So I've got one more year to go until I finish graduate school and start searching for jobs. Getting an internship this summer was tough, to say the least - I wonder, given the current job market, how hard is it to get a decent job with a master's degree? Any success stories? Any advice? I realize that the economic climate might change in a year (hopefully, for the better), but I am wondering if there are any recent grad school graduates who can relay their experiences.
I've got some prior experience working for architecture firms. I definitely have the drive and I like to believe that I have the talent as well. I am, however, a little anxious about future job prospects and do not want to end up with a mediocre firm just because it's the only option available out there. I got into this profession to love what I do, after all! I'd like to hear some words of encouragement, caution and advice. Thanks!
Well, bad news first... I recently read a statistic that graduates coming out of school in a bad recession such as this take something like 15 years to get to parity with someone coming our of school in a booming economy. Sorry.
My biggest suggestion...while you are in school (as we all were) you are probably thinking that working for some top tier architect (someone that is published in Arch Record) is a top firm and others are just mediocre, is what you want as a fresh graduate. But, you should really shift your thinking. Except for the rare few that go down that path and it works out (I know, I know...you are different) you can really learn a lot more from a firm that you are now thinking is "mediocre". As an intern, it is entirely up to you what you learn and you will have such a huge amount to learn that ANY firm will offer you the opportunity to learn what you need to know regardless of the quality of work that they are doing.
When I am hiring employees that have 3 to 5 years experience, give me someone with great experience through all phases of the design/construction process from a "mediocre" firm any day over someone with limited experience from a star architects firm. In my experience, they mostly suck.
I just graduated in June (MArch + MBA) and a week later I found myself living in Beijing. When I started school I would have never guessed that I would be living in China after graduation. I had several great internships during school and fortunately I was able to network my into an interview for the job.
I began my job search back in December '08. I began looking at places in certain regions in the US where I had previously interned. As the "sorry we can't hire anyone right now" emails piled up I expanded my search to just about every major city in the US. The opportunities that I did find were just above intern wages and no benefits. Sorry 200k in tuition doesn't equal intern wages, I don't care about how bad the economy is. It was all quite discouraging...then I began looking abroad. I had studied chinese and went through an immersion program during undergrad so I decided to call up large US firms with offices in China. I had a connection with one firm that had an office in Beijing and I was offered the job at the conclusion of the interview. So less than a week after graduation I was on a plane and so far it has been a great experience.
My best advice is never be afraid of change, now is the time to do it. You are about to graduate, you've worked your ass off for the past 6 years and don't let a "bad economy" hold you back from reaching your goals. Talk to everyone you know and everyone you've ever worked with. Start your search now, start lining up places you'd like to work and see if you can find connections, remember 6 degrees of separation. Firms are flooded with over qualified candidates so you have to find a way to stand out.
I am definitely open to the opportunities abroad... perhaps not as far as China.. but maybe Europe, or Canada. And I agree, I have busted my butt off - am near the top of my class, have networked and made connections with some amazing professors at my school. In this economy, it seems like that is still not enough. But I am definitely not giving up!
tyvek - I worked for some "mediocre" firms for two years - one after I took a year off from school and another during my earlier internships. You are absolutely right - I've learned so much - from pre-design stages to CDs, I was able to work on almost all stages of a project. Those firms definitely helped me grow immensely and, for that, I would never badmouth them, because I feel lucky to have worked in such creative, positive environments. But I feel like, after graduation, I'd like to work somewhere where I am really passionate about work - somewhere the the design attitude might be a little less traditional and a little more experimental, and usually those are the firms that I have followed over the years. Not the ones necessarily on cover pages of Arch Record, but the ones that have inspired me with their work
This past spring I got a full time job (temporary, only lasting six months), some freelance work, and a position as a studio instructor at a summer arch program.
This leaves me really busy and pretty happy with my situation currently.
I can see that if I want to keep busy in the future I will probably have to piece smaller jobs together rather then having a single full-time job. Maybe even sprinkle in some non-architecture related work to pay the bills.
Although it may have been nice to fall into a full-time/ long-term position with a great firm, I guess that was just not in the cards for my specific journey through the field of architecture.
I am taking my newly minted masters to NY in the fall. Then we will see where my education takes me. Probably nowhere glorious or traditional or able-to-be-planned, but it will be an adventure, and more importantly, it will be MY adventure.
Jul 9, 09 10:36 pm ·
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Any Success getting jobs after receiving MA in Arch?
