Part I Architectural Assistant First Job Search

Start with a shortlist, not panic

Do not apply to every role you see. Pick a realistic shortlist of practices and roles, then work out what evidence they need. A focused search teaches you faster than a hundred rushed applications.

• Choose the location or hybrid pattern you can actually do.
• Look at project types you can speak about with interest.
• Check whether the practice hires early-career people.
• Read the role carefully before changing your CV.
• Track who you contacted and when.

What your first CV needs to prove

A Part I CV should not pretend you are a project architect. It should show education, software, studio work, placements, competitions, part-time work, communication and anything that proves reliability.

• Use the Architecture Social CV guide before you send applications.
• Use the sample portfolio guide to keep the first portfolio short enough to read.
• Browse live Part I Architectural Assistant jobs to see what employers are asking for now.

First-job search checklist

• One clean CV.
• One short sample portfolio.
• One spreadsheet or tracker.
• A list of practices you genuinely understand.
• A simple email that explains why you fit.
• A follow-up plan after one week.

Open the original whiteboard

The original workshop used a whiteboard to map the process. You can open the original first-job search whiteboard if you want to explore the session structure.

Common mistakes

• Sending a huge portfolio first.
• Hiding the strongest academic project too late.
• Using generic CV wording because you feel inexperienced.
• Applying without tracking responses.
• Taking silence personally instead of improving the next application.

Architecture Social view

Stephen’s recruiter view is that a good Part I application is generous to the reader. It makes the candidate’s potential obvious without pretending they already have years of practice experience.