Professional Experience
This is the most important section of your resume after your education. Use reverse chronological order, with your most recent position first. For each position, include: firm name and location, your title, dates, and 2-4 bullet points describing what you did and the impact.
Bullet Point Formula: Action Verb + What You Did + Context/Scale + Outcome
The formula for a strong resume bullet is: start with an action verb, describe the specific work, include context (scale, budget, type of project), and when possible, quantify the outcome or impact.
Architecture-Specific Action Verbs
- Developed | Drafted | Modeled | Coordinated | Produced | Rendered | Detailed
- Surveyed | Documented | Fabricated | Assembled | Designed | Analyzed | Presented
- Managed | Integrated | Prepared | Edited | Advised | Consulted | Assisted
Before and After: Weak vs. Strong Bullets
Helped with drawings and models for various projects
Responsible for organizing meetings with consultants
Assisted in creating presentations
Produced construction document sets for a 45,000 SF mixed-use development in Revit, coordinating with structural and MEP consultants across 3 project phases
Designed and detailed all curtain wall conditions at 1/4" scale, resulting in 12 large-format sheets approved by the client
Prepared 20+ presentation boards for investor pitch meeting, synthesizing site plans, renderings, and building sections
What Counts as Professional Experience
- Internships at architecture and landscape architecture firms. The most valuable
- Co-ops and work-study positions in design-related campus roles
- Part-time positions at firms or architecture-adjacent companies
- Campus employment in design-related work (CAD support, model building, design center assistance)
- Consulting work or freelance projects if directly relevant to the discipline
For Students with Limited Firm Experience
If you have no firm internships yet, that is not a disqualification. Instead, move the Academic and Studio Projects section higher on your resume (to slot 3, after Education) to emphasize the depth of your design thinking. Campus employment counts if the work is design-related: working as a TA for a design studio, assisting with a research project, or supporting the architecture center demonstrates professionalism and commitment.
Landscape Architecture: Emphasize Discipline-Specific Work
For landscape architecture students, highlight experience with site analysis, ecological design, grading and drainage, planting design, green infrastructure, or restoration work. If you did not do a firm internship, call out research projects, community design-build work, or environmental restoration volunteering.
COMMON MISTAKE: Using "Responsible for" language. "Responsible for" tells the reader what you were assigned, not what you accomplished. Replace "Responsible for coordinating drawings" with "Coordinated drawings with three consultants across four project phases, resolving 15+ RFIs before permit submission."
Example Resume Entry (Architecture Firm)
Produced construction documents for a 120-unit residential renovation in Revit, creating 35 sheets from existing building survey through final CDs
Detailed all storefront and glazing systems, coordinating with curtain wall consultant and generating 8 coordination drawings
Prepared client presentation materials including rendered site plans, section perspectives, and material schedules for project approval
Example Resume Entry (Landscape Architecture Firm)
Analyzed stormwater patterns using GIS and AutoCAD for an 8-acre site, identifying opportunities for green infrastructure placement
Specified native planting palettes for three distinct soil and moisture zones, researching and selecting 35+ species for seasonal interest and ecological function
Drafted grading and drainage plans at 1/16" scale and produced rendered site plans for client presentation
Adding Selected Projects Under Work Experience
If you worked on notable projects during an internship or position, listing them by name gives employers immediate context about the scale and type of work you contributed to. Add a "Selected Projects:" line under your bullet points with the project name and a brief description. The type of project, its location, or its scope. This helps hiring managers connect your skills to real work.
Be selective. Choose 2-3 projects that best represent the range or significance of your contributions. Not every position needs this. Use it when the project names themselves add credibility or context that your bullet points alone do not convey.
Developed schematic design packages in Revit for two concurrent healthcare projects, producing floor plans, building sections, and 3D views for client review
Coordinated with MEP and structural consultants to resolve clashes in Navisworks, documenting 20+ issues across coordination rounds
Prepared presentation boards and physical study models for design review meetings with hospital stakeholders
Selected Projects:
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Expansion, 200,000 SF acute care tower, schematic design phase
Rush University Medical Center Renovation, Patient wing modernization across 4 floors
Created planting plans and hardscape details in AutoCAD for mixed-use and public space projects
Conducted site inventory and analysis for a 12-acre waterfront park, mapping existing vegetation, hydrology, and circulation patterns
Produced rendered illustrative plans and perspective vignettes in Photoshop for community engagement presentations
Selected Projects:
Buffalo Bayou East Masterplan, 100-acre urban waterfront resilience and recreation corridor
Midtown Park Redesign, 2.5-acre neighborhood park with native planting zones and stormwater gardens
PRO TIP: If the project is well-known or award-winning, mention it. "Selected Projects: The Underline Phase 3 (ASLA Honor Award)" instantly signals the caliber of work you were part of, even as an intern.