You’ve finally graduated. All those years of finishing projects, hitting deadlines, and student existential dread have come to an insipid end. You want to get into the real world now. Those dreams you made yourself have of doing actual work seem to be ever closer now.
You’re not that far off from the mark! Be it a summer internship or an all-year one, an Internship at an Architecture Firm can be an absolutely invaluable experience for a student. Besides augmenting the theoretical knowledge you possess with hands-on projects and particulars about the industry, it can be a formidable river to cross, making you rethink your trajectory if you are not prepared well enough for it.
Either way, if you want to thoroughly understand what the entire process of an Architecture Internship looks like, from start to finish, you’re in the right place! Here’s Archslate’s overview;
What is an Architecture Internship Like?
1. The Search
2. Settling Into Your Role
3. The Unmitigable Culture-Shock
4. Overall Experience
Throughout this article, we’ll begin from the best place to look for a job all the way to what might be the bundle of knowledge you take away from the entire experience. So we’ve got you covered! Let’s begin with-
1. The Search
Fresh out of the educational hearth, you want to step into another, this time an architecture job. Creating your resume, CV and of utmost importance, your portfolio can be extremely confusing. You’ll need a space with an easy-to-use, functional drag and drop UI that will enable you to send in a glowing, yet ergonomic portfolio to a prospective employer. Hold on. Look like we have exactly what you need! Archslate is a platform where Architects and Designers, newly minted and seasoned go to get hired. Sign up with Archslate and watch your career take off! With an account on Archslate, you’ll be able to create your portfolio and send it to several Architecture Firms with pages on our platform!
Another gem of information you’d need to know in the kaleidoscope that is architecture jobs is that Internship positions are taken off the shelves like toilet paper in the early lockdown period. Architecture Firms usually keep track of University Semester Schedules and open up their applications in tandem with the University schedules. Keeping that in mind, you’ll have to be quick. There are massive numbers of enterprising individuals just like you so remember to get your portfolio, CV, and resume altogether and start applying to positions as fast as possible.
2. Settling Into Your Role
So you’ve got into an Architecture Firm and you’re starting soon. Once you’re ready for the next frontier of an architecture job, you need to know that the experience might not be exactly what you bargained for. You’ll soon discover that college seems to be a distant world compared to where you are right now. Often, such is the case with education. If you want to get a foot ahead of the others, you’ll realize that everything need not be done by the book. There will exist many shortcuts that’ll make your job slightly easier, balanced out by the fact that the new roles you’ll have to get accustomed to might not all be your cup of tea. Being an architectural intern, you’ll have a wide array of tasks to complete, from preparing 3D Models to even managing the firms’ social media handles.
The right idea would be to fulfill your duties and complete your tasks, even if they don’t seem related to what you feel you need to be doing or what you studied for. Since your journey has just begun, there will be a lot to look forward to.
3. The Unmitigable Culture-Shock
Without trying to rehash what has already been stated, mentioning the sudden jolt of reality cannot be understated. You’ll find a completely new as well as different work culture, almost contrary to the principles taught in college. Since architectural jobs are commercial and fast-paced in nature, the work hours will be hard to get used to at first. There will always be clients whose ever-changing requirements will need completion, so just know that when you’re working on a 3D Drawing all over again, from scratch at 2 am.
When it comes to the numbers, in America, an architecture interns’ salary can be expected to be around $59,071 which comes to about $28 an hour. Another important factor you’ll have to keep in mind is that you should not expect to be kid-gloved. Other individuals who work with you will inevitably want to get their tasks done as well and thus won’t be constantly available to help you out at every little juncture.
Of course, being an Architect means collaborating. A project regardless of scale must require the input of multiple people so don’t be afraid to ask for input or offer some to another individual.
4. Overall Experience
As your internship progresses, and you along with it, you’ll come to many conclusions and understand several real word nuances that college can’t actually teach you. As you do the different tasks assigned to you, your real strengths and weaknesses will become apparent you will be able to mold your experience accordingly. This is a great learning experience for many people, who see an architectural internship as their first taste of the real world.
Conclusion
In many ways, an architectural internship can become a goldmine of invaluable knowledge and early experiences that has the ability to shape the future of your career. Looking for one as soon as you leave college is a smart decision in every way possible. You’ll need to possess a sense of urgency and good timing, a great portfolio; courtesy of Archslate, and all the knowledge previously mentioned in the article. With these prerequisites fulfilled, boom! You’re ready for anything an architectural internship might throw at you. Archslate wishes you good luck in your endeavors, perspective enterprising Architect!
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Built by Architects for the Architecture, Landscape, Interior, and Urban planning industry, Archslate is proud to create the largest talent marketplace that understands the needs of every firm while removing recruiters, third-party agencies, and percentage cuts. See how Archslate can help your firm by requesting a demo with us.
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