depends on who the internship is with...if it is a starchitect, it might hold some credibility for future jobs...if it just some joe shmoe they are probably just looking for free labor and its not going to be worth it in the long run...but then again, if you are really hurting for some experience to get into a real paying long term gig, that could be worth it also. 

personal opinion is that employers that have unpaid internships are dirtbags - starchitect or not, work is work and you should be compensated for your contributions.

I agree completely, unpaid internships not only take advantage of the individual but also perpetuate low pay and undervalue the profession as a whole. I do not believe that any other post grad profession experiences this in the same way. Certainly in the UK, any other profession requiring the same level of education would be paid considerably more than a career in Architecture.

However, for these reasons, starting out in the industry is tough, particularly in this economic climate . Perhaps its an unfortunate but necessary step in some cases?

I think somebody else referenced this article before...

its worth a read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/fashion/millennials-internships.html?_r=0

Andrew,

It really depends on what kind of architecture you want to do. Figure that out, and your internship decisions should come a lot easier (i.e. is that internship going to help you get to where you want to go).

I think it's funny when people complain about the monetary value in internships, while still clicking on projects from offices with unpaid interns. That "visit" you give them is what keeps their image popular, subsequently allowing them to continue recruiting interns without pay.

of course I can understand that.

 My question was more relating to its value as experience. Im not necessarily complaining about the monetary value of an internship (however receiving payment for a job is obviously desirable) if the end result is worth it. my point really is would a  potential employer really regard that kind of experience of worth? if so then clearly that is reason enough  to consider it. however if you are simply doing remedial jobs that nobody else wants to do, is there really value in that?

I don't want to appear as though I am complaining about the prospect, i am genuinely curious in the opinion from both parties ( intern and potential employer)

Andrew,

It honestly depends on what kind of "potential employer" you are interested in and what job you want to do at that employer?

I don't want to over generalise too much, but it seems most entry level architectural assistant/ junior architect positions are fairly homologous, at least in the UK it would seem.

Personally I would sooner aim for a more design based studio rather than a commercial office, but at the end of the day it does boil doing to what pays the bills in the long term.

My concern, is how much responsibility and real world experience are these positions giving. Surely its the value of your experience that counts and not simply paying your dues at a starchitects office

But do you think that an internship would be viewed differently as to the kind of employer it is?

Donatello D'Anconia,

may I ask if you have interned yourself? or hired unpaid interns perhaps?

If so, what were your experiences?

if the alternative to an unpaid intership is doing nothing, then get it, keep looking for jobs because you don't actually have one, and ditch them the second you find something else. at some point, you'll have the experience that paying companies are looking for, and it'll be infinitely easier to get an interview if you already have a job.

i know people have this thing against them, because they A) don't want to work for free and B) they think people accepting unpaid internships is part of the problem (which is undoubtably true).  but lets face it:  people are doing unpaid internships, and getting experience that you're not.  these are the people that you'll be competing with.  not working is going to keep you in the exact same spot.

also, you don't need to tell your employer that it was unpaid, because you're doing nothing different than a paid employee.

yes, i do agree. Experience in any form has value. Have you yourself taken an unpaid position at any point? If so how did you finance working for free indefinitely?

i had an unpaid one in college, so i wasn't out of school.  but having it got me into interviews and helped me land a paid one the next internship cycle.  after college i got a paid job at the previously unpaid place (recession over) and that's how its been ever since.

my plan was that if i didn't get a paid job after graduation, i would have done an unpaid internship while i looked for a paid position and waited tables at night (which pays more than architecture anyway).  even a part-time unpaid position would suffice if it was too much to handle.  even if nothing pops up, 6 months later you have half a year of experience-- which i would assume drastically improves your employment prospects.

thanks backbay, it is certainly worth considering but it is likely i would not be able to do it here in the UK any longer. I assume you are from America? out of interest; Is working an unpaid internship to start the norm? 

