Lead with project value and your role
Before anything else, a reviewer wants the shape of your experience: the size and type of projects you’ve worked on, and what you actually did on them. “Mechanical design on a £40m mixed-use scheme, RIBA Stages 2–4” tells them more in one line than a paragraph of soft skills ever will.
Put the software where it can be scanned
Revit, IES, Hevacomp, AutoCAD, Dialux. These are filter terms. Keep them in a clearly labelled line near the top, not buried in prose. If a role asks for Revit MEP and a reviewer can’t see it in five seconds, they assume it isn’t there.
Show outcomes, not duties
“Responsible for HVAC design” is a job description. “Took the HVAC package from concept to construction, coordinating with structures and saving two weeks at Stage 4” is a person. Wherever you can, attach a result to the responsibility.
Keep it to two pages
Two pages, reverse-chronological, no photo, no filler. If you’re early-career, one page is plenty. The aim isn’t to tell your whole story. It’s to earn the conversation where you can.