Students and recent graduates

With the economy now in ‘deep recession’ according to the Governor of the Bank of England, and Cabinet Minister Ed Balls warning of a depression ‘worse than the 1930s’ the outlook is worrying to say the least for students and recent graduates of Architectural Technology. Whilst there is no magic wand that will get you a job, there are a few small steps that you can take to make sure you are on top of the job hunt. 

Cut your CV to fit your cloth
It’s tempting to have a flashy or unusual CV in the hope that it will stand out from the crowd, but this is not always a good idea. This is a turn off for some employers. CVs longer than two sides of A4 also tend not to get looked at. What is important is to tailor your CV to fit the job you are applying for – don’t just send out the same one in a scattergun approach. A highly creative practice, for example, may appreciate a more eye-catching CV but a more staid, classical practice is likely to prefer something plain.

Travel first class
A rumour from the last recession was that applications sent by second class post rather than first were sometimes binned without being read as it was assumed to show a lack of enthusiasm on the part of the sender. This is less of an issue now with many applications being made online, but it’s worth bearing in mind.  The sooner you make a job application the better, as the selection process doesn’t always wait until the deadline to start.

Take care chasing CVs
It’s also tempting to follow up a CV with an email or phone call if you don’t hear from the employer, but remember, in a downturn every job vacancy will be swamped with applications and they are unlikely to appreciate even more correspondence to get through. Most jobs should make it clear that if you have not heard from them you should assume your application is unsuccessful. If they don’t, however, a polite follow up by email or phone if you have heard nothing is unlikely to do harm.
 
Always write a covering letter or email when sending your CV and make the effort to find out the name of the person you are sending it to if that is not made clear in the advertisement, don’t just use ‘dear sir/madam’ as this shows you haven’t made the effort to check. Write something specific about the firm in the letter so they know it’s not the same one you send out to millions of other firms.

It can also be worth doing a follow up if you get to interview stage – a short letter thanking the interviewer for their time and stressing your continuing interest can help fix you in the minds of the selectors, though one recruitment consultant I spoke to thought this was ‘rather too American’.

Speculate to accumulate
Speculative applications, where you send a CV and covering letter to firms can be worth a try as it’s possible that you might just be the right person at the right time, and if they can fill a job without the expense of a recruitment campaign, so much the better. As a graduate in the 90s recession I sent speculative letters to 50 firms and got 2 interviews from this (though sadly no job offers!)

Diversify
One of the advantages of the discipline of Architectural Technology is its wide-ranging applicability, so don’t make your job search too narrow. Administration, product development, technical writing/publishing, software development, building maintenance, training/teaching etc are all relevant experience and may count towards your CIAT POP Record. It’s worth stressing this flexibility in job applications also, as some employers may assume you’re just a ‘draughtsman’ or worse, a ‘CAD jockey’! When you are a Chartered Member, you will also be able to diversify into the Institute’s Specialist Registers (see separate article in this issue).

Work for free
It can be tempting to offer your services free of charge just to get that all important experience on the CV, but be careful as you should not be seen to underestimate your worth and, when in such jobs it can be harder to keep up the job hunt. Work experience jobs are generally best kept to short periods and you should not send out a generic begging letter offering to do ‘anything for nothing’ – instead highlight your skills and what you can offer the firm.

Competitions
Competitions, such as the CIAT Student Award, are a good way of achieving recognition before entering the jobs market and have helped launch many careers. Find out more here: www.ciat.org.uk/en/members/awards/Student_Award_for_Technical_Excellence/

The world is your oyster
In times of economic hardship, emigration goes up and young people seek their fortune abroad. The situation is slightly different now that the current recession looks to be global, but there are still some pockets of growth such as in the middle east and the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and travel and communications are cheaper and easier than they have ever been. It’s a lot easier to work abroad for a year or two when you are in your early twenties before family and other responsibilities start to take hold.
For more information on working abroad see ‘Abroad Perspective’, by Melanie Thompson, AT magazine issue 80, p.19. You can download the article here: www.ciat.org.uk/en/media_centre/Back_issues.cfm

Special agents
Recruitment consultant or agencies seem like an obvious first destination, but remember -in an economic downturn, this can be fraught with difficulties as some will go under through lack of jobs to place people in, or become so swamped with applications that they don’t give you proper attention. CIAT has joined forces with RIBA recruitment to create an employment service which can be found here: www.ciat.org.uk/en/careers/riba-jobs.cfm But don’t depend exclusively on agencies – you need to get out there yourself.

Network
A large amount of jobs aren’t advertised but get filled through personal contacts, word of mouth etc. Even when a job is advertised this can sometimes be a formality with the position having been filled already. It may seem hard but that’s the way the world works. The best way round this is to network – keep up contacts in academia in the industry, ask around informally for work, keep your ear to the ground. Senior recruitment consultant Phil Bygrave of NES says ‘It works best if you take the time to create a networking strategy and keep records of what you have done or plan to do. Remember that word of mouth is a powerful promotional tool and the more people that know about your achievements, the more likely it will be that influential people learn how you could help them.’

CIAT Region/Centre meetings are a good way to network. (check www.ciat.org.uk/en/the_institute/regions/ for details on your Region/Centre)

Keep up CIAT membership
Membership of a professional body looks good on a CV and will be taken as a sign of commitment by potential employers; it’s also a great way to network and keep in touch with developments in the industry.  Attending Regional meetings is a good first step as it will put you in touch with other professionals in your area. Associate membership is the next step when you have finished your course of study. This will involve keeping a record of relevant experience, known as a Professional and Occupational Performance Record. Case studies and work placements are relevant experience for this. (See article in this issue for further details: Associate membership: the next step)

Hope springs eternal
It’s important not to get depressed by the doom and gloom. Recession is part of an economic cycle, not the end of the world, and whilst nobody knows how long the recession will last, it is to be hoped that a leaner and more sustainable economy will emerge. Take heart that as a qualified Architectural Technologist you possess important technical skills that will stand you in good stead for the future.

Summary:

• Tailor your CV to fit your employer – don’t use one size fits all
• Follow up applications, unless specifically asked not to
• Diversify – consider other areas you are qualified to work in
• Travel: consider work abroad or in other parts of the country
• Enter competitions to get recognition (and hopefully win money too!)
• Network – keep up contacts and informally ask about job opportunities. Contact your Region/Centre.
• Agencies: use recruitment agents, online search forums etc but remember they are a backup
• Consider work experience, but don’t undersell yourself
• Try speculative applications
• Keep up professional institute membership and keep a record of work
• Don’t lose hope!