Architecture is a uniquely artistic, technical, and social profession. You must know how to weave together complex design and engineering concepts, yet also have the social chops to communicate your vision to a diverse set of team members -- from civic officials to financiers, construction managers to urban planners, or even other architects. You should also have a strong grasp of the different types of materials you’re working with, and -- perhaps most importantly -- know the fundamentals of constructing a safe, sound structure from the ground up.
In 2023, the architecture industry is utilizing an exciting array of new technology. Aspiring graduates and job seekers should be comfortable working with tools such as 3D modelling, VR, and other software that helps facilitate the building process. Additionally, as climate change becomes a growing concern, having knowledge/experience with sustainable architecture trends, or a credential such as LEED Green Associate, can truly set you apart from the crowd.
It’s an industry with rapidly changing needs and challenges -- one where you can quite literally see the fruits of your labor in the real world. If this sounds exciting, architecture may be the perfect profession for you. Continue reading below to see what a well-written architecture resume should look like in 2023.
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As an architect, your resume needs to showcase your ability to design aesthetically pleasing and functional spaces, as well as your understanding of recent industry trends and advancements in technology. Job seekers in architecture should keep in mind that firms are increasingly focusing on sustainability and incorporating technology like Building Information Modeling (BIM) into their projects. Therefore, make sure your resume highlights your knowledge and experience in these areas.
Additionally, as the world of architecture is highly competitive, it's essential to stand out from the crowd with an organized and visually appealing resume. Showcase your unique experiences, professional accomplishments, and projects to help demonstrate your value to potential employers.
As an architect, it's crucial to show that you're proficient in BIM and other relevant software tools, such as AutoCAD, Revit, or SketchUp. Be specific when listing your software skills, and include any certifications or training courses you have completed to demonstrate your expertise.
With the growing emphasis on environmentally friendly and sustainable design, mentioning your experience in this area can set you apart from other candidates. Showcase any projects you've worked on that focused on sustainable materials, energy efficiency, or LEED certification to highlight your commitment to this important aspect of modern architecture.
As an architect, you’ll be working primarily on buildings and related structures. You may be involved in designing a skyscraper from scratch, building a new extension for a house, or restoring an older building for conservation. Whatever the project, you’ll need the ability to work closely with clients to build relationships and understand their needs as well as technical design skills and software expertise.
Architects need a lot of transferable skills, including communication and attention to detail. Soft skills like these don’t belong on your skills list, but you can easily demonstrate them through your bullet points. Remember to back up your accomplishments with clear metrics so you aren’t just relying on recruiters to accept a potentially unreliable self-assessment.
If you’ve achieved anything particularly impressive — like an industry award, publication in a trade journal, or promotion ahead of schedule — make sure your bullet points explicitly state that. Make sure these are worthy of inclusion — Employee of the Year in a two-person firm may not be worth bragging about, but it is in a company with thousands of employees.
Architects with a few years of experience should use their resume to detail the wealth of experience and skills they’ve developed throughout their career. As mentioned above, great architects are those who can operate at the intersection of artistic design, technical engineering, and social collaboration. Make sure to highlight these skills so that architecture recruiting managers know you have what it takes to succeed.
When crafting your architecture resume, it’s important to include the accomplishments you’ve achieved in past building projects. Architecture is a heavily project-oriented profession, and recruiters want to see tangible proof of your expertise and skills as evidenced in these projects. Make sure to bolster your bullet points with metrics such as the dollar value of project budget, the number of junior architects you successfully led and managed, or the percent building cost you saved for your clients.
It’s useful to show recruiters that you have a demonstrated history of interest and experience in architecture. Try to show a trend of growth, detailing your experience from an architect intern, to junior architect, to full-fledged professional architect. Include more bullet points in your most recent experience to highlight your increased responsibilities and show that you have a well-rounded skill set by including relevant experience, e.g. solving technical building problems, managing a team of junior architects, collaborating with urban planners, pioneering innovative building designs, etc.
An architecture intern will usually work in an architecture firm as they wait to get licensed or registered. In many countries including the USA, these internships are regulated and interns are enrolled in programs like the Intern Development Program (IDP) or the Intern Architect Program (IAP). You must complete a certain number of hours of internship before you get fully certified as an architect. Here is a recruiter-approved resume sample.
Getting certifications in architecture is a sure way to impress recruiters and win yourself a coveted internship. It also shows recruiters that you are highly skilled and capable.
A minimalist architect believes in minimalist design. Minimalism involves simple and clean designs with little to no ornaments. Recruiters will want to see your qualifications and your experience. You should be properly certified so make sure you are aware of the certification expectations in the state or country you are applying. Take a look at this strong resume sample.
Always include a portfolio of your work along with your resume. Make sure you only include samples of your minimalist work.
A landscape architect designs outdoor spaces. Those spaces may include public spaces like parks, gardens, playgrounds, etc. In this role, you will create designs and site plans, choose the materials to be used, and inspect the progress of the work. Recruiters expect a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture or a closely related field. You will also be expected to be licensed. Here is a strong resume sample.
Recruiters would like to see a long history in the landscape industry and how you ended up as a landscape architect. This applicant grew from a landscape supervisor to a landscape architect.
It's more powerful if you quantify your successes so include as many numbers and metrics as you can so recruiters can get a clear picture of what you have accomplished.
An architectural designer is a highly specialized individual responsible for designing a variety of structures. The architectural designer is responsible to execute building designs that consider the functionality, aesthetics, safety, and cost of a building. Typically, architectural designers work for clients who provide an outline of their building plan. The designer must take the client's requests and use their expertise to execute a design that closely meets those needs.
