Dattner Architects Interview Questions
& Process

Because I was applying for an intern position (Arch I), the interviewers really drilled down on my software skills and my drawing process. I got the feeling that they weren't too concerned about opportunities for mentoring or internal growth.

Submitted standard corporate paperwork, portfolio, resume, and cover letter by email. About a month later, they requested interview availability. I interviewed with a principal, an assistant principal, and an HR rep. They seemed distracted and inconvenienced by the meeting. The principal was off-putting and direct, immediately diving into job details without introductions and often interrupting to ask questions already answered. The assistant principal was more conversational. Although the work is interesting, they weren't enthusiastic about sharing project details. Only the HR rep answered questions about office culture and mentoring, which was strange. The interview concluded with a quick 'we'll get back to you in a few days.' Despite follow-ups, no response was received.

I applied online and heard back within a couple days for an interview. I met with the Design Principal, HR Principal, and Studio Director. It was pretty standard for architecture firms. Afterwards, the Studio Director showed me around the office and explained how the studios and seating are organized. Everyone was really nice and asked good questions about my work.

There were two people interviewing me. One was an architect, and the other one was a more senior role. They started by introducing themselves and asked me to go through my portfolio. But they wanted me to incorporate a lot of information while going through the portfolio like my interest, skills, etc, making it pretty hard to focus on one or two aspects. I was pretty unorganized tbh.