Architecture & Design

Welcome to the Architecture & Design Community!

The following sampling of tools and resources should be combined with your own research. We suggest you use targeted keyword searches to find representative employers and opportunities, explore professional associations, join LinkedIn groups, and browse additional job board postings. Remember to also search LinkedIn and MyPenn (formerly QuakerNet) to connect with Penn alumni in fields related to your interests. Additionally, the sample jobs and employers are only a small selection of what’s posted in Handshake – log in to see much more!

We also suggest using the Career Exploration section of our website for more information or researching by major.

Sharpen your job search skills and documents

In order to apply for a job or internship in design fields, you will need a resume and cover letter, and (depending on your field), a portfolio showcasing your design work. A resume is a working document and you should be continually updating it as you add skills and experiences. Career Services’ has several resources specific to design students – our Resume Guide for Design Graduate Students and the Cover Letter Guide for Design Graduate Students. Both of these guides have real-life examples of documents of Weitzman students and walks you through the steps to create winning job search documents. Weitzman students have the Portfolio Guide which is also available on the Weitzman Professional Development and Leadership office website. As you get ready for interviews, prepare by completing our Canvas course on interviewing. To practice interviewing skills, make an appointment through Handshake for a mock interview, or complete a mock interview using our new tool, Big interview.

Identify employers that do work that interests you

As a student pursuing a career in a design field, you may have a few employers already in mind that interest you. There are also hundreds (if not thousands…) of employers looking for students like you that you have never even heard of. Having an ongoing list of employers of interest can really help you in prioritizing who to network with, and to help you to determine what kinds of skills you may need to develop as you enter the working world. Wondering where design alumni are working – check out our outcomes surveys and look into the externship program offered by the Weitzman school. Review job listings in Handshake and LinkedIn to see what kind of skills employers are looking for. Visit the opportunities posted by Weitzman’s Professional Development and Leadership office.

Connect with employers and alumni, and explore your career options

One of the best ways to learn about the skills and experience needed for design roles is to connect with people working in the field. Alumni can be a great place to start – learn about informational interviews by checking out Career Services’ Informational Interviewing Guide for Graduate Students and Postdocs. Attend the spring semester Design Career Fair to meet individually with alumni and employers to both identify new opportunities as well as to learn more about the skills you may need in order to be successful in your field of choice. LinkedIn can be a great place to see what alumni are doing professionally, and to make connects. Join the Weitzman Alumni Group on LinkedIn. Check in with Kali Meeks to see what programs and events are planned with Kali’s Weitzman’s Professional Development and Leadership office.