I am a recent grad looking to get a job as an Intern. I have noticed a few postings in the big cities but a lot of them are unpaid. My question is how do you survive if you aren't getting paid?
I have been working for free since June. I was laid off in November of '08. I use EDD(California unemployment) as pay. Unfortunately it is now expected that you will work for free until either you get noticed or prove yourself. I guess many expect that you have another source of revenue. Developing websites is a good way to create income. I myself provide low cost lessons in Revit in the SF bay area.
Don't work for free. Architects salaries have been diluted over the years. Each time there is a recession we lose ground. By working for free you are contributing to the dilution. You are also allowing others to take advantage of you under the guise of gaining experience.
There are minimum wage laws. There are labor laws governing the amount of hours you work in a day/week for overtime. If an employer has you work for free or doesn't comply with overtime pay they are breaking the law. In this market, interns should in the least make minimum wage, get paid for overtime and be entitled to any benefits offered to other employees. I know that minimum wage is not much, but at least you would be able to eat.
err...sorry jackbnimble819 for the last useless comment...the "work for free" tactics in our profession is a really ugly practice, and i hope will soon be a thing of the past, though this might be wishful thinking.
regardless, if i were you, and can not, or is not willing to work for free, i'd suggest continuing your education with a masters, in architecture, or another major in which you'd like to focus your career on (psychology, jornalism, stru.engineering, etc) - if you do decide to live without pay, i would suggest travelling, or volunteering with a just cause...
overall, a very tough time to graduate...good luck!
rverk.ini, if you are working for free for a licensed architect you should turn him/her in to the state licensing board. S/he is breaking the law, and basically so are you.
If you are surviving on unemployment, while "working" for someone for free, then your "employer" is stealing taxpayer money.
Stop doing it, tomorrow, and tell the douchebag why. S/he is giving the rest of us - who would never, under any circumstances, let someone work without remuneration - a bad reputation. It is in no way "expected" that someone will work for free.
In fact, if I was a California resident, I'd be finding out who you are so I could find out who your "employer" is so I could turn him/her in myself.
Oh yes, sorry, jackbnimble: as to your question: people survive "working" for free because they have money from somewhere else: parents, lover, etc., or their cost of living is essentially zero. No unpaid job posting is reputable, unless it's for school credit, which would mean you are still a student and thus living off student loans or work/study jobs.
Don't buy into the myth that unpaid work is a rite of passage. I've never worked for free. For little, yes, but never for nothing.
I agree 100% --- DO NOT WORK FOR FREE --- I graduated in May and have been doing non-architecture because all I have received are "internships" where they expect you to work without compensation. I said NO THANKS, both for moral and financial reasons, but mainly moral as it is illegal and completely absurd to think that I shouldn't receive any compensation after spending 4+ years getting a masters of architecture. I'll wait until someone decides my skills are worth payment.
Does Jordan with a bs business degree and no real world experience work for free? Hell no!
Now is the time for a survival job, once things turn around you can put that piece of paper to use. Several of my classmates are doing quite well (some are making more than they ever did as a graduate intern) waiting tables at fine restaurants. After all architecture does teach you to think on your feet and you can put your expanded vocabulary to good use.
Regarding “survival”, might try getting a room mate (or several), or try selling some of your books/junk laying around on ebay. If you’re a decent musician, try a few gigs around town, etc..Do some graphics (posters, flyers, websites, etc.), and be sure to ask for an advance if possible.
Heck, move in with relatives/parents temporarily. It’s tough out there for a lot of people (not just architects) though some folks always seem to find a way to survive.
i am NOT working for free after I get done with grad school in a year. Hell, worst come to the very worst, I will just get a job elsewhere. Working for free is ludicrous and I really do not have the luxury to rely on the financial support of my parents for the rest of my life.
No matter how much I love the profession, I can't sacrifice everything for it.
I think about what I do on a normal basis (design, production work, schedules, Ca, Code analysis, QA/QC, naratives -- basically figuring out ways to put buildings together) and there is no way ANYONE can look me in the face and tell me that this amount of work/sacrifice isn't worth a penny.
