Why You Didn’t Get the Architecture Job of Your Dreams

The reasons architects don’t usually get hired comes down to one thing: interview skills. Architecture recruiters and hiring managers are looking for candidates with more than design ability. They’re looking for candidates who love what they do and can articulate that passion in an interview.

4 Reasons You Didn’t Get the Architecture Job

Your level of interest, or lack thereof, affects your interview skills.  Recruiters and hiring managers can tell whether you have a passion for your work or it’s a job until you find something better – or win the lottery.  It shows even if you don’t think it does.

If any of these 4 statements describe you, your phone won’t ring.

1. You don’t understand what you do best. What part of the job or design process do you love best?Be ready to share that in an interview. Discuss the process by using specific jargon related to your field.
2. You have no passion for what you do. Discuss your favorite projects with excitement. Reveal your participation level and how you overcame challenges.
3. You can’t explain how you interact with your clients. How do you communicate, make recommendations and accept feedback?
4. You don’t know why you do what you do. How does architecture excite you? What draws you to the industry and keeps you there? How are you growing?

Ways to Articulate Your Passion for Working in Architecture

Your ability to discuss your architectural skills reveals your attitude about the industry.

Whether you’re just starting your career or looking to switch firms, the ability to express your passion for design will win you interviews and, hopefully, the position.

1. Identify your strengths. Focus on what you do well and showcase it. Likewise, identify a minor weakness to talk about when asked about your weaknesses, showing what you learned from it.
2. Customize your portfolio. Your body of work should reveal a laser-like focus on what you do best. Including every sketch you’ve ever drawn suggests immaturity and an inability to summarize your style.
3. Do your research. Gather as much information as you can about the company you’re interviewing with. Fact-finding will help you understand the corporate culture and think of questions to ask the interviewer.

When you know what you want to say, it’s time to practice saying it.

Prepare for Your Interview Questions

Finally, prepare for the interviews you’re attending by rehearsing.

Practice interviewing with a friend by answering questions like:

• What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?
• What project was the most challenging for you, and how did you overcome it?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Or 10 years?

Create answers that show your focus on finding the right fit for your skills. Your responses should also indicate to the potential employing firm that you are consistent, honest, eager to learn, and hope to stick around for many years.

Your passion for architecture and design will get recruiters to notice you. Interviewing well will get you the job.