Architecture career advice

[HaveYouHeardOfARoadAtlas]

So dd has just finished her first 3 years of her UG degree and now needs to finish her Part 1 with 12 months in industry. She applied with a local firm which she really liked the look of but they’re now full.

im worried she’s left it too late. I’m looking for adverts and not really seeing any. Does she just email every RIBA validated firm going? She’s got a 1st class degree, she says her portfolio is excellent (looks great to me). She says she’s killed her self for the last 3 years, and feels it’s all been for nothing. Do people sometimes not get a job and can’t proceed to Part 2?

Anyone?

Does she have to do that now? Yes apply for everything but what about other experience? Local authority planning department? I think when you graduate you want it all to happen then and there but there is so much time to achieve her goals.

Ps I might not fully understand the requirements. Apologies if that's the case.

i work in the industry and i would just phone around practices. I think it is easier to quickly find out if they are hiring then who to address the application to. We get tons of email applications so it makes it a bit more personal to call. If they are not hiring they might know who is. Have a look on LinkedIn to check if anyone says they are hiring too

what part of the country are you based in?

I have 20+ years experience in architecture, and agree with the pp. It’s not too late but it is competitive out there, so she will need to be organised and resilient to knock-backs.

She should make a list of practices local to where she’d ideally work, call them, check where to send a CV into.
Then email a CV, with a personal introductory covering email, and a couple of pages from her portfolio. And offer to go in to meet them.
Does she have any experience at all? If not, maybe offering to do a 1-2 week shadowing initially, to get an industry reference.

Does she have good IT skills - CAD, BIM, sketch-up? If not can she do an online course to give her CV a boost?

Is she willing to travel to widen the number of practices she could work for? Sole practitioners, rather than larger practices, can sometimes offer good experience to junior staff, but might be smaller domestic projects.

Hope this all helps.

I did my Part 1 during a significant downturn in the industry. I got 12 months’ work experience at Part 1 but some uni peers didn’t - they were allowed to progress to their post grad degrees with the rest of the year group, but had to do additional work experience at Part 2 to build up the total work experience log. Different unis might have different approaches.

But it’s very early to be thinking of not getting work experience, it’s only July, there is still plenty time to get a work placement.

I guess she could wait but she can’t be an actual architect until she’s done this post.

Thanks, that’s a good idea. We’re East Midlands. She’s emailed a few companies now but will suggest ringing companies to her.

@Notjustamum10 thank you. She thinks she has to do 12 months of experience before being allowed back to uni for part two so she’s panicking it needs to be in place by sept?

She is good with CAD and a few others I think. Not as good with Revit as they didn’t do it at uni but she paid for an online course. She’s currently in Italy doing a 2 week architecture course which she reckoned would look good on her CV but probably a jolly to be honest. She’s got no industry experience at all so will suggest some unpaid work experience if she doesn’t get anything soon.

she is emailing companies further away especially if they offer hybrid working as she thinks she could commute to central London a couple of days a week if she could work from home the other days. I’ve suggested cities like Leeds or Sheffield as well.

My son is an architect he takes part I students. It's all changing now students can't afford to stay on at university for years. His very talented part I who started last September is staying on and he's arranged with the head of department that she attends lectures but continues to work.

Another practice is doing the same. It's much easier with remote working and you tube lectures.

My youngest did part I. He had a job in a practice within two months. He sent off his CV to quite a few practices in the Leeds area, he had worked for his brother in the holidays which probably helped.

Does your daughter intend to live at home?

She’d rather live at home as the initial jobs don’t pay well

@HaveYouHeardOfARoadAtlas just a point the Leeds architect DS works for do mostly London and South East work. So she doesn't need to work in London.

Thanks. Yes I’ve suggested Leeds as that’s commutable I reckon (just).

DS started on 26k, which is pretty normal. He has had a recent pay rise at six months.

Not sure of exact details but a former colleague s son worked in house for a firm redesigning premises to fit their company requirements during his year in practice.

The train system is very good compared to ours. The strikes seem to have abated. Leeds is a vibrant city. There's lots of practices all over Yorkshire.

I’ve seen some advertised at 20k. But yes at 25k ish she could move away. Not sure if that’s enough to live on in London. Possibly.

As long as it’s a RIBA validated company something like that could work.

"Architectural Assistant Part 1 - Manchester M2 - Indeed.com" https://uk.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=07ddc8fc9dd59da0&from=serp

Here's one in Manchester

I think (from distant memory!) when I was at uni they wouldn't stop you from going back to do your part 2 at uni over it - you just can't officially say you're at "part 2" level til you've done and logged the correct experience for part 1. The break in study / timelines are recommended, but not compulsory I don't think. My year out was during the last recession and tons of folk didn't get jobs, mostly all now qualified and no one had to wait an extra year at uni. Worth chatting to the course director for some reassurance to that effect though!

I would also say yes, email every firm. Most of the decent ones don't have to advertise as they're getting portfolios in regularly. She could also hand some in in person - nice touch.

Architectural technologists are on better money than riba qualified these days. It's all about CAD and Revit. Young minds are so quick to learn they can even become chartered now

OP this isn't true...she just has to have 'relevant experience'. It does not have to be a part 1 placement specifically.

Whilst a part 1 placement is definitely beneficial for MArch part 2 it is not always needed. It is also common to take more than one year out in industry.

It's annoying that the local firm has rescinded their offer but she has many more months to apply to.other practices and get some experience.

@justasking111 thanks, I’ve emailed that one to her.