We've all sacrificed a lot of our personal lives to design buildings and make them work well. It's a very difficult process that requires constant time and effort and many it's work that in most cases have deprived of sleep, families, and lives. All of us who work or have worked in the profession know that even the money we get now is on the unsatisfactory side.
And to those working for free now: Thank you for your bastardization of our profession.
Just for the record, I did quit the free gig so I can focus my time on my portfolio and network. We shouldn't have to work on our knees just to get our foot in the door.
You are very misguided. You do not work for free and that's the end of the story. You're just going to look like a schmuck working for a douchebag boss in the first place. You completely being taken advantage of and that's the sad thing.
If I was interviewing you and you said you were working for free at your previous gig, the only thing I'll see is the word 'sucker' tatooed accross your face. And I'd be very tempted (If I was a total asshole) to low-ball the hell out of you.
Just so you know, many internal vacancies at many firms are starting to open up from what I'm hearing. The chances of finding something -- anything is a little better now than it was about five months ago. I'd get out of this threatening cycle ASAP.
med. glad to hear there are some moments of brightness amidst this doom and gloom that's been prevalent on this site. I agree that working for free after all the years of education is nothing other than bastardization. Can we give ourselves a little credit and say that we are actually worth something, damn it?
What I'm saying is that most of us already feel underpaid for all the work that we do and the sacrifices we make. And people freel inclined to work for free???
I concur with LB. If I find out anyone is working for free I wouldn't hesitate to be the whistleblower for that situation.
You know, some people in my class in grad school got offered unpaid internships - these were not even starchitect firms, just no-name practices in various states. Would that also be considered illegal or do interns have to suck it up until graduation?
Personally, I held out for a paid job but I know many people were so desperate for a job, they seriously were considering accepting the unpaid offers...
this is tough. i myself am not really sure what to do. i have a part-time job, but i only make $9/hr and only get 25hrs/wk. i've been out of work for the better part of 11.5 months, and haven't been eligible for unemployment because i quit to move here. my sister is also pregnant (i live with her) and i'm getting kicked out in a couple months. it's pretty bad. i've applied for some jobs with americorps, and i'm probably going to look at the peace corps and the air force. i can't go back to my old job because they aren't doing well and just had to lay two people off. starting my own business doesn't really feel right, as i don't have any clients and am without any startup capital, plus i'm just not that familiar with the local codes or getting projects through the city.
At some point, some regulatory body needs to step in on this. I think any employer with the most basic level of decency would feel obligated to pay at least minimum wage to someone who is engaged in work related activity in their office, even if it is "internship" oriented. $6.25 an hour X 40 hours is $250. If one can't afford to make that minimal outlay, they should be questioning if they have the financial means or workload to even offer someone a position.
I doubt that the AIA would ever do something as coherent as banning the practice of unpaid internships among its membership. I'm sure it would cause the exchange of too many cross words. It would seem though to be part of a larger movement that they should be fighting towards for the entire profession, which is greater compensation for services. It would be a trickle up theory. If a certain portion of the professional population is not taught that its ok to be taken advantage of early in their careers... maybe they wont be such wimps when it comes to negotiating fair fee levels with clients later on and depressing compensation for everyone.
Bringing up the next generation of young professionals is something that every profession is expected to do. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, none of them would really ever consider not paying someone just a nominal wage for an entry level position.
If you are one of those people who employs interns and does not pay them, in my estimation you are a low life and should be shunned by your peers.
there are a lot of "ideas" out there for how to ride out the recession. i've heard everything from construction management, working on shop drawings, to graphic design, project management, surveying and sitting on student juries. you know what? i've sat on student juries, i've helped people (pro-bono) on the side, i've flow and ridden the train cross-country for interviews, and applied for jobs at best buy, office depot, home depot, jewell, etc. and also completely exhausted my network. for the most part, every "alternative" profession is in a similar position to pull the absolute best of their respective fields to fill even average positions. that surveyor doesn't want to hire architects who have minimal knowledge of what they do when they can hire someone with years of experience to do the same job they normally would for 75% less. even office depot doesn't want to hire overqualified personnel when they can just hire someone whose been working in retail for 5 years whose probably willing to work for less money, and won't take off in the unlikely event the economy recovers.
