Your architecture CV and portfolio should not feel like two separate applications. The CV should tell the reader what to look for. The portfolio should prove it with selected projects, drawings, models, process and captions.
If the CV says one thing and the portfolio shows another, the practice has to guess your real level and direction. That is where applications lose momentum.
Also watch: original video from this article
This video was already part of the article before the rewrite, so it stays with the guide rather than being replaced by the new media.
Start with the role
Before editing anything, choose the kind of role you are aiming for. A design-led assistant, technical assistant, BIM-focused candidate and interiors candidate need different evidence.
- Read the role description.
- List the project evidence it asks for.
- Mark which CV claims are supported in the portfolio.
- Move the strongest relevant project earlier.
- Cut pages that do not help the current application.
Continue with related Architecture Social content
If you want to go deeper, these related Architecture Social episodes add more context without getting in the way of the main guide.
Related audio: early-career evidence
This related episode adds early-career context for candidates who need to present limited experience honestly and usefully.
You can also open the related Architecture Social podcast page.
Connect every claim to proof
If the CV mentions Revit, workplace, retrofit, planning, competition work or technical detailing, the portfolio should help prove that claim. It does not need to show everything, but it should show enough.
Use captions to connect the dots. Say what the project was, what stage it reached, what your role was and what the page proves.
What good evidence looks like
- A project page that explains brief, scale and role.
- Drawings that are readable on screen.
- Software claims backed by project examples.
- Process work that explains a decision, not just decoration.
- A sample portfolio that matches the role being applied for.
How to decide what moves up
Move evidence up when it answers the employer’s likely question. If the role asks for Revit, technical delivery, workplace, residential, interiors, retrofit or planning experience, the first few portfolio pages should help answer that brief.
If a project is personally meaningful but not relevant to the role, it can still exist in a full portfolio. It does not always need to lead the sample version.
Common mistakes
- Repeating CV claims that the portfolio does not support.
- Sending too much work and hiding the best evidence.
- Using beautiful pages with no context.
- Not explaining individual contribution in group projects.
- Letting academic and professional work feel disconnected.
Architecture Social view
Stephen’s recruiter view is that evidence should do the heavy lifting. A practice does not need a perfect life story, but it does need enough proof to take the application seriously.
Next step
Review your CV and portfolio side by side, then use the portfolio project order guide, the sample portfolio guide, live architecture jobs and the Power Hour career coaching session.
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