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Architect resume

The phase you can run unsupervised is the dividing line. A reviewing principal reads a resume to learn whether you have carried construction administration on your own or only drafted in schematic design, whether you have stamped drawings or worked under someone who did, and which jurisdictions your license actually covers. So write each entry around the deliverable you owned and the phase it sat in, name the BIM platform and the codes and rating systems the project answered to, and let your licensure and registered jurisdictions sit where a partner reads them before anything else; that is what turns an architect resume from a list of project credits into a record a firm can staff against.

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Imani Walcott, AIA
Licensed Architect | Commercial & Mixed-Use | Revit + BIM
[email protected] · (555) 760-9591 · Austin, TX · linkedin.com/in/imani-walcott
Summary

Licensed architect with 9 years taking commercial, multifamily, and adaptive-reuse projects from schematic design through construction administration. Led Revit-based BIM coordination across architecture, structure, and MEP, and authored construction documents for projects up to 240,000 sq ft. NCARB certified and LEED AP BD+C, with a record of clearing plan review on first submission.

Experience
Project Architect2020 - Present
Holloway Reed Architects
  • Authored full construction document sets for a $48M mixed-use development, coordinating architectural, structural, and MEP models in Revit and resolving 300+ clashes in Navisworks before issue for construction
  • Ran construction administration on three concurrent projects, processing RFIs, submittals, and ASIs and conducting site observations that kept punch-list rework under 2% of contract value
  • Steered projects through IBC, ADA, and local zoning review, clearing City of Austin plan check on first submission for 7 of 9 permits
  • Mentored two architectural designers logging AXP hours, reviewing their redlines and BIM standards on every set
Architectural Designer2017 - 2020
Lumen Studio
  • Produced schematic design and design development drawings in Revit and Rhino for K-12 and civic clients, modeling massing and daylighting studies that shaped three winning competition entries
  • Developed Grasshopper scripts to parametrically test facade panelization, cutting curtain-wall iteration time by roughly 40%
  • Built rendering and presentation packages in Enscape and Adobe Creative Suite for client design reviews and entitlement hearings
  • Completed the AXP and passed all six ARE 5.0 divisions while employed full time, earning state licensure in 2020
Skills

Construction documents (CDs) · Revit / BIM coordination · Construction administration · IBC, ADA & zoning compliance · Schematic design & design development · AutoCAD · Rhino + Grasshopper · Navisworks clash detection · Sustainable / LEED design · Enscape & Adobe Creative Suite

Education
Master of Architecture (M.Arch), NAAB-accredited, University of Texas at Austin
Certifications
  • Licensed Architect, Texas Board of Architectural Examiners
  • NCARB Certificate, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
  • LEED AP BD+C, Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI)
  • AIA Member, American Institute of Architects

A worked example for a fictional candidate. Copy the structure, not the details. Swap in your own real experience.

Keyword match

Keywords ATS systems scan for

Use the ones that are genuinely true for you, in your own words. Mirror the exact phrasing from the job posting where it matches.

RevitBIM coordinationconstruction documentsconstruction administrationAutoCADschematic designdesign developmentbuilding codesARENCARBLEED APzoning compliance
What recruiters look for

How to make this resume stronger

Specific to architect roles, not generic advice.

  • State licensure status in the first two lines

    Make it unambiguous whether you are a licensed Architect or an unlicensed Architectural Designer, and name the issuing board (for example, the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners). If you are mid-path, list your AXP progress and which ARE divisions you have passed so reviewers can place you correctly.

  • Quantify project scope, not just duties

    Architecture firms hire for the size and type of work you can carry. Pin numbers to each project: square footage, construction value, building type, and your specific phase responsibility from schematic design through construction administration. A bullet that says 240,000 sq ft mixed-use, issued for construction beats a vague claim of strong project experience.

  • Name the exact tools and codes the posting uses

    ATS filters match terms verbatim, so write Revit, Navisworks, Rhino, and Grasshopper rather than generic BIM software, and spell out the codes you have worked under such as IBC, ADA, and local zoning. If the job asks for LEED, write LEED AP BD+C in full instead of just sustainable design.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Listing software as a flat skills dump without showing what you produced in it. Tie Revit, Rhino, and Enscape to actual deliverables like coordinated CD sets, daylighting studies, or entitlement renderings.
  • Blurring the line between licensed and unlicensed. Using the title Architect when you are not yet licensed is a legal misstep in most states and a credibility risk; use Architectural Designer or Designer until your license is issued.
  • Leading with a design portfolio link and burying the technical evidence. The resume needs construction documents, code compliance, and BIM coordination on the page; the portfolio supports it, it does not replace it.
  • Omitting AXP and ARE status when early in your career. Firms tracking your path to licensure want to see hours logged and divisions passed, not a silent gap.

Architect resume FAQ

Should my architect resume say Architect or Architectural Designer?

Use the title that matches your legal status. In nearly every U.S. state, you can only call yourself an Architect once you hold an active license from that state's registration board. Until your license is issued, use Architectural Designer or Designer. Misusing the protected title can create licensing-board issues and undermines your credibility with hiring principals who know the distinction.

What licensure details belong on an architect resume?

List your state license and the issuing board, your NCARB Certificate if you hold one, and any specialty credentials such as LEED AP BD+C, which is administered by GBCI. If you are still on the path, show your AXP hours and which ARE divisions you have passed. Licensure is earned through an NAAB-accredited degree, the AXP experience program, the ARE, and state registration.

Which software and skills should an architect resume highlight?

Lead with the BIM and drafting tools firms actually use: Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks for clash detection, and Rhino with Grasshopper for parametric work, plus Enscape or Adobe Creative Suite for visualization. Pair those with construction documents, construction administration, and code knowledge such as IBC, ADA, and zoning, and name the exact terms from the job posting so the ATS matches them.

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Last reviewed February 25, 2026.