I too think the whole unpaid internship thing is a load of crap. As a recent grad with student loans to repay i've taken two jobs completely outside of the realm of architecture to pay the bills till I go to grad school this fall. But here's a question - did anyone work for free during school? I have a lot of friends, in various fields, that did unpaid internships at non-profits and other organizations, for a semester or two that were not paid. It was more of a situation where they worked the internship instead of taking a class, or took the internship for credit. I'm kind of looking at the same situation here only just taking an arch internship for a semester for credit instead of pay. Any opinions?
Internship for credit IS pay. And it's a kind of work/school mix that I'd like to see more of. As long as your school offers a work-credit program, go for it. It's far more valuable than taking an Intro to Meteorology class just to get those 3 credits like I did!
bossman - I feel your pain. Talked to a GC friend of mine about potential jobs. He said "hundreds" of Architects are applying for contracting jobs. Problem is they are slow, just like anything in the building services industry. It's going to be a long long wait for anything related to "Architecture" let alone traditional practice. As I keep saying, the herd needs to be culled and a good old fashioned downturn is quickly doing it.
For those unemployed, retail/service jobs are hard to come by because they are hard hit too and generally see people like us as a flight risk once the economy rights itself. If you are on unemployment from a decent paying architecture gig the unemployment probably pays better anyway. A relative has turned down "dozens" of jobs in Chicago because her unemployment pays better than the offer was.
The approach many of my friends have taken is to apply for corporate jobs that only require "a 4 year college degree." Word I'm hearing is that even most of those jobs want 5-10 years experience in a "related" field. Still there is some entry level. Nothing like starting over in your mid-30's at some corporation in their marketing department, but such is life right now for many architects.
yeah, i've had two interviews in the last month - with arch firms. i'm hearing things like "we've received 200 applications, you were on a short list of 10 we decided to get in touch with." wtf? so even if i'm in the top 5% of all applicants, i only have a 10% chance of getting a job. that's what sucks because it costs a few hundred dollars for a plane ticket and rental car to interview, but on my current wages i make less than 10k a year. i've looked at about 20 some odd construction firms, and i have construction and some CM experience, but my thought is it isn't even worth it any more. architects can do that when there aren't contractors out of work, but not right now.
i've been looking at both, and i have connections in both places. but i have a lot of friends out of work in nyc right now, and what i've found with applying for jobs out of town is that potential employers will ixnay you, all things being equal, for a local who knows the ropes in that location. it's all tough for someone with my design/build & residential background to get a job in a large city where most of the work is commercial. people like my portfolio, but much of it comes down to scale, both scale of projects and scale of towns i've worked in in the past. plus, all cities operate a little differently.
Don't ever accept an unpaid internship or offer to work for free. It's it not only unethical, it also puts you in a really uncomfortable situation.
Do freelance or volunteer. Or make a living out of something non-architecture but continue to educate yourself (e.g. learn a new software etc.). I have a friend that is starting a bicycle-based food cart business.
I know it's easier said than done, but stay optimistic and be creative.
I'd work for free - as soon as the people in the supermarket offer me money to take groceries home, People refuse my money at the gas station - and throw in an extra Snickers bar for free. Oh, it would be good if my landlord would give me some money for the house I'm renting.
the thing is people think that unpaid internships are unique to the profession of architecture. all professions have unpaid internships, marketing, engineering, law, public relations, broadcasting, everyone does it. so why would the aia care?
