Architecture Social

Stephen Drew explains what employers and hiring managers look for when recruiting architects, including how to stand out, what skills matter, and how to improve CVs, portfolios and application emails.

Show Notes

The best applications make it easy for a hiring manager to understand the person, the evidence and the fit quickly.

Stephen Drew explains what employers and hiring managers look for when recruiting architects, including how to stand out, what skills matter, and how to improve CVs, portfolios and application emails.

The conversation covers:

  • How to stand out in a competitive architecture job market
  • Which skills employers tend to look for first
  • How to make a CV easier to review
  • What a strong portfolio needs to communicate
  • How to write an application email that gets attention

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▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJXwh8JDbuo

📝 Read the full write-up, with the key takeaways:
https://architecturesocial.com/podcast/what-hiring-managers-look-for-architects/

Architecture Social is where architects and designers find honest career advice, insight from practice, and live roles worth applying for:
https://architecturesocial.com/

The fastest way to get hired is to be better at the things practices actually ask for. Revit, Rhino, rendering, BIM, portfolio work. Our learning partner ArchAdemia is built by architects, for architects:
https://archademia.com/architecture-social/

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Chapters

  • 00:00 What employers look for when recruiting architects
  • 05:00 Standing out in a competitive market
  • 10:00 Skills hiring managers look for
  • 17:00 CV basics that make review easier
  • 24:00 Portfolio structure and evidence
  • 31:00 How to write an application email
  • 38:00 Common mistakes candidates make
  • 45:00 What employers notice in interviews
  • 52:00 Practical application checklist
  • 56:00 Final advice for candidates

Creators and Guests

Host
Stephen Drew
Hello! I’m Stephen Drew, Founder of the Architecture Social—an online community and resource hub dedicated to helping professionals in Architecture, Design, Development, and Real Estate advance their careers. I’m here to connect you with insights, tools, and opportunities that lead to meaningful growth, whether you’re just starting out or ready to take that next big step.

What is Architecture Social?

It is hard to get a job in architecture. We exist to help you get there. Hosted by Stephen Drew, Architecture Social is the unfiltered guide to the UK Built Environment. We decode the realities of the industry, provide actionable cheat codes for your career, and bridge the communication gap between the drafting board and the boardroom.

Whether you are a Part I assistant trying to survive your first role, a Part III architect managing complex procurement, or a Practice Director fighting tight margins and adapting to the Building Safety Act, this podcast is your central node of intelligence. We strip away the aesthetic gatekeeping and toxic positivity to talk about the actual mechanics of the business.

Expect honest conversations about salary realities, portfolio strategies, hiring economics, and the true experiences of the people actively shaping the profession.

No fluff, just the reality of practice.