I believe it is not that common in the UK. The RIBA (AIA equivalent ?) have banned the use of using unpaid staff. 'interns' have to be paid the statutory minimum wage or the company risk losing their accreditation. 

according to the RIBA report between 10-14% of post grads have had to work unpaid in the UK before this ruling. 

its not legal here either (well, it is, but there are strict requirements that just aren't followed), but its pretty common in architecture.  not sure about other professions.  its really a supply and demand problem... more people are seeking experience and need it now to forward their careers than there are jobs available.  its really that simple.  if you can get one i see no harm in taking it.

good luck with the job search.  just make sure you're not sitting there doing and learning nothing for a year if the jobs don't come!  another thought... once the spring comes you might want to try doing some construction, since you probably won't have another time in your life where it would be acceptable to get that kind of experience (professionally and monetarily).

I would suggest also looking at GC/ CM companies that do construction in your area. They are often willing to hire architecture grads and they generally pay much better that architectural firms. Look for Assistant PM and Project Engineer positions. You will learn very quickly and I think that it benefits architects tremendously to have some on-site experience.

Andrew,

I have interned at four offices. two were unpaid, two were paid. During undergrad I worked as a research assistant, at a library, and at a bar. With these jobs I was able to save enough and go abroad (from America) for an unpaid internship at a starchitect office. I came back to the states and took a well paying job at a top corporate office to pay for school. Then I worked at a design oriented medium size office, at which I saved up money so I could go abroad for the fourth unpaid internship at a starchitect office (mind you I have to complete IDP, so this is why there is such a high number of internships).

In my experience, the starchitect offices have been the most fulfilling. I've genuinely enjoyed the projects I worked on and the people I worked with. The designs were exciting, and really pushed me as a designer. However, to get the best experience building buildings, the medium size firm was the best.

I'd like to point out that at the starchitect offices, I didn't just pay dues. I actually got more experience in each design phase than I have at any other office.

Undoubtedly the first unpaid starchitect internship has opened up doors for me to work at other offices.

Donatello, 

thanks for the reply. from your comments it sounds like you are a definite advocate for for the internships. It is really interesting to hear such positive feedback when so many people have such hostility towards them. For me it will be something it will certainly look into doing now. Obviously money is always an issue, but it sounds like your experience was very rewarding despite being unpaid. 

May i ask, at the start of your career did you find the the unpaid starchitect work or paid position at a small/medium size more beneficial? 

Andrew,

They have both been beneficial for different reasons. The starchitect firms have provided me experience in design theory and language, while the medium size firm has given me experience in constructing a building (i.e. clients, contracts, codes, bids).

My undergraduate school was very technically oriented, so the starchitect office was a welcome exposure to design theory. So like I've said from the beginning, it really depends on what you want; where you are in your own career and where you want to go.

A word of caution, not all starchitect offices/unpaid internships are the same. The starchitect offices I was at were medium size firms. My general advice is the smaller the firm, the more exposure you will get. At a large firm, you run the risk of being stuck in the model shop, making, not designing.

It seems you have a specific firm you want to work at, I would find people that have worked there and ask what experience they had.

Didn't read everyone's response. Yes internships are good, be it a small time firm nobody's heard of or Gensler. Getting your feet wet in the industry is good. And don't work for free. It devalues the profession as a whole.

It is always good to work to get experience and it doesn't matter if you work with Foster or unknown John, if you are paying attention to what is happening around you, you will learn from good and from bad (sometimes you learn more from observing the bad so don't promote the idea that having an internship with Tadao Ando will get you the real deal in life).

Besides all that, I get shocked every time someone easily speaks about unpaid jobs in architecture.  Every brick that is built sucks some money from somewhere and not letting the money circulate means that you steal and every young architect needs to build a life before being able to become himself, a good architect.

If they aren't paying you, they have no incentive to nurture your skills. Of course, sometimes these situations are necessary in the current climate. I wouldn't have gotten the nice job I have now if I hadn't had the experience of being underemployed and undervalued in a previous position.