terse answer Tuesday: 7 terse answers to 7 short questions

by Alison Green on November 1, 2011

It’s terse answer Tuesday!  Here we go…

1. Canceling an interview

After inviting a candidate to interview and scheduling a time, it became pretty clear that I wouldn’t want to hire the person (they ended up being a bit pushy and displayed a sense of entitlement). Is there a polite way to cancel the interview or should I commit to the time we scheduled?

If you know that you won’t hire the person, then don’t waste their time or yours. You can be straightforward about the fact that your recent communications have highlighted that it’s not the right fit, or you can be vague, or you can use a polite fiction (the process is on hold, for instance).

And I know that someone is going to complain that you can’t possibly know that an interview wouldn’t change your mind about the person, but the reality is that when you have tons of qualified candidates, lots of them might change your mind in an interview, but you can still only interview a handful of them — and those slots should go to people who haven’t already turned you off.

2. What’s the value of this type of assessment?

I am about to graduate with my MBA and have begun my job search. For a specific employer in town whom I am extremely interested in, part of their online application process is to complete a (very lengthy) battery of questions and rating yourself on your teamwork, work ethic, and skills. The questions are often in the “1=strongly disagree” to “5=strongly agree” format.

For questions such as “I work well with my co-workers”, “I am easy to get along with in the workplace” or “I have consistently performed better than my co-workers,” what types of answers would the hiring managers be looking for? I only ask because since this is a self-assessment, I can’t doubt that everyone who takes it will rate themselves most positively for all questions, rendering this type of assessment valueless. What, in your opinion, is the purpose of these assessments?

Yeah, it’s dumb. These assessments are used by unsophisticated thinkers who run bureaucratic or otherwise uninspiring companies.

3. Is my employer still planning to keep me on full-time?

I have been working for my current employer part-time for over a year while I finish my degree. I knew I would be graduating this December, so over the summer I asked if there would be a full-time position available for me when I graduated. She replied absolutely and said I would also receive benefits. We haven’t discussed the matter since and I find myself growing more anxious as my graduation date approaches. She has made no mention or inclination of not keeping me full-time, but I wonder should I be worried that we haven’t had a discussion about it since the end of July?

You’re responsible for your career, not her. Raise it with her again now.

4. Can this cover letter be longer?

I‘m applying to a job that seems really up my alley and one I think I’m well suited for. They specifically ask for answers to three fairly complex questions: ideas you have for the job, biggest success you’ve had in the field (and what you’d do differently), and why you want to work there. I’m enthusiastic about the possibilities and have a few ideas that I’ve thought out, but addressing the questions in depth makes the cover letter about a page and a half/two pages. Do you think they expect this, given that they ask you to answer some pretty big questions, or do you think I should try to pare it down to the essentials to demonstrate a working understanding of word economy?

If they’re asking those questions, it’s reasonable to go over a page, but two full pages is really long. Try to stick to a page and a half. It can be done.

5. When your title is “intern”

A friend of mine who is getting his masters in public administration was reading my resume and passed along advice he had gotten from his graduate school career office not to use the title “intern” in a resume, thinking it makes a young candidate sound overly immature. If your title at the time was, say, “Editorial Intern,” is it inaccurate to say “junior editorial staff?” Especially if you don’t capitalize the title, it might clarify that you’re stating the nature of the role rather than a specific title. All of my internships were paid (one voluntarily paid me after the fact out of gratitude), so it could also communicate that the quality of my work even as an intern merited remuneration. (Specifically pointing out that an internship was paid seems crass, but I do think there’s some significance.) I’ve been in the adult working world for six years now, if that makes a difference, but I had a lot of different career experience before that.

Surprise, it’s another career office giving out bad advice. No, you need to use your actual title. If I see something vague and obviously not a title, like “junior editorial staff,” it’s going to grab my attention and I’m going to ask, “What was your title?” Then, when you tell me, I’m going to think you were trying to get away with fudging the truth on your resume. Use the real title.

6. Cover letters for internal positions

I am applying for a new position within the organization I currently work (10 years). Are cover letters necessary for internal resume submissions?

Not always, but why wouldn’t you want to give yourself the best possible chance of impressing the hiring manager and making a strong case for your candidacy?

