From the course: Writing a Resume

Design/architecture resumes

From the course: Writing a Resume

Design/architecture resumes

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- If you're an architect or any type of technical design professional, you probably wonder about the balance between what goes on a resume and what to place in your portfolio. There are so many different ways a professional with a design degree can be employed that it can be overwhelming and it can make customizing your resume a daunting task. With a technical degree, your resume will still be seen first, as it would be when applying for any other type of position, but what you have the ability to utilize during an interview is the portfolio. You can actually let your work speak for itself, and you should take every advantage of this. What you choose to include in your portfolio says something about you, so carefully craft a positive opinion of you and your work by including samples that are relevant to the job to which you are applying. Along with photos, provide a short description of your work so that the person reviewing it will be clear exactly what they are looking at and won't be left with questions. If work was completed as part of a team project, explain your contribution to the final product so the recruiter isn't left guessing, and don't forget to include the date of creation. There will not be nearly as much time spent reviewing your portfolio as you think there should be so choose your words wisely, keep any text extremely short, and if you're struggling with this, take advantage of an overlooked resource, your school. Jobs that require any type of technical design, including architecture, engineering, or even clothing design, usually require a college degree. Odds are that you've completed at least one and possibly two degrees, so if this is true in your case, I highly advise you to reach out to the university where you obtained your degree. At the very least their career center will have information on their website which can give you some guidance around what employers are specifically seeking from their students, and, in some cases, as an alum of the school, you may be able to speak with a career counselor who can provide you with some one on one assistance in choosing the work to include. While a portfolio will more than likely be reviewed during an interview, once you've created it, you can take one or two samples out of your portfolio and use them on a design sheet, which you can submit along with your resume. A design sheet is usually a one page, or sometimes two page, document that includes photographs, designs, models, and other technical drawings. When submitting a resume online, you usually have the ability to upload additional attachments, and you can either attach your design sheet separately or combine your resume and design sheet into one PDF document and submit the two together. And when you make it to the interview, make sure you bring extra copies of your design sheet, as well as a copy of your portfolio. Don't bring originals of your work without bringing copies for the interviewer, since they may not have time to review it all during the interview and may ask if they can keep what you have provided. And as I've mentioned with other creative types, privacy and confidentiality are important. Do not include anything in your portfolio that isn't publicly available or that you don't have permission to use. Whether you're a student just venturing out or a professional with lots of experience, the ability to provide examples of your work is an opportunity you should always take advantage of, but just as with your resume, customize the content of your design sheet and portfolio by including projects and designs which are relevant for the job to which you are applying.

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