tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685608788672533401.post7421317429962677752..comments2022-04-05T03:02:08.815-06:00Comments on Intern 101: Internship: you get out what you put into it, Part 2 of 2Lulu Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14713133001416080918noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685608788672533401.post-54927406111979824692010-06-26T08:25:40.042-06:002010-06-26T08:25:40.042-06:00Anon: I just wrote a long, wonderful comment here...Anon: I just wrote a long, wonderful comment here that revealed the meaning life and architecture, and Blogger ate it. So, having reset the WiFi in my condo, I'll summarize by saying this: you've made some excellent, astute comments above, and each point you make is worth a post of its own. Thank you for giving me some fresh ideas on post topics, and I look forward to your comments on those and other upcoming posts. Your venting is well-earned and well-deserved, and I hope it helps others.Lulu Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14713133001416080918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685608788672533401.post-83457140008317248602010-06-24T20:12:23.687-06:002010-06-24T20:12:23.687-06:00Hello Lulu,
I frequently follow your post. I wou...Hello Lulu,<br /><br />I frequently follow your post. I would like to add some comments regarding the IDP. <br /><br />First comment. Intern architects need to beware of following the advice from someone outside of the firm and state that the intern is working. Its seems like every firm has a different attitude regarding the IDP.<br /><br />I worked at a small firm that supported the IDP program and helped interns find opportunities to gain experience in most of the training areas. <br /><br />Then, I made the mistake of following advice from an NCARB document that recommends interns move around to different firms early in their career in order to gain better experience. So I followed this advice, and decided to change firms after working at the small firm for a few years. This time I went to work for a large firm about a year before the recession started. Guess who was first to be laid off. Me. This was a terrible career move. I should have stayed at the small firm. <br /><br />At the large firm, I had the unfortunate situation where I found myself working under a manager who was not an architect and never did IDP. This person was one of those short-sighted managers you are talking about. <br /><br />This large firm did not support my goals of completing the IDP requirements at all. In fact, I mentioned at a performance review that one of my goals was to complete the IDP. The vice president, the short-sighted manager I was working under, and the human resource manager of the company all told me that finishing the IDP was not a legitimate goal to have. (I had 630 training units complete at this time and 11/16 training areas complete.) When I asked for opportunities for experience in the IDP training areas that I had not completed up to that point they yelled NO!! at me. This was even after I worked about 12 weekends for that firm that year and the forth of July. The firm as a whole saw NO value in helping me find experience in the few training areas that I was lacking.<br /><br />Second comment. I think the current IDP process is very unfair. An intern in the northeast can work at a firm that doesn't support its goals and the intern will not gain good experience. An intern in the south can work at a firm that supports the goals of the IDP and will gain a career advantage over the intern in the northeast. <br /> <br />Third comment. I think the AIA needs to provide firms with more incentives for helping interns finish the requirements of IDP. Right now, all of the IDP requirements are for the interns. The firms are not required to help interns complete the IDP. <br /><br />Fourth comment. Lulu, please help other interns not to experience what I experienced. Are there ways to detect a short-sighted firm in the interview process? What questions should us interns ask the company at the interview regarding their attitude towards the IDP process? I hope none of the interns that follow your advice and ask the company for experience in additional IDP training areas get the answer 'NO' yelled back at them like I did. I even volunteered my time to get the experience. The answer was still 'NO'<br /><br />I recommend that interns get help from a mentor outside of their firm for completing the difficult IDP requiremnts. Thats what I do now. I won't even mention IDP at another firm that I work at. I will complete the IDP silently.<br /><br />Some firms don't want you to become more marketable by completing the IDP, it seems like.<br /><br />Not every firm is intern friendly like yours, Lulu. I just had to vent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com