A good architecture resume may go in a couple of different directions, but it does tend to have some central characteristics that make it hit harder than the rest. To emulate a great resume, you need to be aware of the common resume mistakes and consider which of the components would show you at your strongest.
In that case, you will notice that it is concise, well-written, engaging, and tells the recruiter the most important things they need to know before compelling them to inquire further with an interview.
1. Resume Length
As most architecture resume are small to mid-sized, the chances are that the person reviewing your application is the Principal Architect or an architect senior enough to be put in charge of hiring.
Recruiters tend to get tens if not hundreds of job applications after an opening gets posted. In other words, they are busy architects, and you only have a few seconds to make an impression for them to either continue reading or file it away.
2. Summary
A well-written summary provides you the opportunity to frame your skills and experience directly to the job you apply for. The extra effort in tailoring your resume to each specific role conveys your commitment to the job.
The inclusion of a summary is contentious — should you or should you not include one? However, avoid the mission-statement style summary with empty phrases — it does not tell the recruiter anything and wastes space.
3. Work Experience
Clarifying your work experience lets the employer know what you are already proficient in and, more importantly, how the firm could use your expertise to support their work. Above everything else, the employer will want to see what you have already done as an architect to assess the type of work you have under your belt.
4. Roles Performed
In your employment history section, include specific information on the roles you performed along with any distinctions that made your job unique to that employer. Listing who you worked for is standard in any resume section, but it is more critical to list what you did.
5. Education
With little work experience behind you yet, your accomplishments in architecture school are going to be your shining beacon of growth and achievement. This area is crucial when you graduate and first put your shoes on the pavement.
