So I'm graduating in the summer and I recently decided to give myself a year off to work on my portfolio and school research before apply to an architecture grad program. However I really want to do something new nevertheless; I don't want to stay in my home state. I'd really love to find an internship position in a big city.
This is probably stereotypical, but I would love to live in New York for a year. Not only is it "the" big city, it's also home of Colombia which is a heavy favorite of mine, pending additional research. Considering cost of living, I'm also thinking about Chicago and Pittsburgh.
I would love to hear any advice anyone has about securing an internship in these places (obviously I'm not going to move blind without an internship, I would need a position lined up) and actually living in one of these places. Is affording New York while still having time to development my portfolio, research schools, etc a realistic desire?
If NYC has potentially the greatest number of internship opportunities - but you will likely end up spending more than you make at work.
If your desire is to go to Columbia, it is beneficial to work for a Columbia grad / professor.
Save some $ and start applying.
Nov 28, 13 10:10 am ·
·
Just 1 year? You should give yourself 2-4 years before grad school. It's hard to really get your hands dirty and see a project through in just a year. Especially if you move to a new city. Probably take nearly a yera to get fully acclimated anyways.
And a longer break is probably more helpful for grad school app & portfolio. You'll have more time to find your & clarify your voice. Maybe even try dabbling in somthing outside the arch profession for a while. If you use hte experience well, then you'll be a much stronger & more focuse candidat for grad shool. Jus my 2¢
The academia world has done a wonderful job at convincing students that they need a MArch.
Then they realize that it just set them back a couple years of 'real world experience'.
Then NCARB has done such a wonderful job of making MArch graduates belief licensure is the golden key after that. What a wonderful business model architecture has become for colleges.
Someone has alot of learning to do.
Hope your parents didn't turn your bedroom into their 'naughty den".
If you are young, I would second working for 2 years. The time off will give you some great experience, a different view of architecture than you learned in school, and additionally when you do your m.arch you will take in more, it will be easier, and you will graduate and be able to get a job. It is so difficult to get that "first position" once you get some work experience it seems to be relatively easy to more from firm to firm and stay employed, however those who push right through and never have had a job seem to find it extremely difficult to get hired after the masters, but this is just kind of what I noticed so it may be wrong.
Working was a good thing for me as well, you get experience and IDP hours and that is not retractable once you have it. You will also have an edge in software since CAD and Revit are best learned working on a real project.
Chicago has a solid market right now but it is all hidden few firms are posting online some post on their websites try networking identify 10 firms and try to get 2-3 folks per a firm to meet with you or agree to take your call and follow the leads until you have something.
Rents in Chicago are reasonable wages are good and the local AIA keeps a handle on the exploitative free internship problem. Being out of town is a disadvantage in either market, if you can get a survivor job lined up and then move or move with the understanding that you will be living a meager existence in the months it might take you to land a job you have the home court advantage.
Both are world class cities and even if you don't land a job having a month or two to explore and sketch may be worth it if you can afford it.
Looking at his profile, it appears he wans to go to Grad School because his degree is a BS in Architecture. I would even still advocate for taking a few years off to work if you are able to find a position. Maybe also apply to Design Build Firms or GC's in the area you are looking in order to gain valuable experience. There is not better experience than knowing directly how a building goes together. All the degrees in the world will not be able to teach you that.
Nov 29, 13 1:04 pm ·
·
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Decided to take a year off before Grad School, wanting to move for an internship
So I'm graduating in the summer and I recently decided to give myself a year off to work on my portfolio and school research before apply to an architecture grad program. However I really want to do something new nevertheless; I don't want to stay in my home state. I'd really love to find an internship position in a big city.
This is probably stereotypical, but I would love to live in New York for a year. Not only is it "the" big city, it's also home of Colombia which is a heavy favorite of mine, pending additional research. Considering cost of living, I'm also thinking about Chicago and Pittsburgh.
I would love to hear any advice anyone has about securing an internship in these places (obviously I'm not going to move blind without an internship, I would need a position lined up) and actually living in one of these places. Is affording New York while still having time to development my portfolio, research schools, etc a realistic desire?
If NYC has potentially the greatest number of internship opportunities - but you will likely end up spending more than you make at work.
If your desire is to go to Columbia, it is beneficial to work for a Columbia grad / professor.
Save some $ and start applying.
Just 1 year? You should give yourself 2-4 years before grad school. It's hard to really get your hands dirty and see a project through in just a year. Especially if you move to a new city. Probably take nearly a yera to get fully acclimated anyways.
And a longer break is probably more helpful for grad school app & portfolio. You'll have more time to find your & clarify your voice. Maybe even try dabbling in somthing outside the arch profession for a while. If you use hte experience well, then you'll be a much stronger & more focuse candidat for grad shool. Jus my 2¢
The academia world has done a wonderful job at convincing students that they need a MArch.
Then they realize that it just set them back a couple years of 'real world experience'.
Then NCARB has done such a wonderful job of making MArch graduates belief licensure is the golden key after that. What a wonderful business model architecture has become for colleges.
Someone has alot of learning to do.
Hope your parents didn't turn your bedroom into their 'naughty den".
If you are young, I would second working for 2 years. The time off will give you some great experience, a different view of architecture than you learned in school, and additionally when you do your m.arch you will take in more, it will be easier, and you will graduate and be able to get a job. It is so difficult to get that "first position" once you get some work experience it seems to be relatively easy to more from firm to firm and stay employed, however those who push right through and never have had a job seem to find it extremely difficult to get hired after the masters, but this is just kind of what I noticed so it may be wrong.
Working was a good thing for me as well, you get experience and IDP hours and that is not retractable once you have it. You will also have an edge in software since CAD and Revit are best learned working on a real project.
Chicago has a solid market right now but it is all hidden few firms are posting online some post on their websites try networking identify 10 firms and try to get 2-3 folks per a firm to meet with you or agree to take your call and follow the leads until you have something.
Rents in Chicago are reasonable wages are good and the local AIA keeps a handle on the exploitative free internship problem. Being out of town is a disadvantage in either market, if you can get a survivor job lined up and then move or move with the understanding that you will be living a meager existence in the months it might take you to land a job you have the home court advantage.
Both are world class cities and even if you don't land a job having a month or two to explore and sketch may be worth it if you can afford it.
Over and OUT
Peter N
Looking at his profile, it appears he wans to go to Grad School because his degree is a BS in Architecture. I would even still advocate for taking a few years off to work if you are able to find a position. Maybe also apply to Design Build Firms or GC's in the area you are looking in order to gain valuable experience. There is not better experience than knowing directly how a building goes together. All the degrees in the world will not be able to teach you that.
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