I did not mean to cause any offence. I was merely stating that in my personal experience (and I realise this is only anecdotal), students do not tend to be as proactive as they could be in investigating alternatives. Congratulations on finding work abroad, it will put you in good stead for the future.

People need to be aware that they don't just have to apply for unpaid or poorly-paid internships abroad, but can apply for proper jobs. You will find you are more than qualified for many positions.

Out of interest, were you aware of the programmes run by the government?

Again, congrats on finding work.

put aside the assignments and this is one of the toughest parts of the process!!! I am currently in the same boat, in my second year Part 1 and sick to the teeth of my own CV! I have recently been given some advice to network and its starting to come up with some promising news. post yourself on blog spaces, posterous, naymz, facebooks and tweets even here. its all about trying to get the edge over the competition. Once you have done a few of these then try sending your CV and cover letter along with your blog address which will show them more about what you like or don't. what your in to, your favourite buildings, projects your in to.... so on.
The industry is really suffering at the minute and only the strongest will survive..

I am doing all this with a family and its near impossible but if you want it then you have to work damn hard to get it..

wish you well with your career

Paul

Hi there.

I am also currently on the hunt for a Part 1 placement, and although i'm only in the very early stages (i've only started sending out cv's this week) I have been looking into the possibilities of going abroad for for work, and other than send out my CV to foreign based firms registered with the ARB, i'm not too sure of the best approach to take.

I found out about IAESTE last year, but too late to sign up as they stop taking applicants in November time. James, I wasn't aware that the government were sponsoring placements for graduates to work for Chinese firms. I've tried to find out more on the net but can't for the life of my find anything. Infact any search I do comes up with this thread at the top! I don't suppose you have any further information on the scheme, or could provide me with a website where I could find out more. I've been looking on the endless government websites but can't find a thing.

Many thanks.

Thank you very much for your answer, but I think this is highly unfair of you to assume that we haven't been looking elsewhere. For your information I did take an internship in China but it doesn't mean that I would not prefer a job here closer to where I study. Posting questions on website is also one way of seeking and I have got plenty of good advice from here, however, this doesn't mean that this is what I have been doing all day. I have already found a job for a few months after posting the question but thank you again for your advice.

I was in the very same boat until the beginning of this year when I finally caught a break from one of the many speculative letters/cvs I sent out all over the place. The office I wrote to weren't advertising any open position; it was just sheer dumb luck - right time, right place.

Unfortunately that is how it seems to be right now and I know a lot of very talented people who still haven't found anything and I know how frustrating/hopeless it can seem. All you can do is keep plugging away, it may sound pointless but I had been sending letters and CVs and eMails from June of last year...

If you have never experienced working in an office before then maybe you could consider doing a week or two of unpaid work but personally I think working for free is a bit of a joke (just my opinion.)

Ultimately if you don't find any work between now and September I'd say don't worry about it. Plenty of time to get the experience down after 5th year.

(If you have lots of spare time on your hands I'd also definitely consider working on a student competition or similar to keep your creative brain ticking over - plus it can go in your folio and impress any potential employer at an interview to show you haven't just been twiddling your thumbs all year).

Good luck in your search.

Hi Christian.

The programme in particular is known as the UK-China Graduate Work Experience Programme, organised by the BIS and Education Departments I believe. Just apply for the speculative engineering stream and they can find architectural placements in multidisciplinary firms. If there's nothing listed I would highly reccomend telephoning them and explaining your situation - they'll probably be able to get companies they've worked with in the past (i.e. with me!) to take on placement students if asked.

Also, with regards to speculative applications to foreign firms, you can apply to any practice, they do not have to be registered with the ARB. In order for you to use the experience towards your PEDR you will, however, have to write to the ARB requesting them to approve the placement. This is a very simple process whereby you outline some details about the practice (number of employees, turnover, type of work undertaken etc.) and specify the registration details of your supervisor - they must be registered architects, but don't have to be RIBA or EU. Don't limit your foreign searches to ARB firms or those with UK connections.

Many of my friends graduating this year have found work abroad already, I'm sure you'll be fine. Just make sure you get the approval letter from the ARB. They're very helpful - it's probably worth telephoning them to ask who to email.

Good luck, James

Have a look at your CV - critically.

I was always told that a job CV should have a front cover detailing your information, i.e. name address, school, qualifications etc.

Second and subsequent pages offer a brief synopsis of your skills as they relate to each employment in chronological order & don't leave any time gaps. Given this might well be your first job - have you worked part time? if so, this counts, it can be a good indicator of how hard you are prepared to work. My wife used to recruit for a large retailer - first thing she always looked at was experience & reason for leaving.

Remember, your cv is an introduction to you, it tells your (potential) employer the kind of person you are, and make them want to speak to you at interview - if your cv is boring and rabbits on, or poorly set out, spelt etc. are they going to waste their expensive time. Remember there are a lot of people out there, competing for the same job - does your cv stand out enough to create an interest?