7. How can I make this position permanent?

I got my current position through a staffing agency and I’m working as a temp. So far, I’m doing well, exceeding the manager’s expectations, and having good relationships with co-workers. I like this job and I hope to become a permanent employee. However, I was told in the hiring interview that my position can’t become permanent due to head count reasons. I’m not sure if my manager can/will change her mind after seeing my contribution over months, but I really want to change the employment status. The pay I’m receiving is 30% below similar permanent positions’ level. Life is quite tough at current pay level, without any benefits and security from the job. Do you think I should go talk to my manager? Could you recommend a way for me to approach this topic?

You can absolutely approach your manager about making your position permanent and/or increasing your pay, but keep in mind that sometimes “this can’t happen” really means “this can’t happen,” for reasons that have nothing to do with you. It’s still worth raising though — just say that you’re enjoying the work and hope to make it permanent. You could say that you’d like to be able to focus fully on the job without having to be simultaneously searching for something permanent (which underscores that the company may lose you), but that’s only effective if the manager would be devastated to lose you. If she wouldn’t be devastated, it won’t much matter, unfortunately.

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{ 56 comments }

{ 56 comments… read them below }

  1. Intern*

    Just going to agree about how you should never change your title for a job on a resume. Think about how awkward it’ll be if they decided to call references. Your reference might be confused and put off by the fact that you evidently were unclear about how you were an intern, and the employer probably would not be thrilled either. While you might not have any malignant intentions, the fact that you appear to be lying about past experiences does nothing to make you a more appealing candidate.

    On a very related note, people should think twice about lying on their LinkedIn accounts. I know an intern who wrote that his job title was assistant, and of course, his boss found out. She was pretty displeased.

  2. Anonymous*

    At a job when I had a bunch of interns I actually sat down with each of them after the internship as they were going off to find real jobs and tried to come up with a title that would accurately describe the work they did and would help them find jobs in the fields they were looking in. “Intern” is a pretty nondescriptive title so I would make sure that we agreed on a title that talked about the work that they really did in the time they worked with me.
    But if I ever got a reference call and they had a different title (and I did once) I immediately corrected that with the person on the phone. And then called and told the intern that it wasn’t ok to do that, or to ambush me with a reference call, I didn’t even know she was looking or that I was on her reference list.

  3. Ex Intern*

    Hmm…I got similar advice at my career center (I love that I can now feel justified in disliking them so much!). They were referring only to people who’s title was simply “Intern” and nothing more and suggested that you make it more specific, such as “Communications Intern” or “Research Intern.” I was wondering if this is still considered lying, as it’s not your real title, or if it is just “clarifying”? (of course, they meant to only do this if you were an intern who really did communications or research work).

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      It’s less problematic, as long as you were doing ALL your work for that department. The test is always this: When they call for a reference, when they ask what your title was, is it going to conflict with what you said?

  5. Snow Hill Pond*

    Re: Cancelling an Interview

    There are a number of ways of getting out of the interview that don’t involve “polite fiction” or, as some of us outside polite society call it, lying. I would not consider “polite fiction” as a viable option.

    Also, after this is over, I would seriously reconsider the process by which the interview was first granted. I don’t think a company ever looks good by offering an interview and then cancelling the interview. No matter the reason, it’s not the way to treat people.

    1. L*

      While I agree with Alison that the candidate screwed up, I’m advocating for a small amount of charity in this case. If I were the hiring manager, I would just set up a quick telephone interview with this candidate instead. That gives the candidate the chance to redeem herself and requires less of an investment of time on the part of the hiring manager.

      If you do decide to cancel though, at least be honest about why you’re doing it. The candidate may not even realize how they’re coming across.

      Clearly the hiring manager has no obligation to do *any* of this, but if we’re advocating for more decency toward job-seekers, this seems like a good place to start.

    2. Anonymous*

      True.

      I was thinking that the company does not know who the candidate knows. Let’s say for example, the candidate knows another candidate. The candidate in question is told that the hiring process has been stalled or even dropped, but the other candidate is still scheduled for the interview and goes in for it (whether or not they got the job can be irrelevant). So, how does the candidate in question handle being lied to? That can seriously be harmful to the company’s reputation.

      And if you think this scenario is unlikely, the main idea is to ask the “what if” regarding the candidate in question finding out about the lie.

      1. Long Time Admin*

        <>

        Actually, job seekers pretty much expect that employers will lie to them.

        I’m pretty sure companies don’t care about their reputations regarding how they treat job seekers. At least, I’ve never known any who do.

