Architecture Resume: Free Template Download, Tips & Examples

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Aspiring architects might dream of crafting towering skyscrapers or grand stations. But the first hurdle is creating a strong architecture resume. 

No matter what sort of projects you want to work with as an architect, you still need to get hired first. You need an outstanding resume to impress recruiters.

Even if you’re brand new to architecture, your architecture resume can be effective. You just need to know the best ways to show off what you’re capable of. It doesn’t matter if you’re fresh out of university and the ink on your degree has barely dried yet.

If you’re ready to begin crafting a brilliant resume, use Resume Giant’s free resume builder to help you get the job of your dreams 

We have a free-to-download architecture resume template to give you a jumping-off point.

Constructing a stable foundation for a stunning resume for architecture is key. For some architecture resume tips and tricks for putting your best self out there, read on.

In this guide, we will discuss:

• Creating your resume layout 
• Choosing the best format
• How to write a resume for an architecture internship
• Selecting the best sections to impress potential employers
• Architecture resume objective and experience examples

We’ll also give you a blueprint for you to study with our architecture resume example to inspire you.

Do you know where to start when writing a resume?

See below for an effective and impressive Architect resume example. Peruse it and use it as inspiration for your own.

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[Jane Doe]

[Architect]

[New York, NY 12345 | (123) 456-7890 | no_reply@example.com]

Summary

New York and Pennsylvania State licensed architect with 8+ years of experience, including an internship at Parkview Industrial Design under architect John Smith. Overall client satisfaction rate of over 95% with experience in both small and multi-million dollar projects.

Experience

Junior Architect

Morgan & Sons, New York, NY

December 2020 – PRESENT

• Assists lead architect in brainstorming layout concepts for $15 million town home development project
• Models layout concepts in 3D for easier client viewing 95% client satisfaction rate
• Leads several projects under supervision that result in lower cost developments with higher satisfaction rates than competitors

Intern

Architect Parkview Industrial Design, Philadelphia, PA

January 2015 – October 2020

• Studied directly under highly accomplished architects in order to learn the significance of psychology within architectural development
• Met with 15 clients weekly to deliver updates on projects and ensure that all aspects of development were up to their standards

Education

Master’s Degree in Architecture

College Park University, Philadelphia, PA

August 2017 – May 2020

TA for 100-level architecture course, member of the honors program for graduate architecture students, Dean’s List 2017-2020

Undergraduate Degree in Architecture

College Park University, Philadelphia, PA

August 2012 – May 2017

Member of the honors program for undergraduate architecture students, president of the Mock Architectural Development Club, Dean’s List 2012-2017

Skills

• Scheduling physical activities
• Communication
• Time management
• Teamwork
• Adaptability
• Project management

Programs

• Adobe Creative Suite G-Suite
• Microsoft Office
• Revit
• SolidWorks
• Arc GIS Pro

Awards

Calder Upcoming Architect  2016

Hobbies

• Model city construction
• Graphic design
• Kickboxing

Firstly, make sure to choose professional, easy-to-read fonts, like Times New Roman, Calibri, Verdana, or Arial. Keep font sizes reasonable and easily readable. It’s preferable to use 11 to 12-point fonts for the body and 13 to 15-point fonts for headings. 

If you’re a brand new architect, then you’ll be writing a resume that won’t have as much work experience. In that case, you might not have a long list that will impress recruiters. Going with a functional resume format might make more sense than choosing the reverse chronological format.

This puts your skills first before all else. You sell yourself based on what you’re able to do, not based on what you’ve already done.

Keep reading for a complete run-through of the reverse chronological format. This format is often favored by recruiters and emphasizes your most recent experience.

What Sections to Include in a Reverse Chronological Format

Reverse chronological order is the standard for most resumes. If you have some work experience, we highly recommend listing jobs in this way. 

This means that the work that best reflects your current skill level is the first thing that your potential employer sees. It also ensures that they can look back and see if they’re dealing with someone who shows growth.

The main sections that are included on almost every reverse chronological format resume are:

1. Resume header and headline
   • This should include your name and contact details (phone number, email address, etc.)
2. Summary or objective
   • The introduction which summarizes your resume or highlights your motivation.
3. Experience
4. Education
5. Skills
6. Other sections that contain relevant information

Your ‘other’ sections should contain information that shows your proficiency in important skills. Especially those that are specified in the job description.

