitze your connections. did you have a professor who likes you and has a firm, or has contacts at a practice? what about your friends?
1. lack of office experience
2. not knowing all the hot programs
thats it..........
and i get tired of folks giving me advice.......... my experience is on the other side of the fence compared to the regular "archy" looking for a job....
it's a shame too how i can get praised from heads of architecture departments about my work...but yet i cant get hired......and i'm talking from small to big firms here in detroit also................i would move but no-one in cali/chicago will give me the time of day..........
just a bit ryled up about the whole field....if i knew i would still be broke, no job in the field i went to school for, and being 32....i might have slacked off in college more and just stayed in the firms when i graduated....
it's all coming back to haunt me now........ trying to stay creative sucks...especially when you have to figure out how your gonna eat/pay bills/etc .......... and cant collect un-employment since i've been self-employed......
jack-i haven't been trying any locals because honestly i don't want to be around here (ct). however, in times like these i should proly start looking around here...
cryzko-doesn't field/construction experience make up for lack of office experience?
nic-i have sent out tons of applications. any advice about applying to places across the country? i live on the east coast and earlier for west coast offices i would lie in the cover letter and tell them that i would already be in the area (i had a free flight waiting to be used)...that's how i got 3 interviews. but now that i'm back east and don't really have the means to "be there" is there any way i could put it so that west coast offices don't brush me off thinking that i wouldn't be willing to make the trip over?
- this thread's not about you - let's try to give suwatch some constructive help.
suwatch - JK and NB are right - this is a strange employment market - the Career Center at AIA.org currently has only 37 ads for Interns, but 173 ads for Architects. However, I'm not sure that accurately reflects the current national market for interns.
Most firms probably don't need to advertise for interns right now - I know our firm is inundated with unsolicited, and good quality, recent-grad resumes - we'd have no trouble hiring a good 'un if we weren't already full.
I recommend that you broaden your horizons some - if you really want work in architecture, you'll probably need to go where the work is - not necessarily where you'd prefer to live.
Send resumes to any firm that's hiring - that means they're probably busy and growing. Be flexible and focus on finding decent work. Once you have a year or so of decent experience, the second job will be much easier to find.
Hang in there - you'll find something. You'll just need to work at it some and demonstrate that you have something to offer the firm. Too many recent grads approach the job hunt soley from the perspective of what the firm can do for them - try to avoid making that mistake.
just as long as you get in a firm...stay in a firm.............
the moment you leave the "game" your screwed....
and every thread like this is the same.....
1. try to call..yaddy yaddy yaddy
2. do this ...do that.....
3. work on this work on that......
since he/she is just graduating...... all i can recommend is to be a model building intern or a redline pusher........ because thats all you can really do.....
- by the way, there are countless previous threads here on this topic - czryco's right - the advice seems consistent over the years.
If you haven't already done so, use the search feature for "job search" and "resume" and "portfolio" etc. There also are some good resources above at the "jobs" tab.
suwatch- in times like these, it isn't what you know (or can show) but who you know. So use your myspace or facebook friends, ask professors and family friends for help, and do what your generation does best - keep on social networking.
Try temping and headhunters last - since they want a $izable fee to placing you, it makes getting a decent salary le$$ likely
Find firms operating the Middle East. Those are the ones hiring because in the current economy, the petrodollar is making a killing. Some firms with US work might have openings, you should definitely not expect to be choosy, and yes it is important to remember you have to question what you bring to the table not what the firm does for you. Its also important to keep an open mind and remember that your first job is just your first job, for some that might mean the world for others its a short stint, but a stint with perspective and you can move on from there
to echo treekiller, I'm curious about what would happen if suwatch were to set his/her Facebook status as "suwatch is looking for a job. Does anyone have any leads or contacts?" for 24-hours.
haha, my facebook status is "suwatch is in need of employment."
i actually just became facebook friends with one my previous employers and he's trying to hook me up with his contacts in LA. but finding a job across the country is very difficult, especially when flying over just to interview is out of the question / very expensive...
suwatch: long distance recruitment is problematic for the employer also ... apparently, it always seems easiest (if not best) to hire someone locally.
