You are never too early and never too inexperienced to try an internship. Start applying well before summer; call/meet with firms as early as March.

Also, DO expect to get paid, and if a firm is going to offer you a non-paying internship position, I advice not to take it. In today's age, it is very non-ethical for architect companies to hire unpaid interns. You'll essentially be a grunt worker, and the company has no responsibility to treat you fairly since, well, you aren't on the payroll.

My first internship was scored during a volunteer event in Chicago back in my junior year of college (in retrospect, I should have focused on getting one way earlier). My fraternity and I helped in Chicago's annual "Rebuilding Together" event that rehabilitates homes for low-income homeowners. The guy in-charge of our building was also a project manager in an architect firm, and at lunch we talked and boom. Summer internship. Ended up having my feet wet in some preliminary design, a lot of construction documents, learned ArchiCAD entirely, went to several site visits and helped with site analysis, etc etc. Incredible experience. Definitely helped to pave the way to where I am today.

Get an internship as soon as possible, you can start earning IDP hours once you finish a set amount of credit hours so go for it start chipping away at IDP and gaining experience. 2-3 summers of experience can set you ahead of other recent graduates who did not work in the field during summer and winter breaks.  My advice is to look for firms in a location that you can work while school is out in the winter and spring breaks if that is near home or if you can be a year round resident where you go to school will make you more of an attractive candidate for an internship. This is also the kind of situation that alumni connections will help you the most.

Get some of the faculty to agree to be references especially the more senior ones.

also on the resume list your technical skills in the number of years you used a software program. List this first as this will be the most important thing if you do not have much experience.

Revit 3 Years

Auto-cad 1 year

Photoshop 3 years

also I would recommend listing this in two or three neat columns so it is easier to read if I was recruiting for a firm I want to quickly find that you are competent in the software we use at the office.

Revit 3 Years Auto-cad 1 year Photoshop 3 years

above is not as easy to read as a list

Then list courses and namedrop instructors if they have been teaching at your school for a few years, more than 10, they probably have alumni who know them.

Professor Jane Doe's realizing architectural reality course AD 321 Fall 2013

Professor John Smith's Urban planning in a green context course UP123 Spring 2014

if they are new faculty list their names if you have the space but otherwise just the courses that are relevant to working in a real office.

Also list organizations and fraternal organizations especially if you are an officer or heading up a project or major event.

the back of a resume is a good place for 1-3 good images from your portfolio as a teaser. When emailing PDF files include some pages of teasers but make sure your header with contact info is on each page. Never go over the limit on attachment sizes.

Over and OUT

Peter N

 

PS. your career goal is to become and architect not to gain an entry level position.

I starting working in an architecture & planning firm my last semester of high school. I really enjoyed it and the firm principal's encouraged me to pursue a degree in architecture. I was planning on attending art school and teaching art. My father discouraged my goals because I would never make any money teaching art....

I continued to work part-time while I was in school. I think that helped me to understand the difference between the theoretical aspects of education versus the practical aspects through work experience. Many students who don't intern during their education seem to become disillusioned with the profession more often than most. The gap between school and professional practice can be daunting for some.

It would be beneficial for any student to intern throughout their entire education. Ask to be paid and expect to be paid.

I did not do any interning while in school.  I was going through in 3 years.  I was not available for summer 1.  I was available for summer 2, but interning didn't pencil (you know, 12 weeks or so, and I didn't find anything, either).

I then moved after graduation, took AutoCAD at a community college, and got a job within 1 or 2 months, which I stayed at for about 2 years.  Had I not had AutoCAD, I wouldn't have found anything.  That much I know.  They also liked that I had a 1 year drafting certificate from a community college prior to studying for the M.Arch.

The gap between school and professional practice can be daunting for some.

You make a lot of good points.  For those carrying 15+ credits a term, including a design studio, working can compromise the quality of their school work.  Interning is for time off or low-load terms, and part-time at that.  I knew very, very few who were working.

I found work to be a relief.  It seemed normal.  But I had worked prior to going back to school.  I thought there were both professors and students in a-school who were flakes, and the school's set up was not at all flaky.

Age 7. My father was a tough taskmaster. And it was unpaid.

I started when I was 20 years old working in a small high end residential firm. I did light drafting and this position helped me decide to pursue architecture.

Even if you dont think you have many skills to bring to the table, just being in the design office environment will help your understanding of the profession.

I would recommend interning at a smaller firm. There are often opportunities to play many different roles in the office and it can be easier understand how the whole operation works.

Thank-you everyone for your comments.

I'm going to try to get one this summer and hope for the best. I guess my strategy would be to just email/call/visit some of the local firms around my house and see if I could  be of any assistance to them. All of the advertised interns seem to be for big firms, where I probably won't learn as much as a smaller one, and would probably have lots of competition.

Apply now. It is not uncommon to have an internship lined by the end of January. Firms generally project their workload for 2014 in October/November of 2013.

My first internship was at the conclusion of my 2nd year (co-op program). I was out-of-state so I applied to firms in my home state as well as where I was attending school.

We've already determined the number of interns we will hire this year and I've already reviewed a few resumes/ portfolios from applicants that submitted materials before Christmas. Software competency goes a long way as well as showing you have the tools to be successful in a collaborative setting(ie leadership positions in organizations on campus).

Do not take an unpaid position and if one is offered to you ask them if they pay the janitor. I'll bet they do and you should be paid too.