How to Get Experience as an Architect

Triton College recommends that architecture students gain experience in drawing contract documents as few firms have the resources to teach interns how to draw.

Experience is one of the core requirements you must have to become an architect. If you're interested in becoming an architect, you can expect to be responsible for earning a bachelor's degree in architecture, gaining working experience in key competency areas and passing the national Architect Registration Exam. Of these three requirements, gaining experience is often the least structured component and is where architectural students often distinguish themselves. Although some architectural programs require experience, other students must find ways to get experience on their own. Architects are expected to have at least three years experience to be licensed.

Instructions

1. Check with your school or program to see whether they offer experience as part of the curriculum. Architect students can begin obtaining experience during their undergraduate studies and should take advantage of this opportunity to lessen internship time following graduation. Schools requiring experience as part of the program often have relationships with architectural firms that place students.

2. Ask your school's career center or placement office for assistance locating architectural internships. Schools often have access to several databases and can effectively help their students obtain both internships and employment. This can be an effective resource and students can benefit from the administration's experience helping previous students in finding architectural internships.

3. Check bulletin boards and newsletters in your school's architectural department regularly for internship opportunities or part-time jobs. Write down anything that looks interesting and follow-up to determine whether it's a good fit. School departments regularly post relevant information and opportunities for their students in the hallways or other designated public areas, including job opportunities for unlicensed architectural students.

4. Ask your advisor or program faculty for suggestions or advice for getting experience. Architectural program staff often have first-hand experience going through the internship search process and have connections in the industry to firms who take interns. While program faculty may not be able to place you directly, they can likely provide tips and leads that may result in an internship or direct you to opportunities within the school to gain architectural experience.

5. Review job boards and ads on the internet, in newspapers and listed through employment agencies. Getting architectural experience is usually a similar process to gaining experience in other technical professions. Architectural students and graduates should seek vacancies and apply for them.

6. Prepare your best portfolio. Often, getting experience as an architect requires competing for opportunities. Portfolios should display students' best work and show a potential employer a student's potential, based on demonstrated experienced gained within the classroom environment.

References

• Education-portal.com: How to Become an Architect: Education and Career Roadmap
• Triton College: Career Information for Architectural Students
• The American Institute of Architects: Intern Development Program
• Archcareers.org: Before School, During & After
• United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: Architect
• Archcareers.org: Explore a Career in Architecture