The specific signals an experienced architect hiring panel grades on during the eight-second scan.

• Licensure + NCARB

  'AIA + LEED AP; licensed in CA + NY + WA; NCARB certified' beats 'architect.'

• Project types + firm

  Commercial, mixed-use, healthcare, K-12, higher-ed, residential, historic. Firm signals lineage.

• Role + phase ownership

  SD + DD + CD + CA — which phases owned + on what scale.

• Software stack

  Revit + AutoCAD + Rhino + Grasshopper + Enscape + V-Ray + BIM 360.

• Code + accessibility

  IBC + local + ADA + Title 24 + WELL + LEED.

• Portfolio

  Portfolio URL required. Published work + awards + juried shows.

1. 1

   Open with license + firm + current project

   License + NCARB + LEED + firm + current PA role.

2. 2

   Quantify phase ownership + scale

   SD/DD/CD/CA + $ + sqft + typology.

3. 3

   Surface software stack

   Revit + Rhino + Grasshopper + Enscape + BIM 360.

4. 4

   Name code + coordination

   IBC + ADA + Title 24 + consultant list.

5. 5

   Close with portfolio + awards

   Portfolio URL + awards + publications.

Each follows the [verb] [object] [number] structure hiring managers grade against. Copy them as a starting point, swap in your own numbers, and read the annotation to understand why each one works.

• Phase

  Phase ownership FY24: PA-of-record on a $148M mixed-use tower in CD phase; led coordination with 6 consultants (structural, MEP, civil, landscape, façade, code); 4 associate architects + 2 designers report through me.

  Why it works: PA + consultants + team.

• Software

  Software: Revit (primary, 8 yrs, 8000+ hrs modeled, LOD 350 CDs); AutoCAD; Rhino + Grasshopper (parametric façade + massing); Enscape + V-Ray (rendering); Bluebeam Revu; BIM 360 + Autodesk Construction Cloud; Adobe CC.

  Why it works: Tools + tenure + specialties.

• Code

  Code + accessibility: IBC + local amendments (NYC + SF + LA); ADA + CBC Chapter 11; Title 24 energy compliance; ASHRAE 90.1; WELL v2; LEED BD+C v4.1. Led code-analysis + zoning-review on 3 projects.

  Why it works: Codes + jurisdictions + role.

• Recognition

  Recognition: AIA NY Merit Award 2023 (residential tower); Architect Magazine 'Progressive Architecture' finalist 2024; 2 projects published in Architectural Record (2022 + 2024). Portfolio: rafalopez.build.

  Why it works: Awards + publications + portfolio.

• Prior projects

  Prior PA: 22-story residential tower (SOM, delivered 2023, LEED Gold, AIA NY Merit); K-12 STEM building addition (Perkins Eastman via prior firm, 2019-2021).

  Why it works: Firm + role + typology + award.

• Coordination

  Consultant coordination: weekly with 6 consultants + biweekly with GC-precon during DD; owned RFI log (avg 4 / week during CA) + submittal review (14 / week during CD).

  Why it works: Consultants + cadence + RFI / submittal.

• Design

  Design contribution: co-authored the façade concept (with Design Principal) — parametric shading via Grasshopper reduced solar heat gain 32% while preserving view corridors on 62% of units; published in Architectural Record 2024.

  Why it works: Concept + tool + outcome + publication.

• Sustainability

  Sustainability: LEED AP BD+C; managed LEED Gold submission on 2 projects (Silver certification pending on current); WELL AP candidate.

  Why it works: LEED + certifications + pipeline.

• Team

  Team: mentored 2 associates through ARE completion (both licensed 2023 + 2024); ran weekly software-tips lunch-and-learn (Revit + Grasshopper).

  Why it works: Mentees + licensure outcomes + curriculum.

• Firm

  Firm activities: SOM Sustainability Committee member; presented at AIA NY Sustainability Roundtable 2024 + Autodesk University 2023.

  Why it works: Committee + speaking.

• Arc

  Career arc: BArch (Cornell, 2013) → Perkins Eastman (2013-2016, Job Captain track) → SOM NY (2016-present, Designer → PA); passed ARE 2019; licensed CA + NY + NCARB certified 2020.

  Why it works: Firm ladder + ARE + license timeline.

• Language

  Bilingual: Spanish (native) + Portuguese (functional); led 4 client presentations in Spanish for a Miami residential project.

  Why it works: Language + applied use.

Same intent, two phrasings. Read why the right column lands on the keep-pile and the wrong column doesn't.

Patterns our writers see most often when reviewing architect resumes — each one disqualifies candidates faster than weak experience does.

• Mistake

  Generic 'creative architect.'

  Fix

  License + firm + current PA project.

• Mistake

  Missing portfolio URL.

  Fix

  Non-negotiable. Portfolio + Instagram + Behance where applicable.

• Mistake

  Phase ownership vague.

  Fix

  SD/DD/CD/CA + PA-of-record framing.

• Mistake

  Software list without tenure.

  Fix

  Revit 8 yrs > Revit.

• Mistake

  Code / accessibility buried.

  Fix

  IBC + ADA + Title 24 + jurisdictions.

• Mistake

  Awards without year.

  Fix

  AIA Merit + year + category.

• Mistake

  Two-page resume + long portfolio.

  Fix

  1-2 pages + separate curated portfolio.

• Mistake

  No consultant coordination detail.

  Fix

  6 consultants + RFI cadence.

Strong verbs lead strong bullets. Replace generic openers (worked on, helped with, was responsible for) with the specific verb that matches what you actually did.

ATS pipelines weight your Skills section as a structured list. Include 15-25 of the items below if they match your experience — not soft skills.