First off, I'm a 4th year architecture student in a 5 year program at Iowa State University.
I started applying for summer internships in January of this year, mostly in Florida (where I'm from originally). One firm wanted me to basically work for free (which I would have if the transportation costs weren't so unreasonable), another wasn't hiring, and the other four never responded.
I decided to work on my portfolio, which I finished by Career Days at my school. The thing was 30+ pages and received a lot of feedback - mainly, make it smaller. That was in mid-February. I sent out resumes and my new portfolio again at the beginning of March (my portfolio is here, and it is still too big: http://studiovon.arcats.net/MYvonneHidle_Portfolio.pdf)
I got a lot of complements between January and now but no job offers. One of my colleagues has an interview for a summer job and the other has a summer job alredy. The funny thing is, the job offer she got was from a firm that told me they wouldn't be deciding in 3-4 weeks. Are they just giving me the loop around? Is that just a polite way of saying "no we don't want you"?
Is it worth even trying to apply to anymore firms? I contacted 13 firms so far and only five have responded. I'm just wondering if this is always how it is, or am I just not good enough? I'm proficient in Revit, Cinema, all Adobe software... Familiar with 3DS and Rhino. This whole experience is just depressing, I feel pretty worthless, and it's making me wonder if I'm even cut out to do architecture (if no one wants to hire me now, why hire me later). I don't hold unrealistic expectations of the profession - I'm fine with a drafting positions, I'm fine with any position, I'll work for 20k.
I guess this is a mouthful. But in essence...
...is it too late to get a summer internship now?
l3wis
Mar 8, 11 8:51 pm
no yvonne definitely not... i'm not sure what the market is like in FL but i imagine it is not spectacular. if you're really interested in getting experience (that frankly i think would be better than what you could get in FL) you should consider applying to firms on the east/west coasts, and in texas... internships are more plentiful and I guarantee you it would be easy enough to find something unpaid before summertime
don't be hard on yourself, though - a ton of my friends in UC's MArch program don't have jobs either, and it's a goddamn co-op school!
Rusty!
Mar 8, 11 8:59 pm
"I contacted 13 firms so far and only five have responded."
I know Iowa isn't exactly in the loop for latest information, but you'd have to be doing architecture on the moon not to know that there's a recession going on right now. 5/13 is pretty great actually. Now go on and apply for 200 more. That's what it takes.
Your portfolio looks great (link is broken, so I'm only guessing what your folio may look like). A bit too wordy in the beginning. 5 pages of blah blah blah before we get to any color (I can't read well and I hate being forced to).
Change this sentence:
"Personally I don’t fancy talking about myself, but if I had to describe myself as a designer, I suppose I would honestly say that I’m an artist, a sculptor, and a craftswoman." Take out personally and honestly. That's little kids speak. You're a grown designer now.
Do you need to list all the courses you fucking took in college? I can't remember what I had for breakfast. Trust me noone will care.
You go into too much detail about all the programs you know and kinda know. Where's MS Paint?
If you can get first 5 pages condensed into 2 3/8ths of a page, that would be great.
Love all the renderings and sections and splashes of color. Some anal retentive dick commenting after me will point out an inappropriate font somewhere (or letting the page breathe). But not me. You nailed that part.
Keep applying. It's never too late. Offices can get busy overnight, and they may need you to start immediately. What else are you gonna do but continue applying? Go cowtipping in Iowa for 4 months straight?
Keep up at it and you'll land a decent gig somewhere.
Good luck!
Yvonne
Mar 8, 11 9:09 pm
Well, I've applied to places outside Florida like Iowa (Des Moines area) and Chicago. I'm trying to get a job in places that I have family in, so I can cut down on expenses. But thanks.
Yea, I know about the recession. It's just depressing when I see friends getting jobs and interviews and I'm wondering, why can't I? Florida is doing pretty bad, I don't expect much from there, but I was hoping at least something in Chicago.
Thanks for the suggestions! I'll get to working on that. I really hate writing about myself, ha. As for the courses and the programs, I figured I had to do something? Seeing as I have no real job experience.
Hahaha, I doubt I'll go cowtipping. I figure I'll head back home and go spear fishing and boating. Though honestly, I was hoping to be a bit more productive.
Thanks again for the comments.
Ms Beary
Mar 9, 11 11:04 am
Iowa's economy is quite strong in spite of the recession. You might try to land something locally.
Please don't tip any cows.
thisisnotmyname
Oct 24, 17 9:15 am
You are not too late. While some firms (usually big and well-organized) hire summer interns well in advance, just as many wait until February, March, and so on. That's what I do. We like to wait until we are sure a sufficient workload is in place to make the internship worthwhile.
Also, the schools in my area don't hold their job fairs/interview days until the early to middle spring semester.
