I have a BArch degree from outside the USA, I'm seeking internship opportunities in SF for a 6 months+ period. I've looked up several firms on the aia list, most of them only mentioned "summer internships". I have, however, sent out resumes and portfolios to those that seem to be interested in hiring "interns", I have no luck so far. Plus, some big-name firms seem not to response at all whatsoever.
I know the market isn't that great and intern jobs are hard to get, but I would like to seek for your opinions and your ways on successfully gaining an internship. I think I have a reasonable portfolio/resume and not picky at all but sometimes I wonder if it is because of my degree (not from USA) that makes the difference? If that is the case, what are the chances of getting an intern job?
Thank you. (yeah, I know the "job-hunting" threads are annoying)
You might be having problems if you are a foreigner that needs some sort of sponsored Visa, or if your portfolio/work does not really fit the criteria of your prospective employers.
We can give a more honest opinion as to why you are not getting any responses if you post your website or upload images of your portfolio somewhere online for us to see.
Keep working on your applications, but I would suggest to take some classes .
Many colleges offer Architectural-related prep with no pre-requisites (no need for transcripts), which you can complete in 16 weeks or so.
This way you get some educational leverage. And don't forget to keep your resume updated.
dodo - I doubt the issue is your non-US degree. In my experience, firms that need staff are not overly concerned about where the young architect went to school if a) the portfolio shows strong ability and promise; b) the candidate has a professional appearance; c) the proper social graces and language skills are present, and d) the economics make sense - meaning, your productivity exceeds your cost.
I suspect your issues relate more to your desire for a short term internship. Many firms worry about bringing in someone for half a year, spending time training the person, only to lose you right about the time you start getting productive, especially if there's little prospect you'd return at the end of a degree program, which often happens with summer interns approaching graduation.
I'd also be very objective about your language skills. Architecture is a team sport - we need to have an easy and effective way to communicate with you (and vice-versa) for the team to function effectively.
An internship can be an investment even if it's only for a couple of weeks. Firms bank on interns, literally, to pay interns far less than they can bill us out at and make them do things other higher-ups in the office wouldn't or couldn't do well.
To add a few things: I earned my degree from an English speaking country and under a legal working status. I also gained some part-time/ summer intern experiences during school (not in the US).
There are quite a lot of firms that I've looked up offer Internship Programs but I wonder if they tend to recruite students from local schools only? I mean, if they were going to invest $ in internship programs (not mentioning the duration), would they be willing to "try out" a foreigner?
I went to 2 interviews so far, but what I've realized was that they were only interested in viewing my portfolio in stead of offering jobs - this is based on my personal perception. So now I am considering to pursue a post-grad degree here in the US in order to "break" into the "network". I'm not even totally convinced myself that it is the way.
Once again, thank you for your time, I really appreciate your thoughts!
Aug 7, 08 9:37 pm ·
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Internship in SF?
Hi everyone,
I have a BArch degree from outside the USA, I'm seeking internship opportunities in SF for a 6 months+ period. I've looked up several firms on the aia list, most of them only mentioned "summer internships". I have, however, sent out resumes and portfolios to those that seem to be interested in hiring "interns", I have no luck so far. Plus, some big-name firms seem not to response at all whatsoever.
I know the market isn't that great and intern jobs are hard to get, but I would like to seek for your opinions and your ways on successfully gaining an internship. I think I have a reasonable portfolio/resume and not picky at all but sometimes I wonder if it is because of my degree (not from USA) that makes the difference? If that is the case, what are the chances of getting an intern job?
Thank you. (yeah, I know the "job-hunting" threads are annoying)
You might be having problems if you are a foreigner that needs some sort of sponsored Visa, or if your portfolio/work does not really fit the criteria of your prospective employers.
We can give a more honest opinion as to why you are not getting any responses if you post your website or upload images of your portfolio somewhere online for us to see.
Keep working on your applications, but I would suggest to take some classes .
Many colleges offer Architectural-related prep with no pre-requisites (no need for transcripts), which you can complete in 16 weeks or so.
This way you get some educational leverage. And don't forget to keep your resume updated.
Good luck and let me know if you made it!
dodo - I doubt the issue is your non-US degree. In my experience, firms that need staff are not overly concerned about where the young architect went to school if a) the portfolio shows strong ability and promise; b) the candidate has a professional appearance; c) the proper social graces and language skills are present, and d) the economics make sense - meaning, your productivity exceeds your cost.
I suspect your issues relate more to your desire for a short term internship. Many firms worry about bringing in someone for half a year, spending time training the person, only to lose you right about the time you start getting productive, especially if there's little prospect you'd return at the end of a degree program, which often happens with summer interns approaching graduation.
I'd also be very objective about your language skills. Architecture is a team sport - we need to have an easy and effective way to communicate with you (and vice-versa) for the team to function effectively.
Good luck.
Dodo:
I agree with Quizzical. Most firms understand that internship is an investment; therefore they want you to apply the adquired skills in-office.
An internship can be an investment even if it's only for a couple of weeks. Firms bank on interns, literally, to pay interns far less than they can bill us out at and make them do things other higher-ups in the office wouldn't or couldn't do well.
Thanks for your candor replies.
To add a few things: I earned my degree from an English speaking country and under a legal working status. I also gained some part-time/ summer intern experiences during school (not in the US).
There are quite a lot of firms that I've looked up offer Internship Programs but I wonder if they tend to recruite students from local schools only? I mean, if they were going to invest $ in internship programs (not mentioning the duration), would they be willing to "try out" a foreigner?
I went to 2 interviews so far, but what I've realized was that they were only interested in viewing my portfolio in stead of offering jobs - this is based on my personal perception. So now I am considering to pursue a post-grad degree here in the US in order to "break" into the "network". I'm not even totally convinced myself that it is the way.
Once again, thank you for your time, I really appreciate your thoughts!
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