Construction and design

Architect CV: example and template

This example is for architects and design assistants at architecture studios, design offices and property developers, and for architecture graduates before getting their licence.

The head of the studio wants to see projects, the stages you were responsible for, software and your portfolio. We show you how to combine this in a clear CV.

Create your CV in the builder See the example

Example CV: architect

All the details in this example are fictional. Treat it as a model of layout and wording, and replace the content with your own experience.

Zuzanna Pawłowska

Licensed architect

Gdansk +48 123 456 789 zuzanna.pawlowska@example.com portfolio: zuzannapawlowska.pl

Professional profile

Architect with 8 years of experience and an unrestricted design licence. I lead projects for multi-family residential and commercial buildings from concept to design supervision and work in Revit. I coordinate the engineering disciplines and deal with authorities for building permits.

Work experience

Architect, project lead

03.2020 - present

Architecture studio, Gdansk

Leading projects for 6 multi-family buildings, about 900 flats in total.
Concept, permit and construction drawings in Revit, coordinating disciplines in a BIM model.
Obtaining building permits and approvals from authorities.
Design supervision on site and handovers.
Leading a team of 3 design assistants.

Design assistant

07.2016 - 02.2020

Design office, Gdynia

Permit and construction drawings in AutoCAD and Revit.
Visualisations and models for architecture competitions.
Surveys of existing buildings for refurbishment.

Education

Architecture, master's degree

2011 - 2016

Gdansk University of Technology

Skills

Designing residential and commercial buildings
Revit and BIM
AutoCAD
Coordinating disciplines
Building law and technical regulations
Design supervision

Licences and certificates

Unrestricted architectural design licence, 2019
Member of the Polish Chamber of Architects
Autodesk Revit Certified Professional, 2021

Languages

English: C1

Additional information

Commendation in a library building competition, 2018

I hereby consent to the processing of my personal data for the purposes necessary to carry out the recruitment process, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (GDPR).

How to write an architect CV

Professional summary

Give your licence, years of experience, types of buildings and the stages you lead on your own. Add your software and a portfolio link, because in this profession they are the basis of assessment.

Architecture graduate with 3 years of practice at a studio designing single-family houses. I prepare permit drawings in ArchiCAD, create visualisations and am gaining practice towards my licence. Portfolio at the link.

Experience: duties and achievements

Describe your projects: the type of building, scale, stages and your role. The number of flats, square metres or permits says more than a general "designing".

Weaker: Designing buildings.

Better: Leading projects for 6 multi-family buildings, about 900 flats in total.

Weaker: Working in BIM.

Better: Permit and construction drawings in Revit, coordinating disciplines in a BIM model.

Weaker: Dealing with paperwork.

Better: Obtaining building permits and approvals from authorities for all my projects.

Skills worth listing

List your software, types of projects and knowledge of the rules. Under personal skills, show coordination and talking to the client.

Professional skills

Architectural design
Revit, ArchiCAD or AutoCAD
BIM and discipline coordination
Building law
Visualisations
Design supervision

Personal skills

Coordinating the team and disciplines
Talking to the client
Creativity
Accuracy
Keeping to deadlines

Licences, competitions and portfolio

List your building licence with its scope and year and your membership of the Chamber of Architects. Add competition awards and a link to a portfolio with a few of your best projects.

Architect CV after graduation

Describe placements, diploma projects and student competitions. Your portfolio matters more than your CV here, so take care of its quality.

Say that you are gaining practice towards your licence and which projects you want to work on. Studios are happy to take assistants with a clear goal.

Tailoring your CV to the job offer

A residential studio looks for experience with multi-family buildings, a developer's office for coordination and costs, and a competition studio for concepts and visualisations. Move projects similar to those in the offer to the top.

The most common mistakes on an architect CV

No portfolio link.
No licence or its scope.
A general "designing" without types of buildings and stages.
An overly graphic CV that an ATS cannot read.
Leaving out the software you work in.
Showing other people's projects in your portfolio without describing your role.

Questions and answers

What should an architect put on a CV?

Licence, types of buildings, project stages, your role, software, knowledge of the rules, competitions, languages and a portfolio link.

Does an architect need a portfolio?

Yes, it is the most important part of the application. Choose a few of your best projects and describe your role in each.

How do I describe practice towards a licence on a CV?

Give the studio, period and tasks, such as permit drawings, and say that you are gaining practice towards your licence.

Can an architect's CV be graphic?

It can look good, but it must be readable for an ATS. Show your creativity in your portfolio, not in the CV layout.

Create an architect CV in the builder

In the CV Majster builder you enter your details step by step and see right away what the document looks like. You can copy the wording from this page and adapt it to yourself. The finished CV as a PDF costs a one-off PLN 5, with no subscription, and you see the preview before you pay.

Go to the CV builder