Ways to Find an Internship
We all know by now that when applying for jobs, especially as a recent graduate, there is almost always a criteria under the requirements list that refers to having experience of that role or in that industry. One way to go about gaining valuable experience in the architecture industry is by applying for shadowing placements or internships during the summer break, either after the first or second year, when you are still improving your skills and understanding of the career. Applying for these placement roles will improve your skills in an office environment whilst also allowing you to gain a better understanding of how architecture briefs are tackled with many more restraints, scale x quality x time prioritisations and design specificities to fulfil.
This post will cover some methods you can try, to get that useful experience to add to your CV, so let’s get started…
Build good relationships with tutors
Based on personal experience, building a good relationship with your design tutor will not only benefit you during your studies in the studio, but also outside of class as they might have their own office or connections with architects that they can refer you to. This can be a really effective way of getting some experience as your studio tutors have a great understanding of your work ethic, style and involvement with the work you produce. Moreover, having a trusted referee can be really handy as you already get to set a good impression with a stranger who could offer you an opportunity.
Of course having a good tutor-student relationship doesn't guarantee you a place and this isn't to say become the person in the studio that says yes to every suggestion, just to become the ‘teacher's pet’, however do try to have reasonable conversations and find mutual points of interest with tutors that might benefit you in the future. In some cases, this will happen very naturally and in other scenarios tutors can make it really difficult to get along with them, but there's no harm in asking. Especially if you are still at the institution, you can have a face to face conversation which might be more memorable as it shows you being proactive and keen, which is always a positive attribute to have.
Email Small to Medium sized Practices
This might just be the most common method of contact when trying to get the attention of someone at a firm to give you the chance to speak to them. Unfortunately, in more cases than not, some offices won't even reply to your email of interest and this is simply because you get lost in a sea of emails. However, if you do email offices, there are some things you can do to try and increase the possibility of a reply. For example, one thing you could do is look at offices your university collaborates with or places where your university alumni might have gone to work. This could increase the likelihood of a reply if they see a familiar institution name, also if they have an understanding of what the graduates from that university produce, it could be reassuring for them. In addition to this, in your email of interest attach a very small portfolio, making note that they can view a much more detailed and thorough version upon request. This reduces the effort needed on their behalf to email back asking for a sample of your work and shows organisation skills on your behalf.
DM Small Offices
What we have noticed recently is that smaller offices will be trying to grow their audience through social media platforms like Instagram, and whilst the thought of direct messaging might feel inappropriate or too casual, maybe it’s not such a bad idea? These offices are likely to be active on their instagram accounts in order to promote their works and whilst their email inbox might be looking a little overcrowded, I’m sure their DM’s are much clearer. This method can act as a first point of contact, where the conversation can be carried over to email for the exchange of further information and portfolios, however you will definitely be memorable in standing out against the crowd.
If you feel as thought Instagram is a little too casual, you can always venture into setting up a professional LinkedIn account in order to reach out to employers on the job-centred platform. Put in the effort to fill in your past employment experiences with the maximum amount of relevant details as well as your education background. LinkedIn is a great way indicating your professionalism and goals to potential employers and all in all allows you to demonstrate yourself as a good candidate. We have found that the hierarchy between job roles is almost lost on LinkedIn as it’s common for anyone with the shared interests to interact on topics engaging with architecture so you implicitly start building a rapport with the people who could give you an internship. To go the extra mile, do not just make your profile… also interact and connect with others which also brings us onto our next point.
Build a network
Networking is increasingly becoming a more common way of finding an architectural internship. Similarly to reaching out to studio tutors, asking around with family, friends and peers who might have already had a chance to gain some experience, could be really beneficial. This includes peers from years above yourself, who have already gone through the same steps as you. Moreover, attending workshops, projects and lecture series surrounding topics in architecture and the built environment exposes you to qualified architects, employed individuals and an increase in the number of people within the industry. An indirect way of networking could be by volunteering at exhibition places i.e New London Architecture or for short term events like Open City, where it is easier to make an immediate impression to the architects of that project.
It may be worth considering having some business cards along with you so you can share your details on a physical piece of paper so individuals can return back to a set of contact information if they are keen on offering an internship. Though some may think of this as an outdated method, make your efforts count! Another way of building your network is to just search locally. It’ll be tempting to email the known firms in the city but since the intention behind an internship is to gain experience and get a taste of architecture in the workfield, it might be better to put popularity aside and look at local practices in the area. Step out of your front door and see which offices are nearby in your area. You can also check this through a simple ‘architects near me’ google search :)
Familiarise yourself with organisations in the field
Being aware of organisations and groups that from time to time offer exclusive opportunities could be one of your biggest strengths. Especially if you are part of an ethnic minority, an individual with a lower income background or just someone with a really keen interest in architecture, there are a lot of emerging groups that are funding placement and workshop opportunities that otherwise might be difficult to join. Some examples of these organisations are Poor Collective and Re-set-go. Groups like these will always exist and as the years go by, they are becoming increasingly more involved with the opportunities provided to individuals to get involved with the industry whilst still in education, so keep a close eye out and don’t forget to add them to your bookmarks bar!
Most importantly… don’t give up! It’s likely that you will find yourself contacting many offices with loads of applications before you manage to hear some positive news, but this shouldn’t discourage you as there are hundreds and hundreds of places to still try :)
Even though none of these methods above will guarantee you an internship or placement, they are likely to increase the chance of being offered an internship. You have nothing to lose by trying and you might even be pleasantly surprised by the outcome of your efforts! If you found this post useful, why not recommend it to a friend by sharing the link or leaving a comment under our post on instagram @ArchiDabble