So I've got one more year to go until I finish graduate school and start searching for jobs. Getting an internship this summer was tough, to say the least - I wonder, given the current job market, how hard is it to get a decent job with a master's degree? Any success stories? Any advice? I realize that the economic climate might change in a year (hopefully, for the better), but I am wondering if there are any recent grad school graduates who can relay their experiences.
I've got some prior experience working for architecture firms. I definitely have the drive and I like to believe that I have the talent as well. I am, however, a little anxious about future job prospects and do not want to end up with a mediocre firm just because it's the only option available out there. I got into this profession to love what I do, after all! I'd like to hear some words of encouragement, caution and advice. Thanks!
Well, bad news first... I recently read a statistic that graduates coming out of school in a bad recession such as this take something like 15 years to get to parity with someone coming our of school in a booming economy. Sorry.
My biggest suggestion...while you are in school (as we all were) you are probably thinking that working for some top tier architect (someone that is published in Arch Record) is a top firm and others are just mediocre, is what you want as a fresh graduate. But, you should really shift your thinking. Except for the rare few that go down that path and it works out (I know, I know...you are different) you can really learn a lot more from a firm that you are now thinking is "mediocre". As an intern, it is entirely up to you what you learn and you will have such a huge amount to learn that ANY firm will offer you the opportunity to learn what you need to know regardless of the quality of work that they are doing.
When I am hiring employees that have 3 to 5 years experience, give me someone with great experience through all phases of the design/construction process from a "mediocre" firm any day over someone with limited experience from a star architects firm. In my experience, they mostly suck.
I just graduated in June (MArch + MBA) and a week later I found myself living in Beijing. When I started school I would have never guessed that I would be living in China after graduation. I had several great internships during school and fortunately I was able to network my into an interview for the job.
I began my job search back in December '08. I began looking at places in certain regions in the US where I had previously interned. As the "sorry we can't hire anyone right now" emails piled up I expanded my search to just about every major city in the US. The opportunities that I did find were just above intern wages and no benefits. Sorry 200k in tuition doesn't equal intern wages, I don't care about how bad the economy is. It was all quite discouraging...then I began looking abroad. I had studied chinese and went through an immersion program during undergrad so I decided to call up large US firms with offices in China. I had a connection with one firm that had an office in Beijing and I was offered the job at the conclusion of the interview. So less than a week after graduation I was on a plane and so far it has been a great experience.
My best advice is never be afraid of change, now is the time to do it. You are about to graduate, you've worked your ass off for the past 6 years and don't let a "bad economy" hold you back from reaching your goals. Talk to everyone you know and everyone you've ever worked with. Start your search now, start lining up places you'd like to work and see if you can find connections, remember 6 degrees of separation. Firms are flooded with over qualified candidates so you have to find a way to stand out.
Above all never give up.
I am definitely open to the opportunities abroad... perhaps not as far as China.. but maybe Europe, or Canada. And I agree, I have busted my butt off - am near the top of my class, have networked and made connections with some amazing professors at my school. In this economy, it seems like that is still not enough. But I am definitely not giving up!
tyvek - I worked for some "mediocre" firms for two years - one after I took a year off from school and another during my earlier internships. You are absolutely right - I've learned so much - from pre-design stages to CDs, I was able to work on almost all stages of a project. Those firms definitely helped me grow immensely and, for that, I would never badmouth them, because I feel lucky to have worked in such creative, positive environments. But I feel like, after graduation, I'd like to work somewhere where I am really passionate about work - somewhere the the design attitude might be a little less traditional and a little more experimental, and usually those are the firms that I have followed over the years. Not the ones necessarily on cover pages of Arch Record, but the ones that have inspired me with their work
This past spring I got a full time job (temporary, only lasting six months), some freelance work, and a position as a studio instructor at a summer arch program.
This leaves me really busy and pretty happy with my situation currently.
I can see that if I want to keep busy in the future I will probably have to piece smaller jobs together rather then having a single full-time job. Maybe even sprinkle in some non-architecture related work to pay the bills.
Although it may have been nice to fall into a full-time/ long-term position with a great firm, I guess that was just not in the cards for my specific journey through the field of architecture.
I am taking my newly minted masters to NY in the fall. Then we will see where my education takes me. Probably nowhere glorious or traditional or able-to-be-planned, but it will be an adventure, and more importantly, it will be MY adventure.
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