This is the basic litmus test created by U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division to determine whether an intern is considered an “employee” based on a 1947 Supreme Court ruling:
1. If the training, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in a vocational school;
2. If the training is for the benefit of the trainee;
3. If the trainees do not displace regular employees, but work under close observation;
4. If the employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the trainees and, on occasion, the employer’s operations are actually impeded;
5. If the trainees are not necessarily entitled to employment at the completion of the training period;
6. If the employer and the trainees understand that the trainees are not entitled to wages for the time spent in training.
med. - I've been out of work in the DC market since late February and have not had an interview in months. I've been told that being almost licensed (just waiting on results in the mail) makes me a "flight risk" because I'm liable to leave as soon as I can call myself an architect. In addition, no graphic design jobs want me even with my 4 years of graphic design experience because my architectural experience makes me liable to leave in 3-5 years (as if most employees don't change jobs at least every 5 years anyhow).
Because of this I've basically been left with trying to get my own office off the ground.
I wouldn't tell anyone to look in DC, the market here is worse than many other places and the stimulus government jobs just aren't there yet (and the ones that are are only for senior positions)
How to Survive?
I am a recent grad looking to get a job as an Intern. I have noticed a few postings in the big cities but a lot of them are unpaid. My question is how do you survive if you aren't getting paid?
So you want to be an architect?
I have been working for free since June. I was laid off in November of '08. I use EDD(California unemployment) as pay. Unfortunately it is now expected that you will work for free until either you get noticed or prove yourself. I guess many expect that you have another source of revenue. Developing websites is a good way to create income. I myself provide low cost lessons in Revit in the SF bay area.
Corner of 4th and Alameda. 11pm-4am. Friday-Sunday.
Don't work for free. Architects salaries have been diluted over the years. Each time there is a recession we lose ground. By working for free you are contributing to the dilution. You are also allowing others to take advantage of you under the guise of gaining experience.
There are minimum wage laws. There are labor laws governing the amount of hours you work in a day/week for overtime. If an employer has you work for free or doesn't comply with overtime pay they are breaking the law. In this market, interns should in the least make minimum wage, get paid for overtime and be entitled to any benefits offered to other employees. I know that minimum wage is not much, but at least you would be able to eat.
"Unfortunately it is now expected that you will work for free until either you get noticed or prove yourself."
this is so sad...i really hope this is a temporary exageration, or our profession has turned over onto another ugly, painful page.
err...sorry jackbnimble819 for the last useless comment...the "work for free" tactics in our profession is a really ugly practice, and i hope will soon be a thing of the past, though this might be wishful thinking.
regardless, if i were you, and can not, or is not willing to work for free, i'd suggest continuing your education with a masters, in architecture, or another major in which you'd like to focus your career on (psychology, jornalism, stru.engineering, etc) - if you do decide to live without pay, i would suggest travelling, or volunteering with a just cause...
overall, a very tough time to graduate...good luck!
rverk.ini, if you are working for free for a licensed architect you should turn him/her in to the state licensing board. S/he is breaking the law, and basically so are you.
If you are surviving on unemployment, while "working" for someone for free, then your "employer" is stealing taxpayer money.
Stop doing it, tomorrow, and tell the douchebag why. S/he is giving the rest of us - who would never, under any circumstances, let someone work without remuneration - a bad reputation. It is in no way "expected" that someone will work for free.
In fact, if I was a California resident, I'd be finding out who you are so I could find out who your "employer" is so I could turn him/her in myself.
Oh yes, sorry, jackbnimble: as to your question: people survive "working" for free because they have money from somewhere else: parents, lover, etc., or their cost of living is essentially zero. No unpaid job posting is reputable, unless it's for school credit, which would mean you are still a student and thus living off student loans or work/study jobs.
Don't buy into the myth that unpaid work is a rite of passage. I've never worked for free. For little, yes, but never for nothing.
I agree 100% --- DO NOT WORK FOR FREE --- I graduated in May and have been doing non-architecture because all I have received are "internships" where they expect you to work without compensation. I said NO THANKS, both for moral and financial reasons, but mainly moral as it is illegal and completely absurd to think that I shouldn't receive any compensation after spending 4+ years getting a masters of architecture. I'll wait until someone decides my skills are worth payment.
