The Struggles of a Recent College Grad

Is it just me, or does it seem as though the architecture firms seeking interns in the San Francisco Bay Area is practically nonexistent? From experience, I know that architecture is a difficult practice to get into. This is something that I think is valuable information, and something that all students should know before getting into the field. However, my schooling only taught me this the second semester of my senior year. Hearing this earlier probably would not have changed my mind on my major, but it might have been helpful to know a little bit sooner.

Most students gain experience during their time in school. However, I was not quite so fortunate. I only had one teacher who I really felt I connected with, and when I had asked him about an internship possibility, he did not have a need for an intern at the time. Since architecture is such a rigorous, intense major to begin with, it is often very difficult to dedicate enough time to both school and work. I have not really had the chance to experience other schools' architecture programs, but the studio classes I took were definitely time consuming, and most of the time, they seemed to assume students did not have any other previous engagements or classes to think about.

Having no experience, most firms do not feel I have anything special to add to their company. Therefore, in order to land a job, I would need experience. Where is one supposed to gain experience in a world where firms are requiring previous experience from job seekers? Since I will have to pay back my school loans soon, I have started looking into other areas for a job. I initially thought that something in the retail field would suit my needs best; they hire frequently and often have employees coming and going. After discussing this idea with my mom, she told me that perhaps a clerical job might be better. I am not completely sure why she suggested it. I assume she knows how frustrating it can be dealing with customers, and generally pay is higher for office jobs. I have started looking for clerical jobs, but one of my main concerns is that often, people are looking for someone who is going to be there long-term. I do not plan to work at a clerical job for a long period of time, and mainly am seeking a job to pass time and help me make a little bit of money. Quitting after only a couple days, weeks, or months does not sound especially appealing to me, but I know that I will have to quit if I want to take up an architecture job.

My difficulty finding a job, I assume, has been due to the major I picked. I recently discovered that many people have the same problem as me. How will we ever gain experience if companies only want experienced people? It's quite the conundrum.