    3. Ask a Manager* Post author

      Of course polite fiction means “lie.” And polite society uses those all the time to avoid unnecessarily hurting people’s feelings, from turning down a dinner invitation by saying you have other plans instead of “you bore the hell out of me” to telling a job candidate that you appreciated their application when you’re really thinking “you’re wildly unqualified for this job and your application made no sense.” People use cover stories to smooth things over all the time. It’s not so black and white.

      Now, I personally would just tell the candidate why I was canceling the interview. But the reality is that many people will never be comfortable being that blunt, and it’s not unreasonable for them to want to know what to say instead.

      And really, interviewing someone who you know you have no interest in hiring is a form of falsehood itself. (And real rudeness. I’ve talked to way too many people who would much rather just not be interviewed, rather than put in the time, stress, and anxiety when the company has no intention of hiring them.)

      And I don’t think this indicates a problem with her screening processes. There are all kinds of legitimate reasons that you might lose interest in a candidate after scheduling an interview, like rudeness from the candidate (in this case), getting a terrible testimonial about the person from someone you trust, etc.

      2. Natalie*

        “But the reality is that many people will never be comfortable being that blunt, and it’s not unreasonable for them to want to know what to say instead. ”

        And some people are just bad at it, even if they are comfortable. I’ve experienced the person who thinks they are being direct but actually isn’t and the person who thinks they are being direct but is coming across like a jackass.

      3. Snow Hill Pond*

        I think we’re making the mistake of setting up a scenario with only two false choices. There’s a range of options between lying and being rudely blunt. I just think that lying is the easy way out that may feel good in the short-term but almost invariably comes back to haunt the liar. With a little effort, a win-win solution can usually be discovered.

        Having said that, I still think that there is a problem with the screening process. As I’ve stated above, I’m of the opinion that once an offer for an interview is given, it should be honored. If a company is reneging on an interview commitment, then that’s a problem that reflects poorly on the company. It needs to be addressed.

      4. Anonymous*

        Now, I personally would just tell the candidate why I was canceling the interview. But the reality is that many people will never be comfortable being that blunt, and it’s not unreasonable for them to want to know what to say instead

        Perhaps such managers should resign their positions in favour of a member of the phylum chordata?

  6. Anonymous*

    I once attended an interview, and was informed at the end that the next stage would be a second interview with a more senior person.

    I stated my willingness to proceed but explained that I would be unavailable during part of the time scheduled for the interviews. The interviewers said that would not be a problem and wrote down the dates. (I saw them do so!)

    Then I received an email from HR inviting me for an interview when I was unavailable. I propsed an alternative and was told this would be confirmed. The next communication was to inform me that there would be no second interview.

    What I thought was odd that I had been offered a second interview but that it had been withdrawn. On asking the HR person to clarify, I was tersely informed that they were going with more experienced candidates.

  7. Snow Hill Pond*

    Re: Permanent Position

    If making yourself permanent can’t happen, maybe all isn’t lost.

    If your manager recognizes your ability, at the very least, I would ask him to write a general letter of recommendation or a good review on Linked-In. Going up the commitment ladder, I would then ask if you could use the manager as a reference for future employment elsewhere, and finally if you’re an all-star, I’d ask if he knew of another employer where your talents might be appreciated.

    You might be surprised. He might really go to bat for you. In my past, I’ve offered to be a reference and have written letters of recommendation for former contractors…and was happy to do so.

    Finally, timing is important. This suggestion works if there is no hope of permanent employment and your contract is near the end (final two weeks). That is, I wouldn’t do this with 3 months to go on the contract. It might leave the manager with the wrong impression.

  8. Josh S*

    Leave the title as “Intern.” That won’t matter nearly as much as showing what you did/accomplished while you were an Intern. And after all, it’s emphasizing your accomplishments that makes your resume stand out.

    The most important question your resume should answer:
    What did you do in your time at this position that another person would not have done?

    2. JessA*

      But what about if your title was intern, but you did the internship (for a nonprofit) after you completed your college degree? Could you use the word Consultant instead?

        1. JessA*

          I’m so sorry to ask such a stupid question. So many people use the titles Consultant, Volunteer, Intern interchangably. Could you please elaborate on what makes them different? Thank you so much!

          1. Ask a Manager* Post author

            Not stupid!

            Interns are very clearly interns, because they have that title or explicit status. They’re generally, but not always, students or recent grads. Internships typically last anywhere from a month or two to as much as a year. They may be paid or unpaid, but usually don’t get benefits. They generally are doing lower level work in order to get experience.