Does Jordan with a bs business degree and no real world experience work for free? Hell no!
Now is the time for a survival job, once things turn around you can put that piece of paper to use. Several of my classmates are doing quite well (some are making more than they ever did as a graduate intern) waiting tables at fine restaurants. After all architecture does teach you to think on your feet and you can put your expanded vocabulary to good use.
i have turned down 2 work for free gigs
one even the guy said he would pay i got 1/2 the job done and he never payed i had to walk away.
don't you know architecture is more important than money... stop grumbling and start saving the world.
don't you mean saving the bosses ego?
Man this thread is hitting home hard for me right now.
Regarding “survival”, might try getting a room mate (or several), or try selling some of your books/junk laying around on ebay. If you’re a decent musician, try a few gigs around town, etc..Do some graphics (posters, flyers, websites, etc.), and be sure to ask for an advance if possible.
Heck, move in with relatives/parents temporarily. It’s tough out there for a lot of people (not just architects) though some folks always seem to find a way to survive.
...and I’m with lb and others – DO NOT work for free.
If you're paid minimum wage, you should also be getting overtime (1.5 x wage) after 40 hours, and double time on Holidays.
In some architectural offices, if you make below a certain amount (i.e. below 40K), the paid OT would most likely be equal to your hourly rate.
'Working for free' is tantamount to burning in Hell in my book.
Pay cuts, I can understand (even though some places are taking an advantage on other people).
i am NOT working for free after I get done with grad school in a year. Hell, worst come to the very worst, I will just get a job elsewhere. Working for free is ludicrous and I really do not have the luxury to rely on the financial support of my parents for the rest of my life.
No matter how much I love the profession, I can't sacrifice everything for it.
I think about what I do on a normal basis (design, production work, schedules, Ca, Code analysis, QA/QC, naratives -- basically figuring out ways to put buildings together) and there is no way ANYONE can look me in the face and tell me that this amount of work/sacrifice isn't worth a penny.
We've all sacrificed a lot of our personal lives to design buildings and make them work well. It's a very difficult process that requires constant time and effort and many it's work that in most cases have deprived of sleep, families, and lives. All of us who work or have worked in the profession know that even the money we get now is on the unsatisfactory side.
And to those working for free now: Thank you for your bastardization of our profession.
"Unfortunately it is now expected that you will work for free until either you get noticed or prove yourself."
Uhhhhh......NO.
Liberty bell
Just for the record, I did quit the free gig so I can focus my time on my portfolio and network. We shouldn't have to work on our knees just to get our foot in the door.
lol
You are very misguided. You do not work for free and that's the end of the story. You're just going to look like a schmuck working for a douchebag boss in the first place. You completely being taken advantage of and that's the sad thing.
If I was interviewing you and you said you were working for free at your previous gig, the only thing I'll see is the word 'sucker' tatooed accross your face. And I'd be very tempted (If I was a total asshole) to low-ball the hell out of you.
Just so you know, many internal vacancies at many firms are starting to open up from what I'm hearing. The chances of finding something -- anything is a little better now than it was about five months ago. I'd get out of this threatening cycle ASAP.
med. glad to hear there are some moments of brightness amidst this doom and gloom that's been prevalent on this site. I agree that working for free after all the years of education is nothing other than bastardization. Can we give ourselves a little credit and say that we are actually worth something, damn it?
"Can we give ourselves a little credit and say that we are actually worth something, damn it?"
Amen!
What I'm saying is that most of us already feel underpaid for all the work that we do and the sacrifices we make. And people freel inclined to work for free???
I concur with LB. If I find out anyone is working for free I wouldn't hesitate to be the whistleblower for that situation.
You know, some people in my class in grad school got offered unpaid internships - these were not even starchitect firms, just no-name practices in various states. Would that also be considered illegal or do interns have to suck it up until graduation?
