9 Tips on How to Get an Architecture Internship 2024

When you start an architecture school, it is because you love to draw and imagine constructing a house for yourself and the people around you.

As you begin learning more, you come to the knowledge that time and work you spend every day on a learning process is a crucial step in pursuing an architecture career. But education is not always everything you might need.

You are a successful student, but the thing that any student needs is an architecture internship. It is an essential part of any career. Choosing and getting an internship is not an easy task to do.

You have to be determined and select and apply wisely to get a chance to gain valuable experience and knowledge from junior and senior architects.

Architecture Internship Goals

An architecture internship presents some serious work you need to do. You need to spend your time wisely and take every opportunity to learn something.

It is not always about learning about the professional technical details, and sometimes it is learning to work in a team. You should learn to negotiate with a client or to win a job. Show your manners and win a satisfied client and employer.

Many things can be learned during your internship. You need to stay focused, but do not forget to enjoy the process. People working in the firm would like to see you as a colleague and a human being who is ready to bring in both professional aspect and a friendly atmosphere. So, here are some goals you have to keep in mind during your architecture internship.

Improving Your Technical Skills

A good architect has to be also a data analyst and to know how to work with spreadsheets, formulas, and modeling techniques. It is also valuable to learn about creating presentations – everything from the text to designing and needed research using various Internet tools. These skills will prove useful for any intern who wishes a long term job.

Learning About Market Functioning

Every good architecture intern should gain some vital knowledge about market, economics, and technology. These skills are an inevitable part of any architectural firm functioning. Learning about finance and staff functioning in the firm are things that can be easily discovered during the internship.

Interpersonal Skills

People always cherish a knowledgeable person in the firm, but a crucial thing maybe how that person communicates with others. You need to learn how to communicate, to present your ideas clearly and precisely.

With that, you should be able to present your firm in the best light wherever you go and especially to the clients who will benefit from your work.

Networking

Creating a network of people who can help you with your career is the most valuable thing you would gain during the architecture internship. Expand your network with other students and architecture interns, as well as with technical specialists and future founders.
Start building your network as soon as possible because these connections can be of tremendous help in the future.

Preparing for Professional Registration Exams

An intern architect prepares for licensure or registration as an architect. An intern does not need to have a professional degree to start an internship but that degree is required to attain a chance for getting licensure.

9 Tips for Getting an Architecture Internship

Many things may be crucial when firms decide on hiring an architecture intern. They will have different demands, but surely those requirements are what they might need to maintain the productivity and working atmosphere.

They do not want someone who would not fit or, even worse, to weaken their hard work. They would need a breath of fresh air to fill their lines.

Many people expect and think that some of these steps are easy to pass. But things such as writing a resume or building a portfolio might be trickier than it sounds. You have to be smart, courageous, and adventurous to try new things and technologies when presenting your qualities.

Here are the tips to help you reach the selection of the top five interns.

Writing Your Resume

When applying for your Architecture internship, you have to pay special attention to your resume. It has to be as straightforward as possible and give precise and truthful information about you.

Your potential employer will provide you with the desired internship if you present yourself in the best light possible. Remember to remain specific because they have a little time to know you from the resume.

Your resume should contain your personal information such as name, address, educational background, and also the list of any previous jobs you had, especially if it had something to do with constructions and engineering.

Do not forget to include volunteering work or if you took part in some competitions, especially if they were about architecture.

Watch this video to see how to improve your resume:

Watch video: 5 Tips for a Better Architecture Resume CV

Building a Portfolio

The right person for an architecture internship shows a collection of the works as a crucial element in a resume. It does not need to be related necessarily to the architecture – maybe some college club promotes your communication and management skills.

Highlight anything that might seem relevant to your employer because it will show your strengths, interests, and communication and teamwork qualities.

Your portfolio should contain information about any work where you earned your experience. Share your drawings or work to present what you can do. The best thing to do is to make a collage of your work.

Remember to select the best works for your portfolio because no one has time to go through many pages of drawings and projects.

Watch this video to see how to build your architecture portfolio:

Watch video: How to make an architectural portfolio

Networking

The most architecture internship jobs usually go to those who have some recommendations. So, spread the word that you are looking for an architecture internship opportunity, and the results may surprise you.

Use the existing social network- your friends and colleagues who can further inform their contacts about a reliable and hard-working intern looking for a job.

You can also use some of the existing social networks online, such as LinkedIn. Create your profile and present your portfolio and personal information. Give a brief insight into your experience and interests and join some of the architecture groups where you can find an add of your first architecture internship opportunity.

Watch this video to see how to open a LinkedIn profile:

Watch video: LinkedIn for Artists, Architects, Designers, and Photographers

Explore the Possibilities

Do your research project on the architecture firms that you would like to work for in your future. Do not waste much time on this, and try to make a shortlist of the essential features of the targeted architectural firm. You should memorize the list in case of an unexpected opportunity of getting a job in those firms.

When you get the architecture internship opportunity in some firm, you should be familiar with the firm’s background – name and how long they have been in business, what kind, and how often do they have new projects.

It is also valuable if some of your contacts had worked there before and could share some insight. Make sure they did not hire interns recently since that may lower your chances of getting the job.

Watch this video to see more on Paid or Unpaid Internships:

Watch video: Architecture Internships (Paid vs. Unpaid)

Modern Technologies

Today, advanced technologies are an inevitable part of our everyday lives. In business, they are a must. If you advance your knowledge in various design and architectural software and promote it in your portfolio and resume, the chances that you could stand out are higher. The more proficient in your work, the more likely you would get the desired job.

