I Got Hired: Architectural Assistant at The Harris Partnership

Posted on: 13 November 2023 by Richard Finch in Graduate stories

Rebekah Garner is a Class of 2022 Architecture graduate, now working as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant at The Harris Partnership.

I heard about my current role through LinkedIn. I follow the The Harris Company on Linkedin and saw this opportunty and applied for it.

Straight after graduation I moved to the Lake District to work for the National Trust at Sticklebarn in Great Langdale.

This was something I had done the summer before. I took the time to destress after completing my degree, and enjoy working on a beautiful part of the country whilst I looked for a Part 1 Architectural Assistant position in Manchester.

I emailed a few firms I was particularly interested in and started following them on LinkedIn. I saw the opportunity with The Harris Partnership in January 2023 and got an interview in the February, and then started in March. I am really enjoying a job that relates to my degree!

My favourite experience as part of my role so far has been getting to see the wider picture when it comes to how buildings are built. Our university course focuses mainly on designing so it’s nice to see what happens after that stage and to see how many consultants are involved.

The most challenging part of my graduate journey was putting together a portfolio to submit with job applications, and then so many companies don’t reply to your application which can be quite disheartening.

Since being at work one of the biggest challenges would probably be time management, I get given work to do by two architects in my office. So sometimes I can have a lot of different bits to work on and it can be tricky to know which needs the most attention and how to manage it all effectively.

My top 3 tips for current students and recent graduates:

1. Don’t worry if you’re not hearing back from jobs, it won’t be anything personal and so many companies get too many applicants to reply to everyone.

2. Don’t feel pushed into doing something that relates to your degree, take some time to decide what you want to do and what will make you happiest in the long run.

3. If you’re struggling in anyway then do ask for help, even though that can be such a tricky thing to do. Most things are easier said than done unfortunately!