Personally, I held out for a paid job but I know many people were so desperate for a job, they seriously were considering accepting the unpaid offers...
this is tough. i myself am not really sure what to do. i have a part-time job, but i only make $9/hr and only get 25hrs/wk. i've been out of work for the better part of 11.5 months, and haven't been eligible for unemployment because i quit to move here. my sister is also pregnant (i live with her) and i'm getting kicked out in a couple months. it's pretty bad. i've applied for some jobs with americorps, and i'm probably going to look at the peace corps and the air force. i can't go back to my old job because they aren't doing well and just had to lay two people off. starting my own business doesn't really feel right, as i don't have any clients and am without any startup capital, plus i'm just not that familiar with the local codes or getting projects through the city.
At some point, some regulatory body needs to step in on this. I think any employer with the most basic level of decency would feel obligated to pay at least minimum wage to someone who is engaged in work related activity in their office, even if it is "internship" oriented. $6.25 an hour X 40 hours is $250. If one can't afford to make that minimal outlay, they should be questioning if they have the financial means or workload to even offer someone a position.
I doubt that the AIA would ever do something as coherent as banning the practice of unpaid internships among its membership. I'm sure it would cause the exchange of too many cross words. It would seem though to be part of a larger movement that they should be fighting towards for the entire profession, which is greater compensation for services. It would be a trickle up theory. If a certain portion of the professional population is not taught that its ok to be taken advantage of early in their careers... maybe they wont be such wimps when it comes to negotiating fair fee levels with clients later on and depressing compensation for everyone.
Bringing up the next generation of young professionals is something that every profession is expected to do. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, none of them would really ever consider not paying someone just a nominal wage for an entry level position.
If you are one of those people who employs interns and does not pay them, in my estimation you are a low life and should be shunned by your peers.
there are a lot of "ideas" out there for how to ride out the recession. i've heard everything from construction management, working on shop drawings, to graphic design, project management, surveying and sitting on student juries. you know what? i've sat on student juries, i've helped people (pro-bono) on the side, i've flow and ridden the train cross-country for interviews, and applied for jobs at best buy, office depot, home depot, jewell, etc. and also completely exhausted my network. for the most part, every "alternative" profession is in a similar position to pull the absolute best of their respective fields to fill even average positions. that surveyor doesn't want to hire architects who have minimal knowledge of what they do when they can hire someone with years of experience to do the same job they normally would for 75% less. even office depot doesn't want to hire overqualified personnel when they can just hire someone whose been working in retail for 5 years whose probably willing to work for less money, and won't take off in the unlikely event the economy recovers.
I too think the whole unpaid internship thing is a load of crap. As a recent grad with student loans to repay i've taken two jobs completely outside of the realm of architecture to pay the bills till I go to grad school this fall. But here's a question - did anyone work for free during school? I have a lot of friends, in various fields, that did unpaid internships at non-profits and other organizations, for a semester or two that were not paid. It was more of a situation where they worked the internship instead of taking a class, or took the internship for credit. I'm kind of looking at the same situation here only just taking an arch internship for a semester for credit instead of pay. Any opinions?
Internship for credit IS pay. And it's a kind of work/school mix that I'd like to see more of. As long as your school offers a work-credit program, go for it. It's far more valuable than taking an Intro to Meteorology class just to get those 3 credits like I did!
so when is the next comment shower?
bossman - I feel your pain. Talked to a GC friend of mine about potential jobs. He said "hundreds" of Architects are applying for contracting jobs. Problem is they are slow, just like anything in the building services industry. It's going to be a long long wait for anything related to "Architecture" let alone traditional practice. As I keep saying, the herd needs to be culled and a good old fashioned downturn is quickly doing it.
For those unemployed, retail/service jobs are hard to come by because they are hard hit too and generally see people like us as a flight risk once the economy rights itself. If you are on unemployment from a decent paying architecture gig the unemployment probably pays better anyway. A relative has turned down "dozens" of jobs in Chicago because her unemployment pays better than the offer was.
The approach many of my friends have taken is to apply for corporate jobs that only require "a 4 year college degree." Word I'm hearing is that even most of those jobs want 5-10 years experience in a "related" field. Still there is some entry level. Nothing like starting over in your mid-30's at some corporation in their marketing department, but such is life right now for many architects.
