Spatial planning
Urban planner CV: example and template
This example is for urban and spatial planners at planning offices, municipal and city authorities, urban design studios and consultancies, and for spatial management graduates.
The employer wants to know which planning documents you prepare, how you run the procedure, which analyses you carry out, which software you use and how you run consultations. We show you how to describe this on your CV.
How to write an urban planner CV
Professional summary
Write which documents you prepare, for which municipality or client and which stages you lead. Add a result, for example the number of plans adopted. The employer is looking for an urban planner who knows the regulations, runs the procedure without mistakes and explains the plan to residents.
Assistant urban planner with 2 years of experience at an urban design studio. I prepare analyses for zoning decisions, plan drawings and field surveys. I am looking for work as an urban planner at a planning office.
Experience: duties and achievements
Describe the documents, municipalities, procedures, analyses, software and consultations. Show results in numbers. Add training in new regulations. Also say whether you work on regeneration or development strategies.
Weaker: Plans.
Better: Draft local plans and work on the city's general plan.
Weaker: Analyses.
Better: Urban analyses and land balances in GIS.
Weaker: Results.
Better: 9 plans adopted with no supervisory rulings against them.
Skills worth listing
List plans, procedures, analyses, GIS, decisions and consultations. In your soft skills show communication, accuracy and resilience under pressure.
Professional skills
- Local plans
- General plan
- Planning procedures
- Analyses
- GIS
- Consultations
Personal skills
- Communication
- Accuracy
- Resilience under pressure
- Spatial thinking
- Cooperation
Training
List memberships of planners' organisations, training in regulations and GIS courses. After the changes to planning law, training in the new rules is a big advantage.
First job as an urban planner
After studying spatial management or architecture, describe your projects, placements and software. An urban design studio or a council's planning department is a good start.
Add GIS. It is the tool employers ask about most often.
Tailoring your CV to the job offer
A planning office looks for plans and procedures, an urban design studio for work for many municipalities and deadlines, and a council for zoning decisions. Move to the top what the job ad is about. If you run procedures for several municipalities at once or prepare general plans under the new rules, say so plainly. Such experience is in high demand now. Also add experience with regeneration or transport if you have it.
Questions and answers
What should an urban planner put on a CV?
The documents, municipalities, procedures, analyses, software, consultations, training and results.
Does an urban planner need a licence?
In Poland there is currently no mandatory planning licence, but employers require a relevant degree and experience.
Which results are worth giving?
The number of plans adopted, procedures on time and plans with no supervisory rulings.
Which software matters?
GIS, plan drawing software and spatial analysis tools.