In one of the Archinect discussions member 'archie' gives free but priceless advice to would be intern job applicants. Time to face facts

Related Archinect feature: The Architecture Job Application - Hints & Suggestions from Employers
In one of the Archinect discussions member 'archie' gives free but priceless advice to would be intern job applicants. Time to face facts

Related Archinect feature: The Architecture Job Application - Hints & Suggestions from Employers
archie
Total Entries: 4
Total Comments: 269
11/08/09 11:24

I just waded through 150 job applications for an intern architect position. I immediately tossed about 100 of them. Then I carefully reviewed 50 and called 30 and narrowed it down to 10. I cannot tell you how many stupid mistakes college educated people make with resumes. Honestly, if they just took a little care, their resumes would have been one of the 10 I interviewed. So how do you make your resume rise to the top:

If the person asks for a cover letter and a resume, actually send a cover letter and resume. A one line email does not count as a cover letter. I want to see if you can write a basic letter and find out a little bit more about why you want the position: that is why I request a cover letter. If the ad says "no phone calls" don't call and leave me a voice mail telling me you want to find out more about the position before you bother to submit a resume.

Seriously, check for typos. And if you are editing a letter that you sent before, remember to change the name to MY name, and my company name.

Out of the 150 resume, only about 15 indicated they had done basic research on my company, like google it or look at the web page. That gave them an advantage. I want someone who is inquisitive and will take the first step.

No offense, but at this point in the economy, the goal of an intern with no or little experience should be to get a paying job that will give them experience. Don't go on and on about wanting a job that will offer you opportunities to work on exciting cutting edge projects while appreciating your skill and challenge your creativity. At this point in your career, you need to be a little humble. A job that gives you experience in return for your hard work would be good.

Remember to bring your portfolio to the interview. (Yes, one of the top 10 actually forgot to bring anything! He had a jump drive, and I had to look at his portfolio on an office laptop. It was a short interview. )

Think carefully about the work you bring to show. Bring your BEST design work. Bring samples of anything you did during a summer job. Bring technical drawings. Bring things that show me your breadth of skills. One person told me in the interview that as a senior project, his school required they completely document a project with pretty much a full set of construction documents, and it was one of the things he was most proud of. When I asked why he did not bring it to the interview, he looked stunned.

Resumes tend to start to look very much the same. The cover letter can be your best "sell". Tell me why you want the job, what makes you unique, etc.

Actually carefully read the ad for the job, and tailor your resume and letter to that ad. If I say that I want someone who is organized and detail oriented, be prepared to give me an example of something that shows you are indeed detail oriented. And organize your portfolio.

Practice answering interview questions. Sometimes the answers I get are kind of funny, but you can take honesty too far. If I ask you how your friends would describe you, don't say "They think I'm lazy, but are impressed that I can stay up all night to get things done at the last minute. "

I might call you about your resume and for a short interview before I bring you in for a longer interview. Your cell phone message should not say something like "hey, I'm probably asleep. Don't bother me before 2 PM."

Your email address should not be something cute like "partygirl12@...."

During an interview, you will most likely be asked if you have any questions for the interviewer. Prepare a few professional questions about the firm. Do not ask about benefits or salary yet. They will tell you if they are interested in you. Two of the sillier questions I have heard are "How old are you?" and "Would it hurt my chances of getting the job if I shaved my head?" Although, believe it or not, I hired both of those people- they were both students who were applying for part time work and at least they made me laugh.