Architectural and Civil Drafter resume example

A resume for a Architectural and Civil Drafter needs to show the work itself: prepare detailed drawings of architectural and structural features of buildings or drawings and topographical relief maps used in civil engineering projects, such as highways, bridges, and public works. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

Architectural Drafter
Civil Drafter
Computer-Aided Drafting Designer
CAD Designer
Draftsman
Architectural Designer
Architectural Draftsman
Computer-Aided Design Designer
Computer-Aided Drafting and Design Drafter
CADD Drafter
Drafting Technician
Draftsperson
Architectural CAD Drafter
Architectural CAD Technician
AutoCAD Designer
AutoCAD Drafter
CAD Drafter
CAD Draftsman
CAD Draughter
CADD Operator
Civil CAD Designer
Civil CADD Designer
Civil CADD Technician
CAD Operator

O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation in total.

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices.
Draft plans and detailed drawings for structures, installations, and construction projects, such as highways, sewage disposal systems, and dikes, working from sketches or notes.
Coordinate structural, electrical, and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans.
Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on architectural designs.
Draw maps, diagrams, and profiles, using cross-sections and surveys, to represent elevations, topographical contours, subsurface formations, and structures.
Lay out and plan interior room arrangements for commercial buildings, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment and software.
Supervise and train other technologists, technicians, and drafters.
Determine the order of work and method of presentation, such as orthographic or isometric drawing.
Finish and duplicate drawings and documentation packages according to required mediums and specifications for reproduction, using blueprinting, photography, or other duplicating methods.
Draw rough and detailed scale plans for foundations, buildings, and structures, based on preliminary concepts, sketches, engineering calculations, specification sheets, and other data.
Correlate, interpret, and modify data obtained from topographical surveys, well logs, and geophysical prospecting reports.
Check dimensions of materials to be used and assign numbers to lists of materials.
Determine procedures and instructions to be followed, according to design specifications and quantity of required materials.
Supervise or conduct field surveys, inspections, or technical investigations to obtain data required to revise construction drawings.

28 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Draft plans and detailed drawings for structures, installations, and construction projects, such as highways, sewage disposal systems, and dikes, working from sketches or notes, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Coordinate structural, electrical, and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on architectural designs, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Skills an ATS reads for

Worth naming only if they are genuinely yours. Keyword overlap is one input to a resume's score, not a verdict.

Adobe Photoshop
AutoCAD
AutoCAD Civil 3D
create maps

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Medium Preparation Needed”. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Related roles

What this page cannot tell you

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.