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What quality are practices looking for in a part 2 student/time scale of a decision?

I am one of the unlucky ones, sending numerous CV's, had a few interviews, but still no luck of getting a job. With some of the interviews I have attended, I am still waiting for a decision from the firm. One interview I attended way back in October and another one in December both still haven't made any decisions. I tried to call them, but they just replied that they havent made any yet.

I wonder whether anyone could tell me how long does a decision usually take and if I get no reply from the firm, does it mean that my interview was not successful?

Sometimes I wonder if it would be rude if I tried to call the pratice more than once to see the progress of my application after the interview?

I hope someone can give me some advice on some interview skills and what qualities practices are looking for in a part 2 students.

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5 answers

  • 2

aa_87 [ Editor ]

I work mid-large sized architecture firm and have done many interviews in the past, so I can tell you from my perspective why this may occur. There are many reasons that they make take their time in making a decision,particularly at the moment, projects that are coming are taking longer to take off so it is difficult to know when to take on staff; they may need you for a project they haven't quite secured, or alternatively, they may just be busy/lazy. We need to agree all new staff with our managing director who may be busy or out of the office, which causes some delay.

My advice for following up an interview:

  • Be persistent so you are always the first name on their mind. Ring them once a week for an update.
  • Ask if there is a reason for the delay and their feeling on whether there is definitely position available in the near future.
  • Ask yourself if this is worth waiting for, and keep your options open for other positions that may arise in the meantime.

My advice for the interview:

  • Focus your discussion on practical issues.
  • Make sure your folio shows your level of CAD competence and your level of understanding of construction etc.
  • Show examples of work you undertook as part of your Part 1 experience
  • Your student projects are interesting to show your ideas and creativity, so definitely show these. Highlight what your project aimed to achieve and how you resolved the brief.
  • Highlight areas that you enjoy and/or are keen to learn so you demonstrate your enthusiasm for architecture.
  • You should also discuss practical issues such as start dates and salary. Ask for a look around the office, it will give you a good feel for the type of office it is and the people that work there.

Good luck.

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  • 1

paula sharratt

I don't work in Architecture but have much experience of communication before and during interviews as I work in IT marketing.

You may be a brilliant student but if you haven't got the experience an employer is looking for, combined with less than perfect english, you may find yourself (unfairly) missing opportunities. Spelling, syntax and being able to communicate with anybody, any time, anywhere really helps give you the edge. Not having these skills honed will, every time, hold you back.

You may find that while you're applying you need to develop the kinds of skills you need on an internship. You need much greater competence in speaking and writing than you have at present. This will calm you, focus you on the things about architecture that have motivated and inspired you. Until the first thing that you communicate and convey is your real belief in the work you've done and the work you hope to do, you can be sure that employers will be tempted to undervalue your potential.

Have you decided the area of architecture you want to work in? Have you decided where in the world you want to work, now or in the future? Have you googled all the practices in a radius around where you live? Do you want to work for a small, medium or large practice? Do you understand the area that you want to work in in terms of other disciplines, such as planning, construction? surveying, marketing? Could you find yourself a placement within an organisation, such as the Personnel department or HR department where you could develop your understanding of the people side of interviewing, employing people?

I hope that this helps.

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  • 0

norm

start by desregarding all of the comments made above. those are the kind of comments that apply for average people. don't be average. be your best and show your best work. does not matter whether you know water proof detailing or have incredible coding skills. what matters is that you need to impress. it can be an image or it can be a clever sentence, but you have to impress! and for this to work, you need to first convince yourself that you are good and there will be people out there who need you. if you can't concince yourself, you are not going to convince anyone else. at the end of the day, experience, cv and all that jazz is just backnoise, your talent is the most important, if, of course, you have one.

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  • 0

v bird

Any time you are applying for a job, make sure that you tailor your application to the specific job/practice. Find out about what the practice specialises in; check out their website and see what kind of background the key individuals come from, look at past projects and practice profiles. Look for ways in which you can tailor the presentation of your experience, even if it's limited at the moment, to what the practice does (or has done) and to the specifics of the job. For example our students do a doctor's surgery project in their final year of the Architectural Technology degree; we have an architect with an expertise in surgery design who acts as an expert client. If looking for work in an office with any kind of healthcare focus you might emphasise that project over and above a different one. If they're looking for someone to be involved in a working drawings programme emphasise your construction detailing and CAD skills over and above whizzy design. Make sure you write in good English and don't forget capital i for I etc; people who can't be bothered to use the shift key are just irritating - I wouldn't want them writing to my clients. Similarly make sure your spelling is correct - and don't just rely on the spell check - 'definitely' is not the same as 'defiantly'!

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