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So just got back (well, in July) from a year studying and working in Germany after graduating with my BS in architecture, and have since been working some part-time jobs while working on sprucing up my resume and portfolio, researching firms, and writing cover letters.
Finally, about 4 weeks ago, I sent out 7 or 8 apps (not a lot, I know, but it's a start) to firms I am quite interested in. Cold, mind you, as there are really no proper intern openings listed. But I haven't heard back at all from the majority. I figured maybe the delay is due to the holidays (in addition to a likely lack of intern spots), but I am really interested in these firms and was wondering if I should take the initiative to give them a call to make sure they got my stuff (sent via e-mail) or see if they have other questions or whatever.
(as a note, one firm had an online upload system which said I should receive an e-mail once they've gotten the stuff and reviewed it, but I have gotten nothing as of yet)
I have read conflicting opinions from job search sites, so my question is: is it a good idea to take the initiative and call, or an annoyance to firms that are surely not so irresponsible as to have lost my application stuff?
Yes, take a few minutes to call the H.R. departments of the companies you "cold mailed" to say that you are very interested in said companies, would love to work with them, sent your resume a few weeks ago, and wondered if they had received it or had looked it over. As long as you don't pressure the potential employers to create a position for you (don't mention that you would like to be an intern because they may have a different idea for you that could be paid or they may prefer to just give you advice), they will likely be very open and tell you what they think.
Although my company is not currently hiring, some of my managers will meet with people fresh out of college who cold mailed their resumes. I've overheard some of the meetings which are basic in nature (what did you do in college, what are your hobbies, what are you looking to do in the future) and my managers will give feedback on their resumes and even call people they know in other companies to see if they have available positions. You never know what can happen if you assert yourself!
Honestly, you could cold-call them but the recruiters could get annoyed by that. The main key is if they want you, they will call you or email you ... seriously. It took me close to 8 months to secure any job. You may want to put out more than 8 resumes. The general rule of thumb for me is that they usually take 3 weeks to call if they are interested in hiring. Otherwise, call it a day and try going after other companies.
So just got back (well, in July) from a year studying and working in Germany after graduating with my BS in architecture, and have since been working some part-time jobs while working on sprucing up my resume and portfolio, researching firms, and writing cover letters.
Finally, about 4 weeks ago, I sent out 7 or 8 apps (not a lot, I know, but it's a start) to firms I am quite interested in. Cold, mind you, as there are really no proper intern openings listed. But I haven't heard back at all from the majority. I figured maybe the delay is due to the holidays (in addition to a likely lack of intern spots), but I am really interested in these firms and was wondering if I should take the initiative to give them a call to make sure they got my stuff (sent via e-mail) or see if they have other questions or whatever.
(as a note, one firm had an online upload system which said I should receive an e-mail once they've gotten the stuff and reviewed it, but I have gotten nothing as of yet)
I have read conflicting opinions from job search sites, so my question is: is it a good idea to take the initiative and call, or an annoyance to firms that are surely not so irresponsible as to have lost my application stuff?
Don't call. It's annoying. If and when they have a question or want to interview you, they will contact you. Until then you should assume they don't want to hear from you. Keep track of when and whom you send your resumes to. If you don't hear anything in three or six months and are still looking, send it again.
I think you should be prepared to work a lot harder if you want to find a job in architecture. I don't know anyone in the profession (including myself) who sent out less than 200 resumes during this recession before they landed a job. That's not a typo. Two. Hundred. If you want to work, you're going to have to stop pondering every period and apostrophe, or whatever you've spent the last six months doing, and start getting those resumes out there.
And cold calling ALWAYS has a poorer response rate than solicited resumes. You may hear from one out of every ten resumes you send. There's always the possibility of a hidden job, and for that reason, the cold-call strategy is often worth it. But you should recognize that the reason most companies aren't advertising is that they actually don't have any jobs available. With this approach you need to be prepared to put in a lot more work.
Is there a chance they didn't receive it? Sure, but minimal. If you revisit the site to which you uploaded (let me guess, HOK?) you'll probably get a message that they already have your resume on file. For emailing, make sure your files (all of them, including sample of work) are no larger than 2MB. Architects typically have large email size limits, but err on the side of caution. And always send to the designated email address they have for resumes. I know professors and advisors always tell you to try to track down the director or principal, but don't. If you do that, your resume won't be in the right pile when they decide to go look at all the resumes they have on file and call people for interviews.
So far I have been trying to tailor my cover letters to the firms I've been looking at, which has taken more time, not to mention this really being my first experience with sending out job things (...in the US; I did send out a bunch in Germany for my internship there, which I suppose should be harder...)
Since I've just graduated and there aren't all kinds of summer internships right now, intern postings are few and far between. Some firms encourage interns to apply all the time, some say they have stuff often based on semester schedules (I suppose that means 4-month internship periods in fall, spring, and summer) and so yeah.
As for attachment sized and stuff, when I get one bounced back for being over a size limit (due to my somewhat large work sample attached) I'll just provide a link to my portfolio online and just send the cover letter and resume. The one I uploaded to was Strada here in Pittsburgh (I don't think I plan on applying to HOK, really).
I've called some firms to ask to whom I should direct the resume to if there was nothing online.
As a note, I'd much prefer something to do with planning or focusing on urban design. If you know anything in the Pittsburgh /maybe Chicago or Philly or Boston or somewhere like/around this area, do let me know ^__^
You can try cold calling afterward, but don't expect much of a response. Some companies may be happy to help a recent grad and give them advice, but I would still have to think that the majority of companies out there are busy and have no time to respond to every resume that comes in, especially if they have an open position and they are getting hundreds or THOUSANDS of resumes. I've been unemployed for 8 months now and I can COUNT ON MY HANDS how many places I applied to even sent me an auto reply acknowledging that they got my online application or bothered to send me a rejection email.
I would highly suggest that you find opportunities to meet people face to face though through networking. Go to professional society events, trade shows, etc. I know Chicago for instance has active Green Building Groups that meet regularly. I can't remember the name of the group I attended a meeting for since this was about 5 years ago, but a quick Google search pulled up the US Green Building Council Chapter there who is having an Emerging Professionals Networking Meeting on Jan 25th. I'm not an Architect myself, but I'm a Product Designer so I can relate to the difficulty of the job search and the importance of your portfolio, etc.
I've had GREAT success with meeting people and talking to companies at furniture trade shows like NeoCon in Chicago. There I had the opportunity to walk in the door of a showroom, ask to talk to a designer, and make my two minute pitch and see if they would talk to me a bit longer and look at my portfolio if I had time. It netted both of my 1st professional jobs using that method. I've also made some good contacts through IDSA (Industrial Design Society of America) as well.
One other thing I would recommend though is if you are cold calling, ask them if you can set up an informational interview with them so you can get an opportunity to learn more about their company and get some advice on your portfolio. If you want to work in a particular area like Chicago, then contact several firms and tell them that you are planning to travel to Chicago between X - X dates and would like to set up an informational interview to meet with them and learn about their firm. Many people I've talked to have had good luck with at least getting to meet with a company they want to work for this way even if it didn't lead to a job. At least this makes it sound like you want to learn more about them, and you're not just saying "Hire Me! Hire Me!" when they are not actively seeking new employees. Regardless, best of luck to you.
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