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Isn't it unfair that architects ask for min. 3 years post Part II experience?

Aristotle

They specify that a Part 1 or a Part 2 requires x number of years to apply for a Part II post. How is a graduate to progress if they need 2-3 years work experience to do so, it's really not fair. Don't say do an internship, because internships in the UK are outlawed by RIBA. There is no way of getting ahead in architecture other than to have a job, you could probably do international volunteering work, learn 3rd world construction techniques, but whether that is valuable to employers in the UK is another question.

 

Nobody is helping us, and everybody is thwarting us. It's dire.

 
Feb 6, 14 6:52 pm
x-jla

freelance!  I cant stress this enough!  Don't wait for a job.  If you freelance they will come.

An employer is much less likely to hire you (even at unreasonable wages) than to give you a small task for a reasonable fee.  Its the difference between dating and getting married.  Once you have proven yourself, and once the employer becomes dependent upon your work, then they will ask you to marry them.  Its a sort of employment courtship.  Its the new way.  Just remember no sex on the first date...(aka no free work)  Also, once they figure out that they will get more for their money by having you as an employee they will offer you a job.  Of course this means you will be getting less for your hours...so you may come to find that freelancing is awesome and forget about a job all together.

Feb 6, 14 7:17 pm  · 
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Paradox

I agree with jla-x. In my whole life I only worked as an unpaid intern (with commute and lunch money paid by the employer) for 40 days. Then the employer didn't like me or my skills so he terminated my internship. He said I didn't have design skills. That was such a blow to my self-esteem. I offered to work for free yet I still wasn't wanted. I spent a lot of time improving my skills and I knew my skills were worth something more than $0 so I never looked for another internship. No one was willing to pay me for my skills so my only option was to choose freelancing. Now I have a steady paying client with lots of work for me to do. I kind of met him by luck (he found me on Google search results) but if I didn't put myself out there and didn't market myself I couldn't have met him so go out there, offer your services and chase work whether it is full-time or temp or a freelancing/contracting job. Freelancing also teaches you marketing, business and entrepreneurship which are the skills employers value.

Feb 7, 14 6:35 am  · 
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Non Sequitur

Da fuk is part 1 or part 2?

Feb 7, 14 7:58 am  · 
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Aristotle

Thanks jla-x and Parad0xx86.

Feb 7, 14 11:14 am  · 
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Aristotle I understand what you are going through, I too am part 2, with no professional experience and searching for a job in the U.K is soul destroying. I wonder if you have made any progress as of yet?

I don't see it been feasible to freelance in the U.K. the fact is the market is saturated with architects, and unless you are particularly good at 3d modelling/rendering or have sufficient contacts to start drafting I don't see this as an option. Also it would not provide the necessary experience for part 3.

Where are you based in the UK?

im not sure on the feasibility for you, but I have heard of some paid opportunities in china and korea etc. but how easily these are to come by i'm not sure.

Mar 11, 14 7:30 pm  · 
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