however, with the proper strategies, you can minimize both the cost and the difficulty. prepare a good electronic portfolio -- a website would be even better -- so prospective employers can view your work without needing to have you across the table in a conference room. make yourself readily available for phone interviews -- encourage one if the employer doesn't suggest one. the combination of these two strategies will quickly reduce the number of firms to those who actually have a meaningful interest.
then, once you narrow it down to one or two firms who really are interested, maybe you can negotiate a way for you to visit with them in person ... some firms will pay your entire travel cost (especially if it's just a day-trip) if you have something to offer that they really want ... or, perhaps you could work out a cost-sharing thing.
i don't know if its fair to say that 'our generation' is good at 'networking'
really what 'we' are good at is stalking through our friends friends friends hoping to find someone that is good looking and single that we might have a slim chance of running into at a party...
Don't get too discouraged about not finding something instantly. If you've been looking "all summer", except for 3 weeks when you were in Thailand, then at most you've been looking for 5 or 6 weeks.
Sometimes fresh grads do find that the job junt gets a lot easier in late August/September when all the summer interns have gone back to school.
Remember also that when you're looking for a full time job after graduation the firms' interviewing/hiring timeframes are often a lot longer than for when they're hiring part-time/summer student positions. Some firms take a couple months to identify strong resumes, interview, compare applicants, meet about hiring decisions, and extend offers. So the "looking" that you did a month ago can still pay off down the road.
You're correct in thinking that firms can be wary of non-local applicants - especially for entry-level positions. Make it clear in your cover letter that you can be available to interview locally at their convenience (if it's really the case that you can be available!), that you have no ties that will keep you from relocating on fairly short notice, and that you're excited at the prospect of moving to their city to work for them.
Applying to secondary cities/smaller markets can also be a good strategy - if in fact you are really interested in moving to one. If you have any ties to that place be sure to mention them (lots of family or friends there? lived there as a child?) Firms in smaller markets sometimes have experience with hiring and training "outsiders" only to find that they don't stay long - especially in places with extreme climates or quirky conditions, so if you make it clear that you've been there and understand the place it can help. Make sure you do your research so that you can tell them in interviews why exactly you're so excited to move to and work in their city...
it has taken me an average of 11 weeks to find a new job for each of the three job searches I've undertaken since 2005. so 5 weeks is less then half way to success. Don't give up.
thanks for the encouragement guys. i definitely feel better about my situation, although not that much better because i still don't have a job.
my summer actually started in may (graduation was may 2) so i've been looking for about 10 weeks now.
one more question i have is, how have you dealt with offices that don't even acknowledge your application? i think the majority of offices that i applied to didn't even send me an email saying "we're not hiring...". would it be wise to re-apply? just send a follow up email? call? i've read other threads about this where people say to call, but there were too many websites that said "no calls please" which makes me a little hesitant to call.
You should not "reapply" to offices that haven't acknowledged your application - at least not unless it's been a year since you applied the first time or the firm has indicated that it didn't receive your materials.
It's fine to email to follow up. Calling is usually ok too, though not if the firm specifically requested no calls. It's best to call or email within a week or two of first sending your stuff.
Unfortunately you'll probably find that some firms just don't acknowledge receiving your materials at all. Some others may send emails months down the line saying "thanks for the resume, no open positions right now, we'll keep you on file." If you sent your info in response to an ad then they're required to keep you on file for at least a year. If you applied unsolicited then they're under no obligation to even open the envelope...
A few times we've hired summer people and entry-level grads who just phoned the office one day. I think they just got out a phone book and started going down the list. The advantage there is that they were local and said "I can stop by this afternoon with my portfolio, or whenever is convenient for you." They just happened to call on the right day (when we were busy enough to think about hiring, not too busy to interview somebody). It's got to be the right day for some firm near you...
also have to think that due to the bad economy..... experience is the the holding factor for a position..... and usually when times are hard you really dont have an option for negotiating pay...it's either you take the offer or be jobless..
most firms probably dont have the extra funds to hire in new/fresh people and train....
Well it should be enough to establish that you have some basic skills, understand typical firm procedures, etc.
But a lot of firms don't really view jobs worked pre-graduation in the same light as experience after graduation. Even though these were co-ops - so presumably full time or close to it - you'll probably find that some firms just look at the date of your graduation and view these as "student jobs".
