The Midnight Charette is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by architectural designers David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features a variety of creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions. A wide array of subjects are covered with honesty and humor: some episodes provide useful tips for designers, while others are project reviews, interviews, or explorations of everyday life and design. The Midnight Charette is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.
This week David and Marina answer questions from listeners about finding a job when you're much older than your classmates, graduating from school without work experience, leaving architecture at the end of a Master's program, taking the CSE, and transferring schools because of IPAL. If you have any questions call or text the hotline at 213-222-6950.
HIGHLIGHTS & TIMESTAMPS
As a transfer student, does graduating at an older age with little to know architectural experience make it more difficult to find a job? (04:50)
- The disadvantages and advantages of graduating at an older age.
- The significance of a two, three, or five year age gap when a person has professional experience?
- Dealing with not getting hired because of your age.
- Using your age (or apparent age) to your advantage during the job application and hiring process.
- Using non-architectural experience to be more appealing to employers.
- The common differences between transfer students and non-transfer students.
A listener who is close to graduating with a Master’s degree in architecture with zero work experience asks if pursuing a career in architecture is worth it. (33:06)
- The difference between architecture school and practice.
- The benefits of trying out the practice of architecture.
- Finding the motivation to stay in the practice of architecture.
Taking the California Supplemental Exam (CSE) to become a licensed architect in California. (45:35)
- How the exam is similar and different from the Architect Registration Examinations (AREs).
An undergraduate architecture student asks if they should transfer schools because the curriculum of their current architecture school requires students to be enrolled in NCARB’s IPAL (Integrated Path to Licensure) program. IPAL was previously discussed in episode #142 (53:53)
- The pros and cons of doing internships and working part-time while being a full-time student.
- Reasons to transfer and reasons to not transfer schools.
- Using graduate school as the time to focus on more specific design interests.
- Why learning design during undergraduate school is vital, different from learning design post-graduation while working at office.
- Bending the rules of academic institutions to serve your needs.
