I graduated with my M.Arch degree last year and have since joined the ranks of a fairly large firm. During my first summer working I noticed a small lapse in the overall handling of the summer internship 'experience' and have since taken it upon myself to begin crafting an outline for this upcoming class of interns. My goal is to be attentive to the needs/desires of a young designer in hopes that they go back to school elated with their summer experience and brag to all of their classmates about the experience with my firm.
So, my question is, what is it that truly makes a memorable internship experience? I am assuming that we have all had summer internships at some point in our careers and everyone will recall a few attributes of those experiences that made them positive. So, what were they? The people? The work? Working on only one project or a multitude of projects? After-work activities?
I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on this.
Leandro Llorente
Mar 18, 16 9:33 am
With a MENTOR
Wilma Buttfit
Mar 18, 16 12:09 pm
During my first summer internship my boss introduced me to the mayor, some city employees, and a real estate developer. He also took me out to lunch often, sometimes it was pie and coffee. It was nice. Used to drive me around and point out stupid stuff people had done that caused problems like flooding or deterioration of materials. That was good.
distant
Mar 18, 16 2:24 pm
^ +1 -- tintt, your post duplicates my own experience at my first summer job in architecture.
There was a time when firms had both the capacity and the interest to actually take young architectural students under their wing and "show them the ropes" with respect to the wide variety of activities that comprise a career in architecture. It's so sad that sort of thing very rarely happens these days.
Wilma Buttfit
Mar 18, 16 4:08 pm
I should mention that the above described internship was with an engineer, not an architect.
I graduated with my M.Arch degree last year and have since joined the ranks of a fairly large firm. During my first summer working I noticed a small lapse in the overall handling of the summer internship 'experience' and have since taken it upon myself to begin crafting an outline for this upcoming class of interns. My goal is to be attentive to the needs/desires of a young designer in hopes that they go back to school elated with their summer experience and brag to all of their classmates about the experience with my firm.
So, my question is, what is it that truly makes a memorable internship experience? I am assuming that we have all had summer internships at some point in our careers and everyone will recall a few attributes of those experiences that made them positive. So, what were they? The people? The work? Working on only one project or a multitude of projects? After-work activities?
I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on this.
With a MENTOR
During my first summer internship my boss introduced me to the mayor, some city employees, and a real estate developer. He also took me out to lunch often, sometimes it was pie and coffee. It was nice. Used to drive me around and point out stupid stuff people had done that caused problems like flooding or deterioration of materials. That was good.
^ +1 -- tintt, your post duplicates my own experience at my first summer job in architecture.
There was a time when firms had both the capacity and the interest to actually take young architectural students under their wing and "show them the ropes" with respect to the wide variety of activities that comprise a career in architecture. It's so sad that sort of thing very rarely happens these days.
I should mention that the above described internship was with an engineer, not an architect.