Architect resume example
Architects are responsible for designing and planning building structures, such as homes, office buildings, and industrial complexes. They work hard to meet clients' needs while adhering to federal and state codes and regulations. Discover how you can create a compelling architect resume to help you finally land your dream role.
Key sections to include in resume
As you start to develop your architect resume, you need to know how to structure the information so that your expertise shines through. Here is a rundown of what you need to include and some sample architect resume sections to show you what each should look like.
Header
All you need to include here is your full name and contact information, including your phone number, email address, and location. If you have a LinkedIn profile, feel free to include it as well, especially if it contains samples of your design work.
Header Section Example:
Angelina Herrera
(206) 938-4246
angelina.herrera@example.com
Seattle, WA 98101
LinkedIn.com/in/angelinainseattle
Professional summary
The professional summary is an overview of your professional experience and the traits that make you a great architect. In this section, you’ll combine your best personal qualities, work experience, accomplishments, skills, and goals into one succinct statement that characterizes your career. Keep this section short and to the point, as you’ll have a chance to flesh out the details in other sections.
Professional Summary Section Example:
Creative and detail-oriented registered architect with 3+ years of in-depth industry experience negotiating contracts, preparing working drawings and blueprints, and inspecting building sites. Particularly skilled in performing design calculations. Highly proficient in industry-leading software such as AutoCAD, Revit, and Apache Hadoop. Eager to grow into a Lead Architect Role within three years.
Work experience
Your work experience is where you explain the roles and responsibilities you have had in your previous jobs. Include your role title, the name and location of the company you worked for, and the dates you worked there. List all relevant experiences in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent.
Work Experience Section Example:
Junior Architect, Callison & Clarke Architecture & Design
Seattle, WA, 8/2020-Present
- Prepare blueprints for corporate clients (192 to date)
- Represent clients to obtain bids and construction contracts
- Negotiate construction contracts (250+ to date)
- Direct team of 14 technicians to create specification documents
- Inspect building sites to assess construction suitability and environmental impact
- Meet with clients to discuss architectural projects, taking into account federal and local environmental and safety regulations
Education
This section should be a short summary of your higher education experience. Many states require either a bachelor’s degree in architecture or the completion of a master’s program for licensure, so it’s important to highlight that you possess at least one of these qualifications. Include the title of your degree, the dates of attendance, any concentrations or minors, and the institution where you obtained the degree.
Education Section Example:
Master of Architecture, 9/2017-5/2020
Concentration in Sustainable Systems and Design
University of Washington College of Built Environments
Licensing and certification
Most states require working architects to have a license. Make sure to clearly indicate on both your resume and cover letter that you possess either an active license in the state in which you are applying for the job or a license from another state that provides reciprocity. This is necessary for both you and your employer to avoid running into legal trouble.
Licensing and Certification Section Example:
Registered Architect, 6/2018
Washington State Board for Architects
Department of Licensing
Professional associations
Belonging to a professional association demonstrates your passion and commitment to the profession. In this section, list any associations you belong to and how long you’ve been a member. Detail any special roles you hold, activities you have participated in, or awards you’ve won.
Professional Associations Section Example:
American Institute of Architects, Member Since 12/2018
- Vice President of Northwest Washington Chapter
- Presentation on the future of sustainability in corporate architecture, 1/2020
- Participated in a roundtable discussion of remote work’s impact on corporate real-estate footprints, 11/2020
Skills
Use this section to list the most important skills you have learned from your education, work experience, and additional training. While it’s not mandatory, separating hard and soft skills can help hiring managers more clearly understand your capabilities and whether they are a fit for the role. Limit this section to skills that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Skills Section Example:
Hard Skills:
- Hand Drafting
- AutoCAD
- Blueprint Preparation
- Data Analysis
Soft Skills:
- Negotiation
- Time Management
- Project Management
- Teamwork
Hobbies and interests
In this optional section, you can list hobbies or interests you have that are relevant to the role or that might set you apart from the competition. These can include languages you speak, volunteer work you’ve done, or architecture-related coursework you have taken that you didn’t receive a degree or credit for.
Hobbies and Interests Section Example:
- Languages: Native English speaker with full professional fluency in Japanese
- Volunteer Work: Lend building design, blueprint, and negotiation skills to the Seattle Affordable Housing Project, which aims to solve the homelessness crisis in and around the metro area
Tips for writing the role-specific resume
If you’re starting out with an architect sample resume, it’s important to choose one in an appropriate format for architecture roles. Remember that hiring managers know architects become better with experience.
As such, you’ll want to choose a reverse chronological format that highlights your past roles and the responsibilities you held in each. This will help a future employer clearly see that you have the skills necessary to thrive in the role without constant oversight or supervision.
When applying for architecture roles, it’s also vital that you avoid applying with a generalized resume template that can apply to any profession or role. Architecture is a highly specialized industry with specific education and licensure requirements.
If an employer allows you to work as an architect without these qualifications, both of you can face legal trouble. Tailoring your architect resume samples to the profession gives the employer peace of mind that they are considering a highly qualified candidate.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to tailor your architect resume sample. Doing so allows you to include relevant and specific work experience and skills sections that prove you can do the job.
If you submit a generalized resume created from resume examples that can work for any role, a recruiter or hiring manager may not be able to get a sense of your fit for the role. It then becomes possible that your resume will be passed over in favor of candidates who are more clearly qualified for the specific position.
Even if you don’t see it done in your resume or cover letter examples, make sure to quantify your notable achievements. This helps a potential employer see how much responsibility you can handle and what impact you have made in your previous positions.
Because architecture is a numbers-based industry, it’s easier to quantify your achievements. Try stating how many contracts you’ve negotiated, how many projects you’ve worked on, and even the number of direct reports you’ve supervised.
Land the architecture role of your dreams with a well-written resume
Architecture is a high-stakes career that requires a great deal of technical expertise and specific qualifications. Effective architecture resumes that are most likely to land these roles are those that clearly articulate your licensing, experience, skills, and achievements to the hiring manager.
If you are currently searching for a position as an architect (or will be doing so in the future), using professional resume and cover letter templates can take the burden off of your shoulders. Get started today with our architect resume examples and tools so you can craft an application package that stands head and shoulders above the rest.
