Hints & tips for graduates

Graduates need to:

• Create a well designed, graphically appealing CV with good visual material (and an emphasis on the practical experience you already have) to distinguish your application.
• Write a brief but specific covering letter to the practice you are approaching. Make it clear that you like their work and approach by referring to their projects. Generic letters are swiftly dispatched.
• Send many CVs and letters and follow them up as practices will be inundated with job applications.
• Target brand name offices by all means, but do not discount a local practice that will minimise your travel time (and costs) and still give you a decent vehicle for a part III case study.
• Consider work overseas but beware of burning too many boats unless you are certain you see yourself as a future global operator.
• Find out all you can about the practices you approach through your own networks.

Tips at interview:

• Edit your folio to A2 size at most as people don't like struggling with big drawings, and space may be limited.
• Don't attempt to show too much work at the interview— a five-minute display of work may be enough to make a decision.
• Let the interviewer do the talking unless they specifically ask you to offer a commentary on the work.
• This is an interview, not a design jury so the theoretical context of your projects may be of less interest to interviewers than other issues.
• Demonstrate you can write by including in your folio short, well illustrated written projects. n Show that you are aware of the technological context of architecture by including technology research and submissions from your part II.