Yesterday, I had the privilege of sharing my journey starting my career in architecture at The University of Queensland Kickstart Your Career EAIT Bootcamp on the graduate panel. From my first year of study, I was anxious about securing a job in architecture. The scarcity of practices offering graduate programs and the limited availability of junior positions, particularly for 'year out' opportunities, made the thought of future employment daunting. It seemed everyone I talked to stressed the importance of industry experience prior to pursuing post graduate studies. Fortunately, I received a referral for a student role from one of my tutors which helped me to start out, but navigating employment during undergraduate studies remained challenging.
During the session, I emphasized several key points in response to the students questions:
1. Take initiative: During your studies, reach out directly to practices and architects, ask to do a week of work experience, or even visit them for a day shadowing them for a day to gain exposure.
2. Get involved: Participation in extracurricular activities such as the SONA SuperStudio design competitions are an awesome opportunity to network whilst expanding your design skills and portfolio.
3. Attend and network: Attend various events such as product information nights, exhibitions, SONA talks, and design workshops. Building connections within the industry is crucial.
4. Reach out: Send your portfolio to practices that inspire you. In addition to your portfolio, include a well-crafted cover letter expressing your specific interest in their project work. Follow up with a phone call to the practice to ensure your email is seen.
5. Diversify your portfolio: Showcase not only your finished projects but also the process. Include rough sketches, photos of physical models, and also any related creative endeavors outside of your formal studies that demonstrates your skillset (photography, artwork, graphic design, furiniture renovation, etc).
6. Seek guidance: Don't hesitate to approach your tutors and lecturers about your career aspirations. They will likely have industry contacts they can either refer you onto or pass on contacts for.
Proactive engagement, networking, and diversification of skills and experiences are key to navigating the challenges of kickstarting a career in architecture.
Thank you for the invite Olivia Dwyer, Rialet Le Roux who moderated the panel and of course the other panelists who also shared their exciting career experiences Pip Taylor, Stephanie Taylor, Riley Mackey and Kim Gao .
#UQ #employability #careerdevelopment #UQArchitecture
