Architecture Resume Examples—Template + Tips for 2024

Does your architecture career need a thorough rearrangement? Write up your architecture resume easier with an exemplary template, expert hints, and good + bad examples.

Tom Gerencer
Tom Gerencer
Career Expert
Architecture Resume Examples—Template + Tips for 2024

Most architecture resumes blend in like tract housing. They focus on what the applicant has done rather than the positive effect they've had.

A well-arranged architecture resume is aligned with key content architecture rules. Employ them in your application, and you'll stand out like the Guggenheim in a trailer park.

This guide will show you:

  • An architecture resume template better than most.
  • How to write an architect resume that gets interviews.
  • Expert architect resume examples to incorporate in your resume.
  • An architecture resume sample that makes all the difference.

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Free Architecture Resume Template

Morgan Menetries
Licensed Architect

Personal Info
Phone: 405-658-0043
Email: morganmenetries@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/morganmenetries
www.menetries.com

Summary

Oregon State Licensed Architect with 9+ years of experience. Seeking to deliver design excellence for Gensler. Designed 18 projects with budgets over $10M for LHP at 20% lower cost than the competition. Commended 12 times by management for design excellence and budget adherence.

Licenses

  • Oregon State Architecture License
  • Certified Professional Building Designer, NCBDC

Experience

Architect (Design & Production)
Locklin, Horowitz & Phair
2014–2019

  • Lead architect in a top 300 architecture firm. Designed 18 $10M+ jobs from requirements-gathering through completion.
  • Developed designs that won bids at 20% less cost than the competition.
  • Consistently delivered projects to client specs and 12% below budget.
  • Received 12 commendations from clients for design excellence.

Architect (Production)
Clifford and Beverage Architects
2013–2014

  • Production architect in mid-level architecture firm. Collaborated with lead architect and contractors to deliver projects 10% under budget and on time.
  • Regularly delivered finished projects at 99% accuracy to budgets.
  • Brought two new jobs per year into the business.
  • Consistently finished projects with 15% less rework than coworkers.

Architecture Intern
Philbrick, Dickey & Associates—Architects
2010–2013

  • Completed all 700 required IDP architecture internship training units.
  • Commended 5x by management for budgeting skills.

Education

Master of Architecture, Portland State University
2008–2010

  • Excelled in project management classes.
  • Master's thesis on CAD innovation published in "Architectural Review."

Bachelor of Architecture, Portland State University
2004–2008

  • Pursued a passion for drafting coursework.
  • President, student architecture club. Increased membership 25%.

Competitions

  • 2nd Place, Workplace of the Future 2018.
  • 3rd Place, Urban Design & Architecture Design Awards, 2016.

Publications

  • "Zero Waste Architecture and You," ArchDaily.com, 2017.
  • "Estimating for the Future," ArchPaper, 2016.

Conferences

  • 2018—AIA Conference. Spoke on panel about budgeting.
  • 2017—AEI Conference

Hard Skills: CAD, Revit, Estimating, Budgeting, Project Management, Renovation

Soft Skills: Communication, Collaboration, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving

Now here’s how to write an architecture resume:

1. Start With the Best Architecture Resume Format

As a designer and an advisor in construction, you're expected to know how to set up a solid structure.

What's more, your resume format must prove you know “arcade” isn’t a video game room. Here's how to make your architecture resume impressive:

  • Pick a visually appealing resume template, a free Google Docs resume template or a free MS Word Resume Template.
  • Pick the reverse-chronological resume format. It puts your best architecture achievements in the lobby.
  • Use the best resume fonts in 10–14pt with 1-inch margins and big headings. Add plenty of negative space.
  • Write a one-page resume unless you’ve got pages of unique projects and achievements.
  • Break ground with a resume header. Include your name, phone, email, and architecture portfolio address. No photo—no street address.
  • List your license next. Then add an architecture resume objective, work experience, and education.
  • Install resume extras like conferences, publications, and additional activities. They’ll add materiality to your architectural resume.

Expert Hint: Save your resumes as PDFs. They don't depreciate in transit. Plus they’re machine-readable.