You may be applying too early.
kjdt
Oct 24, 17 1:44 pm
Good advice but... why are you replying in October 2017 to a thread from March 2011? One would hope Yvonne got a job a long time ago. She might be licensed by now.
randomised
Oct 24, 17 3:08 pm
A spammer before thisis..., now removed, reactivated the thread, that's why. I know cause I flagged it.
First off, I'm a 4th year architecture student in a 5 year program at Iowa State University.
I started applying for summer internships in January of this year, mostly in Florida (where I'm from originally). One firm wanted me to basically work for free (which I would have if the transportation costs weren't so unreasonable), another wasn't hiring, and the other four never responded.
I decided to work on my portfolio, which I finished by Career Days at my school. The thing was 30+ pages and received a lot of feedback - mainly, make it smaller. That was in mid-February. I sent out resumes and my new portfolio again at the beginning of March (my portfolio is here, and it is still too big: http://studiovon.arcats.net/MYvonneHidle_Portfolio.pdf)
I got a lot of complements between January and now but no job offers. One of my colleagues has an interview for a summer job and the other has a summer job alredy. The funny thing is, the job offer she got was from a firm that told me they wouldn't be deciding in 3-4 weeks. Are they just giving me the loop around? Is that just a polite way of saying "no we don't want you"?
Is it worth even trying to apply to anymore firms? I contacted 13 firms so far and only five have responded. I'm just wondering if this is always how it is, or am I just not good enough? I'm proficient in Revit, Cinema, all Adobe software... Familiar with 3DS and Rhino. This whole experience is just depressing, I feel pretty worthless, and it's making me wonder if I'm even cut out to do architecture (if no one wants to hire me now, why hire me later). I don't hold unrealistic expectations of the profession - I'm fine with a drafting positions, I'm fine with any position, I'll work for 20k.
I guess this is a mouthful. But in essence...
...is it too late to get a summer internship now?
no yvonne definitely not... i'm not sure what the market is like in FL but i imagine it is not spectacular. if you're really interested in getting experience (that frankly i think would be better than what you could get in FL) you should consider applying to firms on the east/west coasts, and in texas... internships are more plentiful and I guarantee you it would be easy enough to find something unpaid before summertime
don't be hard on yourself, though - a ton of my friends in UC's MArch program don't have jobs either, and it's a goddamn co-op school!
I know Iowa isn't exactly in the loop for latest information, but you'd have to be doing architecture on the moon not to know that there's a recession going on right now. 5/13 is pretty great actually. Now go on and apply for 200 more. That's what it takes.
Your portfolio looks great (link is broken, so I'm only guessing what your folio may look like). A bit too wordy in the beginning. 5 pages of blah blah blah before we get to any color (I can't read well and I hate being forced to).
Change this sentence:
"Personally I don’t fancy talking about myself, but if I had to describe myself as a designer, I suppose I would honestly say that I’m an artist, a sculptor, and a craftswoman." Take out personally and honestly. That's little kids speak. You're a grown designer now.
Do you need to list all the courses you fucking took in college? I can't remember what I had for breakfast. Trust me noone will care.
You go into too much detail about all the programs you know and kinda know. Where's MS Paint?
If you can get first 5 pages condensed into 2 3/8ths of a page, that would be great.
Love all the renderings and sections and splashes of color. Some anal retentive dick commenting after me will point out an inappropriate font somewhere (or letting the page breathe). But not me. You nailed that part.
Keep applying. It's never too late. Offices can get busy overnight, and they may need you to start immediately. What else are you gonna do but continue applying? Go cowtipping in Iowa for 4 months straight?
Keep up at it and you'll land a decent gig somewhere.
Good luck!
Well, I've applied to places outside Florida like Iowa (Des Moines area) and Chicago. I'm trying to get a job in places that I have family in, so I can cut down on expenses. But thanks.
Yea, I know about the recession. It's just depressing when I see friends getting jobs and interviews and I'm wondering, why can't I? Florida is doing pretty bad, I don't expect much from there, but I was hoping at least something in Chicago.
Thanks for the suggestions! I'll get to working on that. I really hate writing about myself, ha. As for the courses and the programs, I figured I had to do something? Seeing as I have no real job experience.
Hahaha, I doubt I'll go cowtipping. I figure I'll head back home and go spear fishing and boating. Though honestly, I was hoping to be a bit more productive.
Thanks again for the comments.
Iowa's economy is quite strong in spite of the recession. You might try to land something locally.
Please don't tip any cows.
You are not too late. While some firms (usually big and well-organized) hire summer interns well in advance, just as many wait until February, March, and so on. That's what I do. We like to wait until we are sure a sufficient workload is in place to make the internship worthwhile.
Also, the schools in my area don't hold their job fairs/interview days until the early to middle spring semester.
You may be applying too early.
Good advice but... why are you replying in October 2017 to a thread from March 2011? One would hope Yvonne got a job a long time ago. She might be licensed by now.
A spammer before thisis..., now removed, reactivated the thread, that's why. I know cause I flagged it.