If you want to become an architectural designer, you’ll need a few specific prerequisites. Most architectural designers have a bachelor’s degree in architecture or structural engineering. For this role, hiring managers may look for prior experience in architecture, construction, or structural engineering before becoming an architectural designer. In addition, hiring managers may prefer candidates with certain architectural certificates.
This certification can show employers you are highly knowledgeable in the subjects related to architectural design. This certification is especially wise to obtain if you’re someone who has an associate degree or no formal degree. By taking this course, you show hiring managers you are well-versed in the technical and theoretical concepts of building design.
While pursuing your education to become an architectural designer, or shortly thereafter, it’s important to gain hands-on experience that can translate to architectural design. For example, working in construction, or for a building materials manufacturer, can give you real-life knowledge about how some of the more theoretical architectural concepts play out in real life. Working in a related, transferrable field shows hiring managers you have knowledge of the industry and how the different parts come together.
An architectural project manager is a senior-level professional who oversees the planning, design, and construction of a building. They typically develop, organize, and review building plans to ensure everything in the project is going to plan. As an architectural project manager, you may also be involved in the bidding and hiring process of contractors.
When hiring for this role, recruiters will be looking for someone with advanced experience in architecture, as well as someone with great analytical thinking skills, attention to detail, and leadership skills. Hiring managers will be looking for someone with either a bachelor’s degree in architecture with several years of experience or someone with a master’s degree in architecture.
Many employers may require a candidate for the architectural project manager to be fully licensed. Even for employers that don’t require it, taking the AXP (Architectural Experience Program) and sitting for the ARE (Architecture Registration Exam) can help you stand out to employers. This is a good way to gain experience, via the AXP, but also to show employers you are verifiably knowledgeable in architectural concepts.
A big factor of being an architectural project manager is being able to efficiently manage many moving parts in a project. Though a degree in architecture teaches some basic concepts of project management, it will set you apart to have a credential or degree in project management specifically. You can gain certifications like the PMP to show your project management skills or take a second degree in project management.
An architect is someone who works with a client to provide a building design based on their specific needs. Architects will work with the client, structural engineers, contracting personnel, and more to ensure the building plan both fits the client’s desires and is structurally feasible. As an architectural intern, you’ll work closely with a more senior architect to help them develop building plans.
To land a job as an entry level architect, a bachelor's degree in architecture is required. Hiring managers will also be looking for someone with relevant internship experience within the field. Due to this being an entry level role, adding any additional certifications or academic accomplishments you have will help you stand out to hiring managers.
Though you won’t be able to work as an architect until you’ve finished your degree, you can take an internship or part-time role in a related industry. You could work as an interior designer, contractor assistant, or as a receptionist for an architectural firm. Gaining hands-on experience in a field that relates to architecture shows hiring managers that you are motivated to learn the ins and outs of the industry.
Since this is an entry level role, hiring managers will like to see work you’ve done while in school. This can include projects, like a building rendering you’ve completed, or research on certain architectural concepts, like a report on sustainable building materials. Highlighting your most impressive work can help hiring managers understand your proficiency in architecture and the value you can bring to their firm.
We spoke with hiring managers at top architecture firms like Gensler, HOK, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) to gather their best advice for creating a strong architecture resume. They shared insider tips on what they look for when reviewing resumes and what makes a candidate stand out. We've compiled their top recommendations below to help you craft a resume that will impress employers and land you an interview.
Employers want to see evidence of your design abilities and experience working on architecture projects. Be sure to:
Avoid simply listing generic statements like "strong design skills" without backing it up with concrete examples.
A resume summary for an architecture role is an optional section that highlights your most relevant qualifications, skills, and experience. While a summary isn't always necessary, it can be beneficial if you're a career changer or have extensive experience in the field. Avoid using an objective statement, as it focuses on your goals rather than what you can offer an employer.
When crafting your summary, be objective and use metrics to showcase your achievements. Incorporate keywords relevant to the architecture industry and the specific position you're targeting. However, keep your summary concise, limiting it to a single paragraph. Avoid directly mentioning soft skills or using corporate buzzwords like "proven track record."
Your work experience section is the heart of your resume. It's where you prove to hiring managers that you have the right background and accomplishments for the job. It needs to be impactful, tailored, and easy to skim.
Here are the key things to get right when writing your architecture resume experience section:
The education section of your architecture resume should be concise and highlight your most relevant qualifications. It's important to list your degrees in reverse chronological order, with the most recent degree first. Include the name of the institution, degree earned, and graduation date.
Architects excel at both engineering and design. They can work skillfully with a variety of team members to construct a building from the ground up, and they can skillfully communicate their ideas.
It’s important to emphasize your skills in these areas when writing your architecture resume. For example, to highlight your experience in working with different people, use words such as “developed” or “collaborated”.
As mentioned above, architecture is a heavily project-based profession, so it’s important to draw attention to your project work with action verbs as well. Use strong verbs to start out your bullet points, and demonstrate your accomplishments in leadership .
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
When you find the architecture roles you want to apply for, make sure to read through the job description carefully and note what kind of software they are looking for.
As mentioned above, architecture projects are using more and more technology such as 3D or VR modelling to help anticipate problems or visualize the final product. When applying to a new architecture role, it’s important to show the recruiter that you are up to speed on such tools. Include relevant software you have familiarity with, such as AutoCAD, Google Sketchup, etc.
Note that architecture skills may vary widely by the type of building or project -- for example, different tools will be required when building a hospital vs. a residential complex. If you can, take the time to find out what tools the company is using so you have a better idea of what kind of skills/software to include in your architecture resume.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Architecture job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
