The architecture internship is a time in which an architecture student is working closely with an architect or an architectural firm, but is not actually employed by them. During the architecture internship, the student will be learning as much as they can from the person or the firm. They'll be listening in as projects are planned and plans are written, and they'll be a part of the entire process, from the brainstorming to the meetings to the actual design, and on to the completion of the project. All of the steps in the process are steps that can be done by an architecture intern during their stay.
The architecture internship might last as long a year, and is often at least several months long. The biggest thing that the architecture intern has to do is to be an assistant. They'll work with the architects in the firm closely and learn as much as they can from them. Often, as the architecture internship progresses, they'll be given smaller tasks to do, such as brainstorming some projects, or even designing some small projects with the help of the other members of the firm or the team. Everything that the architecture intern does will be carefully watched over by the members of the firm, and the architecture intern will have regular access to information about how the members of the firm feel they are progressing.
The internship is the best time for the budding architect to learn about their craft. They are witnessing it in real time, watching as projects get planned and completed, and therefore they are going to be able to experience what life as an architect is all about.
In many cases, the architecture internship is something that is required as part of a degree program. Often an architecture degree will be given only after the internship is complete – or it will be given with the understanding that right after a person has the degree they will complete an internship in order to get their license. It is often something that is required by a school or educational program in order to become an architect. Even if it is not required, people might choose to do an architecture internship before they begin work with a firm. This is because many times firms will not hire architects unless they already have an internship under their belt. This is because an architecture internship is seen as a training program, and the firm knows that if a job candidate has gone through an internship already, they will be more likely to know what they are doing and will be able to get more out of their entire job experience. Also in many cases, the internship is a prerequisite to applying for and obtaining a licenses and certification in the state where the person wants to work.
How to Find Internships
If you are a student of architecture, you know that an internship is going to be very important for you, as long as you can find one that meets your needs. Often the best way for you to find an internship is to go through your school. As you begin your degree, your professors will be talking to you about what will happen towards the end of your degree. They often have places to put interns, and will help you be placed in an internship that meets your needs. Also, sometimes firms will advertise that they have room for an architecture intern, so you should be paying attention to that as well. Most of the time, if the architecture intern gets paid it will not be as much as a regular architect will get paid. If you are doing the architecture internship as part of your degree program, you might not get paid at all. However, the internship is going to be vital to your future career as an architect, so even if you are not going to be paid for your time, you should count yourself lucky to have the chance to work with outstanding architects. You can only learn good things from your architecture internship, and even if you are not getting money for it you will still be getting more than you could possibly imagine. This can be a chance for you to work with the very highest level of architects, and you can learn more in a single day than you'd learn in an entire semester of classes.