This is not a required portion of a resume for an architect in English. But it could give you an edge. If you enjoy building terrariums or model cities, then that could go in this section!

Nine times out of ten, an architect will have a degree in architecture. This is because a lot goes into training to become an architect. There are many skills that you cannot obtain sufficiently otherwise. 

Employers will most likely choose an applicant with a degree over an applicant without a degree. Unless you have a wealth of experience.

What Does Education Look Like for an Architect?

Typically, an architecture student will graduate with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. They will study for between 5 and 8 years. This length depends on how their school manages their undergraduate program and/or whether they wish to get their Masters.

These typically take longer than traditional four-year undergraduate programs. This is due to the emphasis placed on work in the field under the supervision of mentors. 

Field experience is a vital part of the education process for younger architects. Additionally, it will also give you the experience to put on your resume later. 

Many undergraduate students will participate in an internship but it’s not usually mandatory. However, internships are usually expected in architecture student resumes.

Architect Resume Education Section Examples

Let’s take a look at 2 very different Architecture Resume samples for the education section:

Simply listing your basic course details is not a good look. It implies you didn’t really achieve anything during your study program aside from a certificate.

This is a much more effective education section entry for an architect. It goes into more detail about the program, and lists some of the applicant’s achievements.

A resume summary is exactly what it sounds like. It is a short blurb at the top of your resume. It acts as an introduction to you and your experiences. 

You must give your potential employer some sort of hook in your summary that will keep them reading. Providing impressive numbers or names could be a way to draw in employers. 

If you’ve interned or worked under a notable firm or client during your training, name-drop them. Especially if you’ve included them in your references section.

Include how many years of experience you have in the field. If you were in any sort of honors program, then plug that here as well. 

In short, a resume summary is the place to put your greatest selling points. You should draw your potential employer in and encourage them to read on.

Architecture Resume Examples for Summary Section

Below you can see both right and wrong examples of a summary for a resume for a senior architect. 

This is a weak summary because it is incredibly general and doesn’t have a juicy hook. It doesn’t say where or how long the applicant has worked in architecture. It also doesn’t outline any unique skill sets – most people can get on well with others!

This is a better summary. It includes quantifiable figures such as the number of years of experience and the satisfaction rate. The name drops of the prestigious firm and respected mentor won’t hurt either. 

A resume objective should be used when you have fewer experiences that could make a compelling summary. 

Instead, focus on your knowledge and passion. You might not be able to say that you’ve worked on projects with several major firms. But you can still bring up how much you know about architecture. 

For instance, it would be perfectly acceptable to talk about how long you’ve been passionate about the subject. Or the different styles of architecture you’re familiar with. 

You could also speak about the skills that you have that would be useful. Or skills that would be useful in any career, such as communication and teamwork skills. Although these may seem more generic, they’re still important enough to draw attention.

You’re still trying to sell yourself in an architecture resume objective. Even if you’re not using big-name firms and large numbers of experiences to do it.

Architecture Resume Objective Examples

See below for correct and incorrect examples of an objective for a junior architect resume.

Instead of focusing on the skills and experience they do have, this applicant has chosen to emphasize the lack of it. This isn’t going to inspire much confidence in a recruiter.

Here, the applicant implies they are just starting out. However, they also name-drop the prestigious institution where they are studying and point to their strengths. The mention of the award will also majorly grab the attention of a hiring manager.

It’s incredibly important to have a well-written experience section in an architect resume. Especially if you’re using a reverse chronological format.

Typically, experience sections include:

• Relevant work experience
  • Experience working in customer service was good for teaching the basics of employment, but it most likely does not matter on an architecture resume
• Accomplishments relevant to the job
  • This could include awards
• Previous responsibilities
  • Responsibilities during group projects in your most recent year of education can be used in this section if they were particularly compelling

All in all, the writing in your experience section should:

• Be specific to architecture and what would interest your employer
  • OR connect transferable skills to the job opportunity if you don’t have directly relevant experience
• Include numbers and statistics
  • If you have any sort of satisfaction rating, this could go here
• Be to the point
• Callback to keywords from the job description listing

Not all experience is created equal. Be sure that you’re only giving your employer information that shows them that you’re their best pick. 

