Resume example · For job seekers
Architect Resume Example
An architect resume example for licensed and graduate architects, with summaries by level, design skills, project bullets and portfolio advice.
The short answer
A strong Architect resume opens with a short summary, groups the skills employers will test, and backs each role with bullets that show what changed because of your work. Below is a full example, summary wording for graduate or architectural assistant, project architect, associate or senior and career changer or returner candidates, and how to get through applicant tracking systems.
- Keep the resume to one or two pages and let the portfolio carry the images.
- A small project thumbnail or two can work on an emailed version; keep a text-only version for portals.
- Lead each project bullet with your role and the stage, then the result.
An architect resume sits alongside a portfolio, and the two do different jobs. The portfolio shows your design thinking; the resume shows the projects you have worked on, your role on each, the stages you have delivered and the software and regulations you know. This guide covers each section of an architect resume with a full example, summaries for graduates through to project architects and associates, and how to show licensure or registration correctly in the US and the UK.
Example Architect resume
Thomas Reid
Project Architect
Glasgow, UKthomas.reid@example.comexample.com/thomas-portfolio
Summary
ARB-registered architect with six years in practice on residential and mixed-use schemes, from feasibility to completion. Coordinates consultants and contractors and produces technical packages in Revit.
Skills
- Design and delivery
- Concept and technical design, Planning applications, Contract administration
- Software
- Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino, Enscape, Adobe InDesign
- Knowledge
- Building regulations, BIM coordination, Fee and programme management
Experience
Project Architect · Contoso Architects, Glasgow
2022 – present
- Lead a mixed-use scheme from feasibility to construction, coordinating structural, services and landscape consultants.
- Produced the technical design package in Revit and resolved clashes before site start.
- Prepared planning applications and responded to officers’ comments.
- Mentor two graduates through their practical experience.
Architectural Assistant · Northwind Design Studio, Edinburgh
2019 – 2022
- Produced drawings, models and visuals for housing and school projects.
- Assisted with planning packages and site surveys.
Education
Master of Architecture · Contoso School of Architecture
2017 – 2019
BA (Hons) Architecture · Contoso University
2013 – 2016
Registration
- Architects Registration Board (illustrative)
Summary examples
Three or four lines at the top of the page. Pick the one closest to your situation and rewrite it with your own tools and work.
Graduate or architectural assistant
Project architect
Associate or senior
Career changer or returner
Skills to list
Hard skills
Soft skills
List only what you could be tested on. Soft skills carry more weight shown in a bullet than named in a list.
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Experience bullet points
Design and delivery
- Led a mixed-use scheme from feasibility through planning approval to construction, coordinating structural, services and landscape consultants.
- Produced the technical design package in Revit and resolved clashes with the contractor’s design team before site start.
- Redesigned the façade within the agreed budget after cost review, keeping the planning intent intact.
Clients, planning and site
- Presented design options to the client board and led the engagement events with residents.
- Prepared planning applications and responded to officers’ comments, securing approval without appeal.
- Ran fortnightly site visits and issued instructions and inspection reports during construction.
Practice and team
- Set up the office Revit template and standards, so drawings were consistent across projects.
- Mentored two graduates through their documented practical experience.
- Wrote fee proposals and resource plans for new education projects.
What to include
Header
Name, location, email and portfolio link. Add your licence or registration after your name only if you hold it.
Profile
Your level, building types, stages of work you deliver and the kind of practice you want to join.
Selected projects or experience
For each role, name key projects, your role, building type and stages. Many architects list projects under each employer.
Skills and software
Group design, technical and software skills. Name the BIM and visualisation tools the practice uses.
Education, licensure and registration
Degrees with dates and your licensure status. In the US, NCARB describes the path as an architecture degree, the Architectural Experience Program (AXP) and the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), with each state setting its own rules. In the UK, use of the title “architect” is regulated by the Architects Registration Board, so only use it if you are on the Register; otherwise write “architectural assistant” or “architectural designer”.
Formatting
- Keep the resume to one or two pages and let the portfolio carry the images.
- A small project thumbnail or two can work on an emailed version; keep a text-only version for portals.
- Lead each project bullet with your role and the stage, then the result.
- Use a clean layout and consistent typography; practices notice.
- Send the resume and a compact portfolio PDF, or a link, as the advert asks.
Getting past applicant tracking systems
- 1Name software exactly as the advert does, such as “Autodesk Revit”.
- 2Spell out your licence or registration once in full.
- 3Keep text live and selectable rather than inside images.
- 4Use standard headings for experience, skills and education.
- 5Use the advert’s job title where it applies, such as “Project Architect” or “Architectural Designer”.
Common mistakes
- Calling yourself an architect in the UK before you are on the Register, or before you are licensed in a US state.
- Listing projects without saying what you did on them.
- A heavy, image-filled resume that will not upload or parse.
- Leaving out the stages of work you have delivered.
- A portfolio that shows only university work when you have practice experience.
Common questions
Should an architect resume include images?
Keep images for the portfolio. A text-based resume is easier to upload and read; an emailed version can include a small project thumbnail if it stays light.
How do I list projects on an architect resume?
Under each employer, name the project, building type, your role and the stages you worked on, then one line on what you delivered.
Can I call myself an architect before I am licensed?
In the UK, use of the title is regulated, and the Architects Registration Board says someone not on its Register is not an architect. In the US each state sets its own rules. Until you qualify, use titles such as architectural assistant or designer.
Which software should an architect list?
The BIM, drafting and visualisation tools you use confidently, with the practice’s own tools first.
How long should an architect resume be?
One page for graduates, up to two for experienced architects. The portfolio holds the detail.
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