You should probably be stressing in your cover letters that your co-op experiences gave you "valuable full time experience in architecture firms" so that these firms realize that you're not as completely entry-level as other fresh out of school applicants.
Suwatch, do you have an online portfolio/Resume?
2 months ago a friend of a friend in Dubai was trying to find two architects for a 6 month project and seemed to find it quite difficult believe it or not. I think he didn't know where to advertise. Those vacancies are both gone obviously, but I'm just thinking if you make your portfolio available online, there's a chance that people like that (who evidently don't know where to look) might have a chance of finding you. for example over an archinect discussion like this. I know it doesn't make anything certain, but everything is worth a try, right?
Im too lazy to go back and read all the posts...so im not sure if this was covered or not:
Apply to as many places as possible. And dont limit yourself to firms advertising positions. I recently, just received a few job offers from places that I went to asking for a job. I was limited to a certain locale (an certain eastcoast metro area), and I just hunted down every firm in the area that aligned with me as a designer...sent out pleas to all 35...didnt hear from most, but did hear back from some really good firms.
but anyways...looks like you're getting some opportunities..good luck!
i know that the only way that i got this interview was because my old boss is buddies with this guy.
and the place i interviewed at in SF, one of the principals was roommates for undergrad with the head of the department at my school. i didn't use the connection but as soon as the principal got my application he emailed his old pal to check to see if i was legit.
simply because most of the firms i have interviewed at have asked if i know sketchup/illustrator/viz.......so that was the main factor.... along with the fact that i have like 1.5 years of office experience from back in 1999....
Knowing some CAD application - ANY CAD application! - and some 3D application is really usually enough. Even if their ad says "MUST know LatestHotCAD 2008.3" it's usually enough to say that you haven't used that particular application in a firm setting, but that you've used many other CAD applications and learned them in record time, and that you've been focusing your continuing education and professional development lately on construction issues, products, cutting edge green-ness/sustainability, and blah blah blah..., but that you're extremely interested in LatestHotCAD 2008.3 and have heard it's the greatest thing in CAD...
If you're applying for jobs where you don't quite fit the requirements 100% the trick is always just to sound very confident about all the useful things you do know, while at the same time very humble about what you don't. Assure them that you will do anything you can to get up to speed quickly with LatestHotCAD 2008.3 - and that if they can lend you a book or direct you to some online tutorials you'll start right now...
Sketchup does seem to be a ubiquitous requirement these days. But basic sketchup is free and can be mastered in a day or two by working through some equally free online tutorials - so just do that already and add Sketchup to your resume. Seriously - if you can master a sharpie you can master Sketchup.
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job hunt woes
Is any other fresh graduate having trouble finding a job or am I the only one in the country? I've been applying all summer (except for 3 weeks when I was in Thailand) and have had a few good interviews, all of which resulted in no offer because of project cancellations.
Anyone out there have any pointers for getting a job in a period of economic decline? I've used my old employers connections but they can only do so much if no one is hiring.
Are positions going to open up because peeps are going back to school soon?
Is there anyone out there in the same boat as me?
ps. I've been applying to offices in NYC, SFO and LA. Maybe I should go for a not major city?
Its strange this particular recession because usually during an economic downturn we see steady employment for recent grads because they cost less. The 2000-2003 recession was a good time for grads. I'd recommend Finding any work related to architecture if you have to if only to stay connected to the industry. If your living at home maybe you could hold out longer. Eventually you will get an offer. It may not be a dream job but your first architecture job rarely is.
Have you tried small, local architects? Sometimes they are the best for short term work, like 6 months - just tell them your situation if you want to work for a large firm someday, they will understand. Tell them I need 6 months, they may have a 6 month project you could work on. Just be honest.
try having a degree and construction experience and other things.....
i've been job hunting for about 2 years ir so...... trying to get back into the firms.... but i came to realize that i'm not hirable..... so i have no clue what to do........... i tried firms/exhibit houses/etc...... looks like i fucked myself early on when i decided to go out on my own for a bit....
everyone gives advice regarding finding jobs....but these parts of advice come from those that are already employed and prolly havent been in situations...........most folks have climbed the traditional ladder of the "game".........
it all comes down to how many programs you know and how little you will work for....... and probably office experience.........
good luck with the job hunt............ i'm actually going to give up soon...........i'm getting to stressed out over all the b.s. reasons of why i cant get hired....but yet the firms will hire people that have no clue......
cryzko, what is it that makes you, as you say, 'unhireable'?
suwatch, finding jobs is tough always, and even worse with today's economic climate. here's my advice.