This thread is a dark place.
the horror...when will it end.
yeah, i've had two interviews in the last month - with arch firms. i'm hearing things like "we've received 200 applications, you were on a short list of 10 we decided to get in touch with." wtf? so even if i'm in the top 5% of all applicants, i only have a 10% chance of getting a job. that's what sucks because it costs a few hundred dollars for a plane ticket and rental car to interview, but on my current wages i make less than 10k a year. i've looked at about 20 some odd construction firms, and i have construction and some CM experience, but my thought is it isn't even worth it any more. architects can do that when there aren't contractors out of work, but not right now.
le bossman, you should try the DC or NYC market. It's bad but not too bad.
People are getting hired here and there.
i've been looking at both, and i have connections in both places. but i have a lot of friends out of work in nyc right now, and what i've found with applying for jobs out of town is that potential employers will ixnay you, all things being equal, for a local who knows the ropes in that location. it's all tough for someone with my design/build & residential background to get a job in a large city where most of the work is commercial. people like my portfolio, but much of it comes down to scale, both scale of projects and scale of towns i've worked in in the past. plus, all cities operate a little differently.
But to put things in perspective, at least things are bad across the board... not just in architecture and construction, right?
I have friends who graduated from law school who can't find jobs either. And their college debt is worse than that of an architect.
Yeah people all accross the board are having difficulty finding/keeping their jobs.
It's only a matter of time before the medical profession take a well-deserved beating.
Don't ever accept an unpaid internship or offer to work for free. It's it not only unethical, it also puts you in a really uncomfortable situation.
Do freelance or volunteer. Or make a living out of something non-architecture but continue to educate yourself (e.g. learn a new software etc.). I have a friend that is starting a bicycle-based food cart business.
I know it's easier said than done, but stay optimistic and be creative.
I'd work for free - as soon as the people in the supermarket offer me money to take groceries home, People refuse my money at the gas station - and throw in an extra Snickers bar for free. Oh, it would be good if my landlord would give me some money for the house I'm renting.
This is the actual view of AIA on this subject: Can Intern Architects Work for Free to Get IDP Experience?
Well, I couldn't find a job doing anything remotely good in anything I wanted to do.
I start my new job tomorrow. I'll be what they call a materials "engineer" at a recycling facility.
But from what I gather, I'll be sorting trash for 7.25 an hour. Paid daily. Cash.
the thing is people think that unpaid internships are unique to the profession of architecture. all professions have unpaid internships, marketing, engineering, law, public relations, broadcasting, everyone does it. so why would the aia care?
Because unpaid internships are technically illegal.
I burned a lot of bridges in my state by reporting every single posting I come across to the Department of Labor and the IRS.
Unpaid internships are only legal if it is for a non-profit company.
This is the basic litmus test created by U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division to determine whether an intern is considered an “employee” based on a 1947 Supreme Court ruling:
1. If the training, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in a vocational school;2. If the training is for the benefit of the trainee;
3. If the trainees do not displace regular employees, but work under close observation;
4. If the employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the trainees and, on occasion, the employer’s operations are actually impeded;
5. If the trainees are not necessarily entitled to employment at the completion of the training period;
6. If the employer and the trainees understand that the trainees are not entitled to wages for the time spent in training.
med. - I've been out of work in the DC market since late February and have not had an interview in months. I've been told that being almost licensed (just waiting on results in the mail) makes me a "flight risk" because I'm liable to leave as soon as I can call myself an architect. In addition, no graphic design jobs want me even with my 4 years of graphic design experience because my architectural experience makes me liable to leave in 3-5 years (as if most employees don't change jobs at least every 5 years anyhow).
Because of this I've basically been left with trying to get my own office off the ground.
I wouldn't tell anyone to look in DC, the market here is worse than many other places and the stimulus government jobs just aren't there yet (and the ones that are are only for senior positions)
glad to be a student
still...
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