            Volunteers are working for free and aren’t considered employees of the organization. This is legal only at nonprofits. They may just volunteer once or twice, or they may have a more structured, ongoing role.

            Consultants are generally (but not always) doing relatively senior-level work, typically (but not always) for pay. This is where it gets tricky, because a consultant could be a volunteer, and a volunteer could be a consultant. Often it depends on the type of work you’re doing. If you’re stuffing envelopes, you’re really not a consultant; you’re a volunteer. But if you’re offering substantive advice or performing higher-level work, you might be a consultant.

  9. S. Moore*

    Re: 2. What’s the value of this type of assessment? Yeah, it’s dumb. These assessments are used by unsophisticated thinkers who run bureaucratic or otherwise uninspiring companies.

    The questions he listed as examples, as well as the available responses 1-5, are classic statements that appear on typology-personality tests (e.g., Meyers-Briggs and Jung). They are NOT an assessment of skills or work experience.

    The Manager many not have understood the question, or the Manager might not believe in personality tests. However, it’s important for the APPLICANT to realize that the “self-assessment” is not just an annoying thing the hiring company requires as a waste of your time.

    I am a job seeker, and — while I do consider personality tests, drug tests, etc. — to be a violation of my privacy (and so I as the applicant can decide whether to further pursue a job with this company or not), I do not discount the value of personality tests on the whole. I am an INTJ, and having my potential employer KNOW that I am an INTJ can be very helpful for me. He will know that I am highly analytical but that I might be aloof in social situations. Other people might just think I am absent-minded or even rude. But INTJs usually aren’t even aware of their social mistakes. They have no ill intentions, so it is helpful for an employer to know that. I sometimes wish a potential boss would tell me his typology so I could evaluate whether he’s the type of person I would work well with. I just don’t get along very well with ESTPs, for example, so I might not accept the offer if I know that we’d be working very closely together.

      1. Eva*

        Agreed. Either the questions are paraphrased beyond recognition, or the questions come from measures other than Myers-Briggs – or for that matter the more scientific version called the NEO-PI-R. (Also, Myers-Briggs doesn’t use a Likert scale.) Assuming the questions are accurate, your answer is right on.

    2. Anonymous*

      I’ve taken those test too (I’m an ISTJ….or an INTJ if I’m in the right mood, but always an “I_ _ J”). Those tools are interesting, and moderately helpful when job searching, but past performance is a way better indicator than “personality type” because no one’s personality fits any one type perfectly. E.g. I am definitely an introvert. After spending a (very fun) weekend on the lake with a group of friends I wanted to crawl in bed and nap for a few days to get my energy back. But in general, when at work, I prefer working on teams. I would hate to not get hired for a position with team work because a personality test said that I would prefer to work independently. If you really wanted your employer to know about your personality type, tell them using your experience, not a silly test.

  10. Eric Woodard*

    No shame in being an intern! Be proud – let people know you were an intern and, as Josh S. rightly says, that you left tracks of awesome sauce in your wake. SCRAAAAAAAWLK!

  11. S. Moore*

    “I work well with my co-workers”,
    “I am easy to get along with in the workplace”
    rating yourself on your teamwork, work ethic, and skills. The questions are often in the “1=strongly disagree” to “5=strongly agree” format.

    The phrases from the original post above are indicative of a personality test. Also, the focus seems to be on self-assessment. It’s possible the poster mis-paraphrased the third statement evaluating peers instead of self.

    There are many others besides Myers-Brigg. Some, for example, give you a list of adjectives (a lot, about 60 or so) and have you circle all the words you would use to describe yourself. Then on the next page it gives you the exact same list of words and asks you to circle all the words you think other people would use to describe you.

    I just think that your response was hasty and may have mislead the poster, who could miss out on a job opportunity by assuming that the company is bureaucratic and uninspiring when in fact personality tests are making a come-back in small entrepreneurial firms. If you only have 5 people in your company, and you all sleep on the couch in the lobby pulling 80-hour weeks, you want to make sure those 4 other guys are going to be people you get along with.

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      Could be. But the MBTI and many other personality assessments specifically say they shouldn’t be used in hiring processes. And they DEFINITELY shouldn’t be used at the initial application stage.