2. Write a Dynamic Architecture Resume Summary or Objective

Most architecture resumes and architect student resumes are boilerplate. Hiring managers skim them, hunting one that’s structurally sound. If you want to stop the skimming and sink deep into their memory, start with a resume summary. Here's how to do this step by step.

Include:

  1. Job title and License (Oregon State Licensed Architect)
  2. Years of experience (2+, 9+)
  3. How you’ll help (deliver design excellence)
  4. Flashiest 2–3 achievements (designed 18 projects with budgets over $10M, Delivered jobs at 20% lower cost than competition)

These senior architecture resume examples show how:

Architecture Resume Summary—Example

Good Example
Oregon State Licensed Architect with 9+ years of experience. Seeking to deliver design excellence for Gensler. Designed 18 projects with budgets over $10M for LHP at 20% lower cost than the competition. Commended 12 times by management for design excellence and budget adherence.
Bad Example
Highly creative and experienced architect with high-level skills in design and production. Adept at budgeting, CAD, Revit, estimating, and project management. Registered with AIA and have worked at 3 different architecture firms for over 9 years.

The first of those architect resume samples will make employers read your resume with care. It lists accomplishments that prove your building and design skills.

What if You’ve Got No Architecture Experience?

How to write a resume with no experience? In an architecture student resume, use achievements. Get them from:

  • Freelance Projects
  • Competitions
  • Volunteer Work
  • Consulting Work
  • Non-Architecture Jobs

This entry-level architecture experience resume example nails it:

Architecture Resume Objective—Example

Good Example
Enthusiastic architect and certified PMP with proven skills in CAD, Revit, and project management. Seeking to enhance production and design excellence for PD&A. Received second-place prize at Aarhus Drawing of the Year Competition. President, Portland State University Architecture Club. Designed two commercial buildings with CAD and Revit, including a 2,500 sq/ft children’s play center.

That buries “I’m still looking for an architecture internship.” Even with no experience, that’s a professional architecture student resume.

Shouldn’t you talk about your goals in an architecture student resume objective? Not in 2024. You’ll get more interviews by focusing on company objectives.

Expert Hint: Don’t write your resume summary first. Write it last so you’ll have lots of raw materials to do it right.

3. Build Your Best Architecture Resume Job Description

Architecture resumes only need a handful of achievements. You don't have to elaborate on your abilities. This time, be a minimalist. In fact, the best architect resumes pick the right accomplishments for the job description section. That's how they perfectly match requirements.

To this end:

  1. Pay close attention to the job ad.
  2. Underline the architecture duties and responsibilities in it.
  3. Write resume bullets with achievements that pin you to the job.

See these bad/good architecture resume examples:

Architecture Resume Job Description—Sample

Job ad wants these architecture skills: (1) leadership (2) design (3) budget adherence.

Good Example

Experience

Registered Architect (Design & Production)
Locklin, Horowitz & Phair
2014–2019

  • Lead architect in a top 300 architecture firm. Designed and produced 18 $10M+ jobs from requirements-gathering through completion.
  • Developed designs that won bids at 20% less cost than the competition.
  • Consistently delivered projects to client specs and 12% below budget.
  • Received 12 commendations from clients for design excellence.
Bad Example
  • Responsible for all architect duties and responsibilities in a high-level architecture firm.
  • Designed and produced several high-end projects from requirements-gathering through completion.
  • Consistently delivered projects to client specs while working with cross-functional teams to complete jobs.

The second of those architecture resume examples is slipshod. The first is Gensler-level. And numbers like $ and % show your skills are Burj-Khalifa-sized.

Entry-Level Architecture Resume Example—No Experience

No architecture experience? That’s not structurally unsound. Your entry-level architect resume can still get rave reviews. List accomplishments, like this architectural resume for internships example:

Good Example

Freelance Architect
2018–2019

  • Used Revit to redesign restaurant interior for renovation.
  • Used CAD to design interior for a 2,500 sq/ft children’s play center.
  • Took second place in Aarhus Drawing of the Year Competition.
  • President, Portland State University Architecture Club.
  • Attended TechHome Builder Summit, 2018. Spoke on panel about project management.

Skills for Architecture Resumes

What are hard and soft skills for an architecture resume?