1) send out resumes to tons of firms in all the cities you are interested in. if you send out enough, someone is bound to bite. i had to send out 100 to get my first job.
2) make sure you are very hireable. polish your portfolio, practice your interview skills, etc.
3) utilitze your connections. did you have a professor who likes you and has a firm, or has contacts at a practice? what about your friends?
good luck.
1. lack of office experience
2. not knowing all the hot programs
thats it..........
and i get tired of folks giving me advice.......... my experience is on the other side of the fence compared to the regular "archy" looking for a job....
it's a shame too how i can get praised from heads of architecture departments about my work...but yet i cant get hired......and i'm talking from small to big firms here in detroit also................i would move but no-one in cali/chicago will give me the time of day..........
just a bit ryled up about the whole field....if i knew i would still be broke, no job in the field i went to school for, and being 32....i might have slacked off in college more and just stayed in the firms when i graduated....
it's all coming back to haunt me now........ trying to stay creative sucks...especially when you have to figure out how your gonna eat/pay bills/etc .......... and cant collect un-employment since i've been self-employed......
i think it's really about the "game".......
thanks for the responses hommies.
jack-i haven't been trying any locals because honestly i don't want to be around here (ct). however, in times like these i should proly start looking around here...
cryzko-doesn't field/construction experience make up for lack of office experience?
nic-i have sent out tons of applications. any advice about applying to places across the country? i live on the east coast and earlier for west coast offices i would lie in the cover letter and tell them that i would already be in the area (i had a free flight waiting to be used)...that's how i got 3 interviews. but now that i'm back east and don't really have the means to "be there" is there any way i could put it so that west coast offices don't brush me off thinking that i wouldn't be willing to make the trip over?
- this thread's not about you - let's try to give suwatch some constructive help.
suwatch - JK and NB are right - this is a strange employment market - the Career Center at AIA.org currently has only 37 ads for Interns, but 173 ads for Architects. However, I'm not sure that accurately reflects the current national market for interns.
Most firms probably don't need to advertise for interns right now - I know our firm is inundated with unsolicited, and good quality, recent-grad resumes - we'd have no trouble hiring a good 'un if we weren't already full.
I recommend that you broaden your horizons some - if you really want work in architecture, you'll probably need to go where the work is - not necessarily where you'd prefer to live.
Send resumes to any firm that's hiring - that means they're probably busy and growing. Be flexible and focus on finding decent work. Once you have a year or so of decent experience, the second job will be much easier to find.
Hang in there - you'll find something. You'll just need to work at it some and demonstrate that you have something to offer the firm. Too many recent grads approach the job hunt soley from the perspective of what the firm can do for them - try to avoid making that mistake.
hahaha......
just as long as you get in a firm...stay in a firm.............
the moment you leave the "game" your screwed....
and every thread like this is the same.....
1. try to call..yaddy yaddy yaddy
2. do this ...do that.....
3. work on this work on that......
since he/she is just graduating...... all i can recommend is to be a model building intern or a redline pusher........ because thats all you can really do.....
good luck with the job hunt..................
- by the way, there are countless previous threads here on this topic - czryco's right - the advice seems consistent over the years.
If you haven't already done so, use the search feature for "job search" and "resume" and "portfolio" etc. There also are some good resources above at the "jobs" tab.
Happy hunting.
suwatch- in times like these, it isn't what you know (or can show) but who you know. So use your myspace or facebook friends, ask professors and family friends for help, and do what your generation does best - keep on social networking.