      1. Joey*

        There is plenty of value to using certain personality tests early in the hiring process. I use them to help craft some of my interview questions. For example if a test shows me that the applicant has a tendency to be very cautious I ll try to find out if they take a long time to make decisions. Nothing wrong with that, but it helps me decide how well theyll fit into the team dynamics. Lets be honest when someone gets to the in person interview you should have pretty much already established that they can do the job. At that point it becomes more about character and fit. They key is that personality tests don’t determine who you hire they help you determine who to hire in conjunction with all of the other info you have.

  12. S. Moore*

    Yes, you’re right, that’s a valid point.

    As I said, I don’t think drug tests or personality tests should really be required, but employers get to make that decision. Applicants can only decide whether to continue or withdraw. So if the poster really wants to work for that company, he shouldn’t be turned off by a personality test. Or, at least, he should try to figure out if that’s what the self-assessment was or not. Because then the questions don’t appear as silly.

    1. OakAnon*

      I still don’t think those questions sound like real MBTI questions, or are appropriate for an application process. The OP didn’t say “I like to work with others” or “I prefer”, they said “I work well.” These are value judgments, not preferences. Who on earth, when applying for a job, is going to admit on their application: “I am bad at working with co-workers and listening to my bosses.” Even if the use of MBTI is open for debate, I think it is clear that the questions this company is asking are useless and will not provide them information that helps them make good hiring decisions.

    2. fposte*

      Well, they still might appear questionable, given that most personality tests really haven’t fared well under scientific scrutiny.

      1. JT*

        JT works well with others. He excels in small groups and stands out in large groups. He prefers working alone AND in teams. He is a born leader and an excellent follower with an outstanding work ethic and well-practiced natural talent. He is a detail-oriented big thinker who strives for perfection but doesn’t sweat the small stuff. A renaissance man who is an expert in his field. JT’s only weakness, beyond simply working too hard, is that he is often too modest.

  13. Tami*

    I have been doing the rounds of temp jobs while searching for full-time employment. The last placement my recruiter (who is awesome) got me was a supposedly temp-to-perm AA/Accounting position. The company didn’t have a time-frame for how long the temp portion was going to last. After working there for about 6 weeks and doing an awesome job (making customers happy, great relations with co-workers, never missing a day, being late or leaving early) I asked my boss (during one of his rare moments of actually being in the office) if there was a projection on how long the temp term would be before they would consider hiring me permanently. He said he was planning on discussing it with the owner that week. I expressed to him how much I enjoyed the job and my co-workers and that I would appreciate being considered for permanent employment with them.

    Long story short, two weeks later when I asked him if the discussions were ongoing, he said “Your last day will be Friday”. I was stunned to say the least.

    Then I found out from co-workers that they generally do not permanently hire their contract employees and that my boss had never had any intention – EVER – of hiring “the temp” permanently, not even before he got that temp in the office. What angered me about this is that I absolutely would not have wasted my time with them because the pay was low – but the perm pay was much more acceptable.

    It’s rare that I so fondly think of either slapping a boss (or ex-boss) upside the head or telling him what a moron he is…. let alone both.

    1. Momo*

      Hi Tami, I’m the one who wrote to Alison the last question. I’m sorry to know your temp experience. This is my first temp experience. My boss is nicer but my situation is worse than yours, as I was told up front the role can’t be permanent. This is a large corporation, although my work is needed on a daily basis, creating a new position and adding a new headcount to the department is structually not easy.

      I really don’t get point of hiring a temp when the work is not temorary. I will go talk to my manager before Christmas. Wish me good luck.

      1. Long Time Admin*

        Momo, you need to know that a lot of employers will lead temps on, telling them that they will be temp-to-hire when they have absolutely no intention of doing so. In your case, your employer is being very upfront about not making your job permanent. They’re being honest with you, and that is a very good thing. It won’t hurt a bit for you to talk to your manager, as AAM suggested.

        Just be aware, in the future, to NEVER count on being made permanent just because the employer said it would happen. Keep looking for a permanent job, and check with your manager after a reasonable amount of time about their timeline for making you a permanent employee.

      2. Tami*

        Momo, I agree that you need to keep concentrating on finding a permanent position. It’s a tough position to be in but at least you do know where you stand.

    2. Heather B*

      If your recruiter is awesome, maybe you should tell him/her about the way this company treated you. If the agency is good I doubt it wants to place its people in a company that is going to treat temps like that.