Below, you'll find a complete resume skills list. But, don’t copy-paste it to your resume for architecture jobs. Employers see through that like Low-E coated glass.

Architecture Resume Skills
Soft Skills Hard Skills Technical Skills
Creativity Math CAD
Communication Engineering AutoCAD
Problem Solving Computer Skills Revit
Critical Thinking Design Drafting
Detail Oriented Business Knowledge Legal
Listening Building Codes Estimating
Interpersonal Skills Model Making Project Management
Decision Making Specifications New Construction
Collaboration Finance Scheduling
Perceptiveness Budgeting Renovation

Expert Hint: Architecture resumes and portfolios go great together. Put a portfolio link in your resume to show you’re more than just a piece of paper.

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4. Turn Boring Education to a Reason to Hire You

The education section on an architecture resume must show achievements, too. Without them, it’s dead space. It's vital that you make use of each and every nook of your resume. These architecture resume examples show how:

Architecture Resume Education—Example

Good Example

Education

Master of Architecture, Portland State University
2008–2010

  • Excelled in project management classes.
  • Master's thesis on CAD innovation published in "Architectural Review."

Bachelor of Architecture, Portland State University
2004–2008

  • Pursued a passion for drafting coursework.
  • President, student architecture club. Increased membership 25%.
Bad Example

Education

Portland State University
Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture
2004–2010

  • Graduated in May of 2010
  • GPA 3.4
  • Excelled in Computer Science classes.

So different! The first of those architectural resume samples is in the Norman Foster zone. It shows your passion for design wasn’t slapped together yesterday.

Expert Hint: Is your solution architecture resume experience just breaking ground? Partition your education section. List positions and projects, with achievements in each.

5. Reinforce Your Architecture Resume With These

To stand out like the Lotus Temple, use resume additional sections. They’ll make your architecture resume complete and unique. It's not just a resume template that will take credits.

These architecture resume examples give the blueprint:

Additional Sections for Architecture Resume—Example 

Good Example

Competitions

  • 2nd Place, Workplace of the Future 2018.
  • 3rd Place, Urban Design & Architecture Design Awards, 2016.

Publications

  • "Zero Waste Architecture and You," ArchDaily.com , 2017.
  • "Estimating for the Future," ArchPaper, 2016.

Conferences

  • 2018—AIA Conference. Spoke on panel about budgeting.
  • 2017—AEI Conference.

Professional Association

  • Member, AIA.
Bad Example

Additional Activities

  • Running.
  • Collecting vinyls.

Those first architecture resume samples would get you in at Huckabee.

Expert Hint: Send an architecture cover letter. Make it passionate and weld it to the employer’s needs. Learn how to write a cover letter so good, she’ll actually read your resume for architect jobs.

6. List Your License on a Resume for Architecture

What about licenses on architectural resumes? Put your state license in a special Licenses section near the top. Add 1–2 other key licenses if you’ve got them. This architect resume example shows how:

Good Example

Licenses

  • Oregon State Architecture License
  • Certified Professional Building Designer, NCBDC

See the architecture resume template up top for placement tips. Also put your license in your resume objective, and near your name. That way busy architecture hiring managers won’t miss it.

That’s vital, because architect jobs will only grow at 4% over the next 10 years.

Expert Hint: Got lots of certifications? Put extras in a Certifications section. Place it lower on your architect or architecture student resume.

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Key Points

For an architecture resume that soars:

  • Use the architecture resume template up top, and follow the good architect resume examples.
  • Put your resume design in context with accomplishments. Fit them to the job offer like mullions.
  • Add numbers to your architect resume achievements and qualifications summaryDollars, percents, hours saved, and other numbers add scale.
  • Send an architecture cover letter. Arc weld it to the job by referencing the employer’s needs and your accomplishments.

Got questions on how to write an architecture resume? Not sure how to pick achievements for your architectural resume? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply.

About ResumeLab’s Editorial Process

At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.

Tom Gerencer

Having published over 200 career-advice articles, Tom Gerencer is a career expert who covers the whole array of job-seeking topics for people at all career stages, from interns to C-suite members. His insights, commentary, and articles reach over a million readers every month. With inside knowledge of key industry players and in-depth research, Tom helps job seekers with advice across all professions and career stages.

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