Try temping and headhunters last - since they want a $izable fee to placing you, it makes getting a decent salary le$$ likely
Find firms operating the Middle East. Those are the ones hiring because in the current economy, the petrodollar is making a killing. Some firms with US work might have openings, you should definitely not expect to be choosy, and yes it is important to remember you have to question what you bring to the table not what the firm does for you. Its also important to keep an open mind and remember that your first job is just your first job, for some that might mean the world for others its a short stint, but a stint with perspective and you can move on from there
Best of luck
what are the 'hot programs'?
to echo treekiller, I'm curious about what would happen if suwatch were to set his/her Facebook status as "suwatch is looking for a job. Does anyone have any leads or contacts?" for 24-hours.
haha, my facebook status is "suwatch is in need of employment."
i actually just became facebook friends with one my previous employers and he's trying to hook me up with his contacts in LA. but finding a job across the country is very difficult, especially when flying over just to interview is out of the question / very expensive...
This boat we are all in is hall full - with water.
suwatch: long distance recruitment is problematic for the employer also ... apparently, it always seems easiest (if not best) to hire someone locally.
however, with the proper strategies, you can minimize both the cost and the difficulty. prepare a good electronic portfolio -- a website would be even better -- so prospective employers can view your work without needing to have you across the table in a conference room. make yourself readily available for phone interviews -- encourage one if the employer doesn't suggest one. the combination of these two strategies will quickly reduce the number of firms to those who actually have a meaningful interest.
then, once you narrow it down to one or two firms who really are interested, maybe you can negotiate a way for you to visit with them in person ... some firms will pay your entire travel cost (especially if it's just a day-trip) if you have something to offer that they really want ... or, perhaps you could work out a cost-sharing thing.
Good luck.
i don't know if its fair to say that 'our generation' is good at 'networking'
really what 'we' are good at is stalking through our friends friends friends hoping to find someone that is good looking and single that we might have a slim chance of running into at a party...
i really wouldn't call it serious networking
Don't get too discouraged about not finding something instantly. If you've been looking "all summer", except for 3 weeks when you were in Thailand, then at most you've been looking for 5 or 6 weeks.
Sometimes fresh grads do find that the job junt gets a lot easier in late August/September when all the summer interns have gone back to school.
Remember also that when you're looking for a full time job after graduation the firms' interviewing/hiring timeframes are often a lot longer than for when they're hiring part-time/summer student positions. Some firms take a couple months to identify strong resumes, interview, compare applicants, meet about hiring decisions, and extend offers. So the "looking" that you did a month ago can still pay off down the road.
You're correct in thinking that firms can be wary of non-local applicants - especially for entry-level positions. Make it clear in your cover letter that you can be available to interview locally at their convenience (if it's really the case that you can be available!), that you have no ties that will keep you from relocating on fairly short notice, and that you're excited at the prospect of moving to their city to work for them.
Applying to secondary cities/smaller markets can also be a good strategy - if in fact you are really interested in moving to one. If you have any ties to that place be sure to mention them (lots of family or friends there? lived there as a child?) Firms in smaller markets sometimes have experience with hiring and training "outsiders" only to find that they don't stay long - especially in places with extreme climates or quirky conditions, so if you make it clear that you've been there and understand the place it can help. Make sure you do your research so that you can tell them in interviews why exactly you're so excited to move to and work in their city...
it has taken me an average of 11 weeks to find a new job for each of the three job searches I've undertaken since 2005. so 5 weeks is less then half way to success. Don't give up.
thanks for the encouragement guys. i definitely feel better about my situation, although not that much better because i still don't have a job.
my summer actually started in may (graduation was may 2) so i've been looking for about 10 weeks now.
one more question i have is, how have you dealt with offices that don't even acknowledge your application? i think the majority of offices that i applied to didn't even send me an email saying "we're not hiring...". would it be wise to re-apply? just send a follow up email? call? i've read other threads about this where people say to call, but there were too many websites that said "no calls please" which makes me a little hesitant to call.
thanks again.
You should not "reapply" to offices that haven't acknowledged your application - at least not unless it's been a year since you applied the first time or the firm has indicated that it didn't receive your materials.
It's fine to email to follow up. Calling is usually ok too, though not if the firm specifically requested no calls. It's best to call or email within a week or two of first sending your stuff.
Unfortunately you'll probably find that some firms just don't acknowledge receiving your materials at all. Some others may send emails months down the line saying "thanks for the resume, no open positions right now, we'll keep you on file." If you sent your info in response to an ad then they're required to keep you on file for at least a year. If you applied unsolicited then they're under no obligation to even open the envelope...
