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29 May 2026

Architecture and Design CV Tips

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From the Bespoke Careers Sydney team

Your CV is the first thing a hiring manager sees. In architecture and design, where studios receive hundreds of applications for a single role, you have about ten seconds to make the shortlist or the bin. Most CVs fail not because the candidate lacks experience, but because they fail to present it clearly.

We asked our specialist recruitment team at Bespoke Careers Sydney what separates the CVs that get called versus the ones that don’t. Here are the six tips that will sharpen yours, so you have the best chance of receiving a call.

6 Tips for a Stronger CV

1
Keep it to two pages

Hiring managers have hundreds of CVs to sort through. Every line that doesn’t strengthen your case weakens it. Two pages forces you to make decisions about what actually matters. If you’re struggling to cut it down, that’s a sign the content needs editing, not that the CV needs more space.

2
Weight it towards recent experience

The role you held a decade ago doesn’t need the same real estate as what you’re doing now. Recruiters care about your current capability. Your most recent two or three roles should take up the majority of the page. Older roles can be condensed to a single line or dropped entirely.

3
State your working rights

Working rights are important. If a hiring manager has to contact you just to ask, you’ve already slowed the process down. Add it directly under your name. Citizen, permanent resident, valid work visa. One line. It removes a barrier before anyone has to raise it.

4
Include your phone number and email

As obvious as it sounds, many candidates forget. Others include them but don’t check they’re correct. A typo in your phone number means a missed call you’ll never know about. Double-check both. And while you’re there, make sure your email address reads as professional.

5
Write it yourself

Hiring managers have read enough CVs to know what AI-written looks like. Your CV is your first impression, and an AI voice is nobody’s voice. Write it in your own words. If your writing needs work, that’s worth improving. A CV that sounds like you will always land better than one that sounds like everyone else.

6
Make it stand out visually

A recruiter scanning 50 CVs in one sitting will remember the ones that looked good. You’re a designer. Showcase that. A well-designed CV signals that you care about your output. Just don’t let the design distract from your experience. Clarity first, then craft

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