Just curious if no one mines answering how were u able to get ur foot in the arch viz industry? Like working for yourself or u started at a company first or just doing free work first? Thanks for any advice in advanced!
I had some hobby bits i’d been doing and sent an email to a guy who ran a local-ish arch-viz studio. Mostly just asking if I could sit down with him and talk about how to get into the industry.
We spoke for 3 hours, he offered me a couple of months trail based on my enthusiasm. I didnt fuck up, and stayed there for 5 years before moving on again.
If it’s your first job in arch viz don’t blindly send off cv’s and hope for a reply, put in a bit more effort. Make friends with people. If you’re in a big city it shouldn’t be too hard to ask if you can join a group of people from a company for drinks on a Friday.
A lot of places hire through personality - anyone can learn the technical side in no time, especially when there are numerous people already there to shadow them. what cant be faked is a willingness to learn and a good attitude.
If your work simply isn’t very good then go in for junior positions - and if there isn’t one advertised, ask if one can be made for you.
I have worked in architecture for my whole career; for the past 25 years, so I had connections. I have always drawn, and I loved technology, so here I am.
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Thanks for the knowledge guys! Appreciate it! Am in the Vfx biz but for some reason I have always liked to do interior render and arch renders just never had the opportunity to because of time a things, so ill be off doing renders on my free time and just meet people in that industry and what better place then here 
It’s all about the portfolio too. Good portfolio will make a big difference.
Not only ‘good’ portfolio, but ‘relevant’ portfolio. As cubiclegangster said though, its ambition, passion and willingness to learn that we pick up on. We are a small team and wouldn’t want any old w***ker working for us no matter how good they are 
Good gried that’s a cheesy picture I have just uploaded!!! Seemed like a good idea at the time!
(having said that, it would be nice if the rule was that your avatar should be a proper photo of yourself - its nice to know who we are chatting with)
Do I have to shave and put on a tie for the pic?
might depend on the local market i guess?
at least here in vienna, austria it´s mostly architects like us that somewhen and somehow were more drawn to the visual side of things and didn´t mind to earn some money working for other architects. and the architects also like to talk to other architects who kind of understand them in an architectural way. but i think things are in a change at the moment and more people coming in from other directions, don´t know… and of course real estate developement and marketing renderings are a total different story from the classic architectural competition renderings for architects. so lots of ground to cover or to make a personal mark in.
cheers,
christoph.
Don’t worry. The ‘make black and white’ button in Photoshop can make even a tramp look like a company director!
your avatar is really nice but I think you must put some weight on
By the way Morne, I didn’t mean to imply that you looked like a tramp 
Trained as an architectural technician, picked up little bits of 3D work when the 3D guy in the office was too busy; it snowballed. The advantage to my position is that I actually know a fair amount about architectural detailing etc, where our other 3d guys may not.
Portfolios are deceiving, because most don’t give credit to the team that worked on it, or the art director that oversaw it, or how long it took them to do it. In my opinion, it’s personality that gets you in the door. 90% of the successful people I know can’t do a dang thing, except look good in a suite, and talk-the-talk. Now couple that with a Masters in anything, and you got the job. Really, I have seen so many talented people not get a second look because they didn’t play the game. So, get a good suite and good haircut, and fake it until you make it!
…make sure its a 3-pieced suite too!
Yea I find that tru in so many ways glorybound, manly when there is alot of money on the line, people seem to judge a book by its cover alot. Which is sad because most people that talk the talk like u said cant do much.
It’s what’s perceived that counts. If it costs more, it must be better.
nope. In person!
Might be different where bobby lives, but i’ve never seen anyone in our company wearing a suit unless it’s to pick up an award later in the day. Sometimes in meetings with older/stuffy clients. Whatever you normally wear, wear your best of that.
In an ideal world you’ll have already met the people who will be interviewing you before they speak to you about your work, so you can make a judgement call based on them.
A bit of frank honesty alongside a portfolio goes well too - if you only did some modeling or whatever, say so. But do make sure you’ve got an image where you did everything, if most of your portfolio is little bits on others images. Even if it’s shit - because as mentioned, image quality isn’t the most important thing when hiring in arch viz - especially if you’re presenting yourself as someone who’s going to stay for a few years or more.
How committed are you to arch viz? You been brushing up on your architects, reading a little about the history & trends of it? (because you should)
This pretty much sums my looks…
http://dashburst.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Grumpy-Cat.jpg
Make then feel smart, handsome, and talented; you’ll be guaranteed the job!