Archives for April 2017

As mentioned in part 1 from April 4^th, we had the opportunity to attend a few career fairs last month. The first being Penn State’s career day, hosted by the Stuckeman school of Architecture, which was talked about in part 1. The second event was Philadelphia University’s Design Expo, which consisted of students enrolled in interior design, landscape architecture, sustainable design, industrial design, and similar majors in addition to those in their architecture program.

Being a 2014 graduate of PhilaU (as we call it), it was a great experience to come back to my alma mater and see where I spent most of my waking hours only a few short years ago.  Before registration started for the design expo, I visited a few faculty members, got up to speed with how the program has evolved in the last few years, and took another walk down memory lane as I passed through the studio on my way to register for the expo.

As I entered the gym, there were almost 100 tables spread across the room, each one numbered and signed to identify the company represented.  On the side of the gym were well over 200 students occupying the bleachers in their formal attire. Let me tell you, as exciting as it was to sit on the OTHER side of the table that day, it was a bit overwhelming at the number of students who showed up early.  I remember thinking to myself “If that’s the number of students that arrived 30 minutes before the first time slot, how many more would be coming?”  Once it was time to begin, our host stood up front and greeted everyone, explained the procession of events for the day, and then all the action started.  The only way I could describe the expo would be to call it “employment speed dating,” and I know you’re probably laughing to yourself at the mental image that appears.  Trust me, that’s really how it went down. It was fast-paced, there was an energy in the room, and everyone had their resumes and portfolios on hand.  When 20 minutes had passed, the MC would announce that it was time to move on to the next session.  We would say our “thank you’s” and “goodbye’s” and greet the next student as they made their way to our table and sat down for their 20 minutes.

We met with both undergraduate and graduate students that day. When looking at their portfolios during our brief meetings, I kept wondering when they found time to put them together. Many had impressive renderings, were easy to follow, and were excited when talking about the work they produced. I remember sitting in their seat just a few years ago, and how events like these forced me to put together a collection of my design work and get comfortable talking about myself to potential employers.  Although it’s fast-paced and a bit on the noisy side (to be fair, gymnasiums never have the greatest acoustics), it was a great experience for us as a company and we hope the students equally benefitted from the event.

When it was all said and done, we enjoyed our day at PhilaU.  We left with a stack of resumes to review in greater depth, and a greater appreciation of the time students put into their portfolios.  As the summer approaches, we look forward to extending an internship offer to a student from one of the career fairs we attended. That two-way street is great for continuing our own education in the office as we learn about new software and methods being taught in college, and in turn we get to pass on some of our knowledge to someone just starting to get their feet wet, so-to-speak.

-Brandon Runnels

Photo Credit: Philadelphia University

The college experience for an architectural student is a bit different from the norm. If you don’t believe me, take a look at Indiana University’s National 2016 Study of Student Engagement (NSSE) which confirms architecture as the most time consuming undergraduate major. As if a full course-load wasn’t enough, adding 12(+) hours of in-class studio each week, countless studio hours outside of class, and the homework for the other classes can be overwhelming.  On top of that, students must push themselves to create a portfolio, interview for internships, and get that much-needed foot in the door for after graduation.

We at JL Architects were fortunate enough to visit two colleges in the past month. We attended Penn State University’s career fair hosted by the Stuckeman School of Architecture, and Philadelphia University’s design expo which included a wider range of design majors in addition to architecture. This blog is part 1 of 2, our experience at PSU.

When I arrived at Penn State that morning, I was among the first wave of companies to sign-in, so I walked around the studio (coffee in hand of course) while waiting for the first activity of the day. It was a trip down memory lane, in a way. The studio was an organized mess, just as it should be. There were modeling supplies scattered on and under desks, layers and layers of trace paper pinned on desk dividers, and every single flat surface was occupied by one or more sketch models delicately stacked to preserve desk space. In addition to signs of design work being done, there were the all-to-familiar signs of studio life… coffee pots, microwaves, boxes of food here and there, and students running around in slippers and sweatshirts. The only thing missing was the mailbox so students could officially submit a change-of-address form and get mail in studio.  I had to smile, in part because I miss the chaos of studio life that resulted in great friendships and great projects, but also because I’m asleep at 2 am these days instead of leaving studio with the hope of getting 4 or 5 hours sleep that night.

By the time the first presentation of the day had started, the slippers and sweatshirts had become dresses with heels and suits with ties.  The students sat through presentations from companies they had interest in, then followed up afterward by approaching them in an open networking fashion.  They brought with them copies of their resumes along with their current portfolio of work, and in some cases showed examples of personal projects or hobbies outside of architecture. I was fortunate enough to speak with several students during the open networking session, in addition to speaking with a handful of students at greater length as an informal interview for our summer internship program.  In addition to the obvious “what are your qualifications?” questions, it was nice to hear about what led them to architecture school in the first place, what passions/interests they have outside of school, and how they’ve transitioned to young professionals who survive on limited sleep while in school.  Like I said, it’s a trip down memory lane.

Overall, the day was a great success. We were able to talk to a few potential internship candidates, but more importantly we were able to connect with students who (in many cases) are already swamped with work yet finding time to put together their first portfolio and resume.  Career days like the one at Penn State help the students get their name out there to potential employers, especially those who are looking for their first architectural internship.  I remember how stressful that was when I was in school, and I definitely remember what it’s like to be on the other side of the table, hoping that my portfolio was good enough, hoping I didn’t look like I just stayed up all night working on a project, and hoping to get a call back.  Looking back on it now, it was all worth it.

-Brandon Runnels

 

Photo Credit: Penn State University