  14. Candace*

    Intern

    So I have a title question. In architecture, you are called an intern architect until you have completed X hours of full time work and have completed all 7 of your exams. Yet, it is not an internship and you will be in the position for a minimum of 4 years. While applying in other industries, I’m afraid people will wonder why I’ve been an intern for so long and pass up my resume when actually you do the sane work without a license. Some architects never get licensed and are therefore interns for 20+ years. Does the intern title still apply the same when it’s industry specific and your applying elsewhere that is not aware of this?

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      Really good question! When this prospective employer calls your old firm for a reference and asks what your title was, what’s the old firm going to say?

    2. KellyK*

      Would it make sense to explain in your cover letter what an “intern architect” is, as opposed to the usual definition of intern? That way, your title will match what your old firm says, but people will understand what you actually did.

    3. Candace*

      After thinking further, you very rarely see a job posting for intern architect. The ad will say junior, intermediate or specifically licensed architect. While there are plenty of architects on their high horse, most probably wouldn’t make a big deal of dropping intern. 

      @kellyK
      I’m afraid no one will even read a cover letter let alone much of my resume if I put several years as an intern. I guess I also like to focus my cover letters on what benefits I would bring to the table. It worries me spending too much time addressing industry specific titles will come across as making excuses or not very positive. 

      1. JT*

        Is “intern” part of the job title – that is, what would be on your business card or in an organizational chart?

        1. Candace*

          I am only familiar with how larger firms operate. Most people will leave off a title until you have had 10+/- years of experience and can call yourself a project manager or designer. The reason being is you can loose credibility within the architecture/engineering/construction community. This can undermine the project coordination efforts on behalf of the architecture firm. (no one wants to listen to an intern right?) This baffles me since it’s such a grey area. In one regard, I completely understand and agree with the legalities of title. On the other hand, it does make things a little complicated.

  15. LB*

    COVER LETTER for internal posting: I recently did so and it was complemented by 2 of the 3 people I interviewed with. In addition, while I didn’t get that job, I did get solicited for another position that involves a lot of written communication oriented position that will be a great stepping stone.

  16. lizzie*

    This is why I love your blog, lady:

    “Yeah, it’s dumb. These assessments are used by unsophisticated thinkers who run bureaucratic or otherwise uninspiring companies.”

    Exactly.

  17. Yet another comment*

    The thing I also dislike about tests for employment purposes is that they seem to indicate that one cannot change or adapt. Sure, I have my MBTI category and personality preferences but as I’ve grown personally and professionally, they have become much more fluid.

    What I mean is – I can work with people who are totally opposite from me – we won’t be best friends and have lunch every week or ever perhaps, but that is not required at work. I have learned to work (and manage) with people whose workstyles are very different from mine.

  18. Kim Stiens*

    On question #2, the questionairre:

    One of the best pieces of advice I ever got on getting a job (that didn’t come from AAM, that is) is how to game those tests. ALWAYS answer either a 1 or a 5. Figure out which is “right” and go for the appropriate extreme. If neither seems right, just pick one. Someone in the hiring process once told me that, and I’ve never NOT gotten an interview afterward since.

    Yeah, they’re dumb. Think of it as corporate’s way to weed out people who can’t game a system? That’s an employable skill. :)

  19. Joe*

    Re: the Intern position – The other thing to consider here is, if you’ve been working in the “adult working world”, as you put it, for 6 years, maybe it’s time for that internship to come off the resume? After that much time at full-time jobs, an internship isn’t really going to communicate much about you. There are exceptions, of course. Maybe you developed a skill in this internship that you haven’t utilized at your subsequent jobs, but which would be considered valuable. Or maybe the internship was a particular prestigious one. (I left my internship at Apple Computer on my resume for a long time.) Or if you’ve only had one job since then (in which case, I salute you for holding a single job for six years), you want to round out the resume a bit. But it may be time to finally strike that internship, and stand on your full-time “adult world” work.

    1. Candace*

      I assume you are responding to my comment? If that is the case you really didn’t read it. An Intern Architect (as in an architect who creates buildings not computer software) is required to be an “adult world” intern architect for a minimum of 4 years. That is because what we build affects the life safety of people. If you build faulty people can die. I take offense to this comment. In this case, the term “intern” is a legality. It doesn’t mean I have had child job for the past 6 years! Nor does it mean you have any less responsibilities than someone who is licensed. The only thing it means is you can’t stamp drawings to be built and nor can you advertise yourself as an architect unless you are licensed.

      1. Joe*

        No, I was responding to the OP, who said, “I’ve been in the adult working world for six years now”.

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