🌟 Featured Content: Keep things brief in your experience description. Your resume should never go over two pages. One page is often more than enough.

Architecture Resume Examples: Experience Section 

Find below correct and incorrect examples for this section:

Simply listing your job title, place of work, and basic responsibilities just isn’t enough. You need to give a sense of your achievements in the role and what you brought to the table.

A much better example as the candidate provides plenty of quantitative figures. They also indicate how their actions helped improve business practices. 

Some might say there are too many achievements listed here, but this is subjective. 

Nevertheless, if you believe something is impressive, always consider if it’s relevant. Conciseness is always paramount to overwhelming your employer.  

After all, if you include too much, then they might not even read all of your accomplishments. They may miss the most important ones because they’re buried under less relevant points.

As an architecture student/graduate, you know a lot goes into being an architect that the public doesn’t necessarily see.

Certainly, you need to know how to design buildings or other structures appealingly. But it’s not all just going back to the drawing board until you have something you like. Even if all of your calculations add up perfectly, there might be a few things you’re missing.

There are a ton of skills that apply to being an architect. These can be hard skills or soft skills.

Soft and Hard Skills in a Resume for an Architect

As a quick crash course, think of soft skills as those that don’t have a tangible presence in the world.

Skills like time management and communication are key to demonstrate during a job interview. They signal to your potential employer that you’re dedicated and reliable. 

If you’re in constant communication with updates about your project, then your employer never needs to worry about stalled progress in your work.

The same goes for time management. If your employer can see from the beginning that you know how to juggle multiple responsibilities at once, then they’ll be able to trust you to manage yourself while they oversee something else.

You can’t flood your resume with soft skills, though. Having hard skills is just as important in the best architecture resumes.

Hard skills are more tangible or quantifiable skills. These include your experience and proficiency in certain programs or other activities that could qualify you for the job. They elevate you compared to other applicants for the position, setting you apart from your peers.

Listing common skills among architects is important. However, it’s just as important to put in skills that your competitors might not have.

For instance, if you’re capable of taking professional photographs. Or if you’re familiar with designing mock-up models of buildings using different software for clients to view.

Creating an “other” section in a resume may seem a bit unorthodox. But it could work best for skills, experiences, or qualifications that don’t group with your other sections. 

Rather than leaving out potential experiences that could help sell you, you may need a miscellaneous section.

Many architecture resumes, especially those from new graduates, can seem too similar. An extra or “other” section could be your chance to stand out.

Your competition may have also participated in contests and won numerous awards. Many of them might have also been members of honors societies and taken similar courses. Some might even have identical skills listed.

By including a compelling other section, you set yourself apart to grab your potential employer’s attention.

This is usually the last section listed on a resume. It can act as a kind of tie-breaker between candidates. Your career experiences and legitimate qualifications may be more important. But an extra section with relevant hobbies or interests could nudge you ahead. 

Other Sections: Architecture Resume Examples

See below for correct and incorrect ‘other’ sections: 

It can be good to indicate hobbies outside of your professional career to give a full picture, especially if these hobbies are a bit different than reading or traveling, as these are very generic. Also, only listing hobbies that have nothing to do with architecture is a mistake.

This is better because it gives an idea of your hobbies, but ties them closer to your career. Also, including awards relating to architecture gives an impression you are skilled at your job.

The best architecture resumes are effective because they blend conciseness with a wealth of information about you and your capabilities. 

In your resume you should include: 

• Accurate contact details, as well as your full name
• A resume summary that includes your most impressive achievements and experience
  • OR a resume objective that shows your skills and knowledge about the field 
• An education section containing either certification or a degree from a NAAB-accredited program
• A skill section that includes both hard and soft skills that are relevant to the position
• An “other” section that could push you up the ladder over similar competition. 

A few reiterated tips to wrap up this guide and set you apart from your fellow applicants:

• Be concise
• Save your resume in PDF format
• Be relevant in what you share, don’t include irrelevant information
• Tailor the experiences you share to the job you’re applying for