A few times we've hired summer people and entry-level grads who just phoned the office one day. I think they just got out a phone book and started going down the list. The advantage there is that they were local and said "I can stop by this afternoon with my portfolio, or whenever is convenient for you." They just happened to call on the right day (when we were busy enough to think about hiring, not too busy to interview somebody). It's got to be the right day for some firm near you...
also have to think that due to the bad economy..... experience is the the holding factor for a position..... and usually when times are hard you really dont have an option for negotiating pay...it's either you take the offer or be jobless..
most firms probably dont have the extra funds to hire in new/fresh people and train....
b
i have 3x 8month co-ops under my belt.
2 at star/boutique
1 at semi-corporate
imho that is enough experience to get me started...
however, job listings ive seen always as for 2+, 5-10, etc. rarely do i ever see 0-2 yrs.
what do you guys think? 3 x 8 = 24 = 2yr cumulative...is that not enough?
Well it should be enough to establish that you have some basic skills, understand typical firm procedures, etc.
But a lot of firms don't really view jobs worked pre-graduation in the same light as experience after graduation. Even though these were co-ops - so presumably full time or close to it - you'll probably find that some firms just look at the date of your graduation and view these as "student jobs".
You should probably be stressing in your cover letters that your co-op experiences gave you "valuable full time experience in architecture firms" so that these firms realize that you're not as completely entry-level as other fresh out of school applicants.
Suwatch, do you have an online portfolio/Resume?
2 months ago a friend of a friend in Dubai was trying to find two architects for a 6 month project and seemed to find it quite difficult believe it or not. I think he didn't know where to advertise. Those vacancies are both gone obviously, but I'm just thinking if you make your portfolio available online, there's a chance that people like that (who evidently don't know where to look) might have a chance of finding you. for example over an archinect discussion like this. I know it doesn't make anything certain, but everything is worth a try, right?
good news fellas. i just got an interview...in NY...for a job in LA...
now i gotta try to get some NY interviews so i can be productive that day.
Im too lazy to go back and read all the posts...so im not sure if this was covered or not:
Apply to as many places as possible. And dont limit yourself to firms advertising positions. I recently, just received a few job offers from places that I went to asking for a job. I was limited to a certain locale (an certain eastcoast metro area), and I just hunted down every firm in the area that aligned with me as a designer...sent out pleas to all 35...didnt hear from most, but did hear back from some really good firms.
but anyways...looks like you're getting some opportunities..good luck!
good job......
not sure how people are able to even get looked at from out of state firms....... never had any luck in that
stay safe
it's absolutely about connections.
i know that the only way that i got this interview was because my old boss is buddies with this guy.
and the place i interviewed at in SF, one of the principals was roommates for undergrad with the head of the department at my school. i didn't use the connection but as soon as the principal got my application he emailed his old pal to check to see if i was legit.
believe me there are plenty of firms that don't use the hot programs.
well, i need to know them then......
simply because most of the firms i have interviewed at have asked if i know sketchup/illustrator/viz.......so that was the main factor.... along with the fact that i have like 1.5 years of office experience from back in 1999....
sharpie/cad/paper shouldnt that be enough....
Knowing some CAD application - ANY CAD application! - and some 3D application is really usually enough. Even if their ad says "MUST know LatestHotCAD 2008.3" it's usually enough to say that you haven't used that particular application in a firm setting, but that you've used many other CAD applications and learned them in record time, and that you've been focusing your continuing education and professional development lately on construction issues, products, cutting edge green-ness/sustainability, and blah blah blah..., but that you're extremely interested in LatestHotCAD 2008.3 and have heard it's the greatest thing in CAD...
If you're applying for jobs where you don't quite fit the requirements 100% the trick is always just to sound very confident about all the useful things you do know, while at the same time very humble about what you don't. Assure them that you will do anything you can to get up to speed quickly with LatestHotCAD 2008.3 - and that if they can lend you a book or direct you to some online tutorials you'll start right now...
Sketchup does seem to be a ubiquitous requirement these days. But basic sketchup is free and can be mastered in a day or two by working through some equally free online tutorials - so just do that already and add Sketchup to your resume. Seriously - if you can master a sharpie you can master Sketchup.
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