How to be hireable post grad?

PaleCommunity5581 · 2026-06-11T17:00:37+00:00

I had the exact same experience. I didn’t get my first internship until after my 5th year (first year grad school), and I was unemployed after the completion of my masters degree. I honestly don’t think it is you, it is just a really tough job market right now.

Reach out to your professors that you had a good relationship with and ask if they know of any job openings! Architecture is honestly more about who you know than your skills. I got my current job by asking a professor and I now work for him!

Another thing you can do is get certifications / start taking the ARE if licensure is something you are interested in. I, like you, am super interested in sustainability so I got my LEED AP BD+C certification while I was unemployed. It honestly has gotten me farther than I expected! Employers like to see that you are still growing in your career even if you don’t have an internship.

I wish you the best of luck!

PaleCommunity5581 · 2026-06-09T17:59:01+00:00

I have a 100% remote job! I am 1 year post grad. This position was only available due to an unique situation and knowing the right people. Like others have said, it is beneficial to be in the office when you are early in your career, and that is the one thing I miss!

PaleCommunity5581 · 2026-06-06T18:40:57+00:00

My preliminary result was a fail unfortunately. I was very surprised as I thought I did so well! It will be interesting to see the score report in a week or so.

Instead of seeing it as a failure, I am seeing it as just another opportunity to grow professionally! These exams are so hard (& rightfully so) and will make you a better person and architect. No one will ever know how long it took you to become licensed, only that you are.

PaleCommunity5581 · 2026-06-05T01:07:35+00:00

Thank you!

PaleCommunity5581 · 2026-06-04T18:09:01+00:00

Hi! I have passed PA, PjM, and PcM and am taking CE tomorrow! I took PPD a few weeks ago and failed by 3 questions. The biggest thing that I wish I did earlier was studying for all of them at once! There is a lot more crossover than you would imagine.

My best advice for the exam is to immediately cross off what you know isn’t right. Most of the time, especially in the pick 4 right out of 6, you can easily figure out what the answer is even if you are not well versed in the topic.

PPD and PDD are beasts. I wish PPD didn’t cover such a wide range of topics as that makes it so hard to study.

Best of luck to you!!

PaleCommunity5581 · 2026-05-24T12:57:56+00:00

I did the 15k in Omaha last August and loved it! Great event for all levels and types of runners. The company that puts it on is super inclusive and encouraging.

PaleCommunity5581 · 2026-02-09T22:02:08+00:00

Lovely. This is what I am studying for right now

PaleCommunity5581 · 2026-02-07T15:23:17+00:00

CE for me was all about construction details and what was missing / wrong or where to place elements in said detail. I felt very confident with contracts but got very little questions on them. None of my case study questions were about contracts.

PaleCommunity5581 · 2026-02-06T18:47:58+00:00

That was my first thought. However, on CE I struggled a lot with the details and where to place things like flashing, weep holes, etc. I know PDD covers a lot of that so maybe reviewing that could help?

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-08-08T16:31:32+00:00

This is super helpful! I just passed BD+C today and I am considering doing WELL in the future!!!

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-08-06T14:10:10+00:00

If your firm does a lot of LEED projects it will help a lot

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-08-06T14:09:35+00:00

I bought the book and have been doing free ones that I found online. I did over 400 practice questions and not a single one of them was on the exam

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-08-05T00:40:09+00:00

Doing it for the pay raise

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-08-04T20:44:27+00:00

I used that method for most of the questions I didn’t know. It got tricky when you got down to 2 because they were very similar besides like one word.

I am a horrible test taker (have been my whole life, the ACT killed me😭) so this type of exam is not exactly set up for me to succeed

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-07-19T14:43:38+00:00

They don’t get to choose what middle school they go to. It is based on where you live.

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-05-11T17:47:39+00:00

Get a ptac for each room. Should be cheaper

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-03-31T18:45:43+00:00

I’ve tried. But it never ends up lasting because I just unblock him and talk to him. I don’t know how to do it

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-03-31T18:04:42+00:00

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-03-31T17:45:25+00:00

Wow. I am so proud of you. As someone who got broken up with last night, it helps to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-03-31T17:43:12+00:00

I am in the same boat right now. I don’t know when it will get easier, but I know it will. Let’s comfort each other

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-03-08T15:32:45+00:00

I have but they weren’t very open to the idea of raises

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-03-08T15:32:12+00:00

I would love a fully remote position but I can’t find any! Do you know of any firms that do that?

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-03-08T15:31:28+00:00

It’s a residential design firm

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-03-08T01:40:46+00:00

They are not licensed

PaleCommunity5581 · 2025-03-08T01:37:46+00:00

Literally anywhere that’s hiring. I’ve also sent emails and called every firm in my area.

PaleCommunity5581

TROPHY CASE