Wow, I’m coming in a bit late here, but…
@YARNLADY‘s suggestion would be a good start. I know the community college I still take classes from does a better job at posting job opportunities than my university, but you should talk with the faculty in your department and find out who’s in charge of that kind of thing. Sometimes you might get lucky by speaking to them directly; I got first dibs, so to speak, on an internship because I found out about it right after my professor did! (Of course, there’s always the interview process, but that’s another dealio…)
Sometimes firms, be they architectural and/or interior design, tend to stick with recruits from certain local universities/schools. I found this out calling around to some places a few weeks ago. It’s not that they don’t consider other people, but it’s still good to know who your competition is and what the firm’s preferences are.
In my program (and it’s a bit backwards, I think) they don’t require you do an internship until you’re in your fourth year. I transferred from a different school about 2 years ago where they required the internship be completed in the semester before your senior year. I went ahead and did my internship in that summer because it made most sense to me. Besides, it would have been a lazy, wasted summer if I hadn’t, heh.
BarnacleBill—I’m pretty much in the same position as you. I’m going to graduate in May. Who knows, you might have already found a job by now, haha. One reason you may not get feedback from some places is because the market is really slow. I know residential may actually be a good place to start simply because a lot of jobs are repeat clients who are looking to remodel their homes. Some places aren’t even taking unpaid interns because there aren’t enough jobs coming in! At least that’s how it is here in Phoenix, anyway. The best way, I think, to know what opportunities are available is to speak to your school’s faculty because they’re always in the know and may even put in a good word for you. ;)
Another method is to just do cold calls—contact local firms or small business owners in the field. If they have a website, you’ll want to check that out first to get an idea of what kind of business they do and whether it’s a good fit for you. Yes, you don’t want to be terribly picky, but at the same time you don’t want to waste time—theirs or yours. If you know you want to do mostly hospitality design (as do I!), then save those primarily residential firms as back-ups. Once you’ve found some candidates and give them a call, ask them about the kind of work they do. Are they even interested in hiring anyone at the moment or even taking interns? (I highly recommend doing an internship before jumping in, btw, and some places might even require it before they hire a college grad. Not only do you get to ease your way into their process, but you get a feel for the people you’re working with. Better to know that you don’t mesh with their corporate culture before you commit to a job with them.)
If you do find a place that is interested in receiving interns or entry-level hirees, then do have your resume and portfolio already set to go. Most places always say they accept resumes and are always considering applicants anyway, but that’s what they always say, haha. Who knows, though, they might actually give you a call for an interview! Best to be prepared.
I could probably say a lot more, but I don’t even have a job yet! At my school we have a huge senior project to complete that we’ll get to shop around at this big convention where recruiters will be scouting. o_O Kinda scary, if you ask me, but I’ve got my fingers crossed. Anyway, I hope this helps you. Let me know how the job hunt goes/has gone! I’ll be right out there with you. (What city are you in, btw?)
Composing members:
0
Composing members:
0