When you want to get an architectural internship job, you would want to demonstrate your high competences and abilities to deliver precise and useful reports, neat drawings, and 3D visualization. Modern technologies can be of great help in showing off your skills and providing an internship job that will be a step forward in your career.

Watch this video to see the most used software in Architecture firms:

Watch video: Most Popular Software in architecture firms

Personal Presentation

Although the resume and portfolio or LinkedIn profile can tell a lot about you, meeting you in person must follow your presentation online. You cannot allow yourself to present false information that you cannot show when you reach your potential employer. The architectural firm would like to see even more than it read about your abilities.

Aside from your professional abilities, you should pay special attention to your manners, body language, and voice tone. You should be confident to present yourself in the best light, but at the same time, you do not want to seem arrogant or not to respect the people around you.

Also, do not waste the employer’s time and try to present yourself within a 15 seconds attention span.

Watch this video to see how to pass an interview for an Architecture internship:

Watch video: HOW TO - Get a job in Architecture

Persistence

If you did not learn it, now it is the right time to acquire that persistence is the key. Maybe you will not be successful right from the start, but you should not give up.

Some of your future employers will see that despite unsuccessful applications, you continued to work on yourself and applied to the next job. It will show them that you are not a quitter when things go wrong.

Do not waste your time crying over a refusal. Take your time, work on your professional advancement and do not just sit around, and wait for people to reach out for you. Check your application papers and see if there is something you could improve to get an architectural internship job opportunity.

Watch this video to see some advice for young architects:

Watch video: How To Succeed As a Young Architect

Focused Approach

When you are applying for an architecture internship, you already have an interest in some area where you want to work. Become knowledgeable in your job, pursue your attention to a higher level, and try to incorporate it into your application. Any field of interest may help your employer decide how to use your qualities during the teamwork.

Before applying to an architecture internship job, research that firm and focus your application around the company policy, people of the team, and their work management. If you see yourself as a part of their team, make sure you show it in your application letter.

Try to think ahead, to put yourself in the position of an employer, and consider what makes you the best choice for the architecture internship.

Watch this video to see the day of an architect:

Watch video: Day at Work - Architectural Designer

Motivation

It is crucial to stay motivated and not to lose track of what is essential when getting your first architecture internship. Do not forget the big picture, and that is having your career and becoming a fulfilled architect with your practice.

To pursue an individual career, it is vital to gain experience and become familiar with everyday job needs.

Being an intern is a great way to start your career. Choose your firm wisely as any firm chooses its interns carefully. How you start your career will affect your future jobs and career.

An internship should help you learn about the real demands of the job in architecture niche, so use that time smartly to gain the right and productive experience.

Watch this video to see the architecture firm presentation:

Watch video: Architects in Houston | Architectural Firm Employee Profile Interview

Getting an Architecture Internship – FAQs

Many questions may arise in the process of acquiring a chance to get an architecture internship. Some of these questions are quite common and give headaches to those looking for their first internship job. Some of the issues may be related to individual firm requirements. Nevertheless, here are several questions that we answered.

What is the usual job of an architecture intern?

An architecture internship job description usually includes hands-on work such as 3D modeling or drafting projects. You could be required to prepare presentations or to maintain the project files. Researching is another common task, such as research on the zoning laws and rules that apply to the sites.

How do I build a portfolio?

Building a personal and professional portfolio cannot be done in a day. It is a work in progress. It is advisable to start building a work collection as soon as you enroll in an architecture school. Save your drawings, projects, competition ideas, anything that might contribute to your experience.

It is easy to select the best works from a variety of your collection. Sometimes you would need to choose your work to fit your job application. Nevertheless, save all of your work even if you think it is worthless. Maybe someone will catch something imaginative in your seemingly simple drawing.

How long does an architecture internship last?

The architecture internship usually lasts for five years. After these five years, you will be possible to acquire a professional undergraduate architecture degree. It may seem long, but it is well paid, and you gain tremendous experience. This invaluable experience will attribute to your future long term job search.

An online portfolio or paper portfolio?

Online portfolios are easy to build. Many websites offer their space for creating a professional and easy to update online collections of your work. Today, the advanced technologies simply demand their use for professional purposes, although the old version of the paper portfolio shows the owners’ creativity and attention to detail.

If you keep a sketchbook handy, then you could have many drawings on paper. Scan them to keep them in your online portfolio or on your computer, but also save your paper version too. You never know when your sketchbook might become a reason for a suitable internship offer.

How many firms should I apply for an architecture internship?

The first thing you should make is a list of firms that you would like to work for as an intern. Make distinctions between those where you desire to work to those that you will take only as a last resort. Be honest with yourself, because this is the place where you will spend five years of your life.

This grouping is essential because it is sometimes easy to lose track of information between these firms when you do research. Include all vital information in one place for easier preview. When you have a detailed table of firms, send at least 20 to 30 applications for your internship job.

An Architecture Internship – A Step in Pursuing a Dream Career

Being an architect is not like any job, that is a lifestyle. People who chose this architecture path are usually determined people with a vivid imagination and a sense of beauty. They dream and live this job – it is instilled in all areas of their lives. Only those who understand the effort of becoming an architect can become one.

An Architecture internship is indeed a step forward to your dream career. Finishing an architecture school proved your effort and love for designing great projects. Starting as an intern will be another step that you will take.

Following the tips and your personal choice of firms where you would like to work will hopefully become a head start for building a successful career as an architect.