Polishing an architectural CV is not about making it fancier. It is about making the useful information easier to find: role level, project experience, software, education, responsibilities and the portfolio link.
A practice should be able to scan the document and understand why your application is worth opening further.
Watch: review architecture CVs together
This CV review session shows how small changes to structure, evidence and wording can make an architectural CV easier to trust.
Listen: full CV review discussion
Prefer audio? This is the full Architecture Social CV review conversation in podcast form.
You can also open the related Architecture Social podcast page.
Keep the structure boring in a good way
Clear sections beat clever layouts. A CV is not the place to hide the information a hiring manager needs.
- Contact details and portfolio link.
- Current role or course level.
- Practice experience.
- Education and qualifications.
- Software and technical skills.
- Selected project evidence.
Related audio: presenting yourself clearly
This related episode adds another Architecture Social angle on community, presentation and how candidates show their work.
You can also open the related Architecture Social podcast page.
Polish the evidence
Rewrite vague bullets so they explain context. Instead of saying you assisted on projects, name the project type, stage, software and responsibility where appropriate.
For example, ‘supported planning and design development drawings for a residential scheme in Revit’ tells the reader far more than ‘worked on architectural drawings’.
Match the CV to the portfolio
- Use consistent project names.
- Mention portfolio evidence where it is relevant.
- Avoid claiming skills that the portfolio cannot support.
- Keep dates and role titles consistent.
- Make the portfolio link easy to open on mobile and desktop.
Common mistakes
- Using too much design styling on the CV itself.
- Listing every software package without context.
- Leaving out project scale or stage.
- Making responsibilities sound bigger than they were.
- Sending the same CV for every role without any tailoring.
Architecture Social view
Stephen’s recruiter view is that a polished CV should reduce uncertainty. The reader should not have to guess your level, your role or whether the portfolio backs up the claim.
Next step
Tighten your CV, then compare it with the architecture CV guide, the Part II CV and portfolio guide, live architecture jobs and the interview preparation guide.
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