# Architecture co-op training: the skills to show in your application

> **The short answer**: Architecture co-op training is usually decided by a two-page portfolio that shows four skills: technical drawing, 3D modelling, site documentation with photos and measurements, and teamwork on a shared sheet. Pick projects from your courses whose decisions you can explain, and check your university’s rules and the office’s rules before you apply.[^1][^2]

**Key takeaways**

- A portfolio matters more than a CV, and two pages of it are enough.
- Show what you can explain, not everything you have drawn.
- Document one site visit with photos, measurements and notes.
- Ask which software the office uses before you apply.

![Illustration for architecture co-op training](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/architecture-coop-training-skills/architecture-coop-training-skills-cover-en.webp)

The manager of an architecture office in Jeddah opens the files of ten students who applied for training. This is an imagined case, but it matches how offices work. Each file gets two minutes. The ones that fail in the first minute are fifty boards with no order and no comments. The ones that stay are six tidy boards, each with a line underneath saying why the wall sits here and why the opening faces north.

> **tiswa's take**: Our advice to an architecture student is to treat the portfolio as a pitch to a client, not a record of coursework. Choose two projects only, and write one decision and its reason under each board. The office does not hire you to redraw your boards; it hires you to see how you think when someone hands you a constraint.

## What skills should you show for architecture co-op training?

Offices differ between design, construction documents and site supervision, but four skills are wanted in most. Each has a course behind it and one piece of work that is enough to prove it.

| Skill | Course that supports it | What goes in the portfolio |
|---|---|---|
| Technical drawing | Architectural drawing and construction details | A plan, section and elevation of a small building at a clear scale with dimensions |
| 3D modelling | Computer-aided design course | A model of your studio project with two views from different angles |
| Site documentation | Design studio and site courses | One page from a site visit: numbered photos, a few measurements and two lines of notes |
| Teamwork | Design studio | A group board showing what you did and what your classmates did, without overclaiming |

![Five steps for building proof for architecture co-op training](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/architecture-coop-training-skills/architecture-coop-training-skills-inline-2-en.webp)


These are illustrative, so do not copy them. Show the work you can explain, and if a classmate shared it, state your own part honestly, because the supervisor will ask.

## How do you build a two-page architecture portfolio?

A small, ordered portfolio beats a big scattered one. Build it in two stages, choosing and then wording, and do not start formatting until the choosing is done.

1. **Choose two projects**: One from the design studio and one smaller piece that shows a technical skill, such as details or drawings.
2. **Choose three boards from each**: One for the idea, one for the plan, one for the final image. Delete any board you cannot explain in two sentences.
3. **Write a line under each board**: “I moved the entrance three metres back to avoid the western sun.” A decision and a reason, not a description of what everyone can see.
4. **Document a site visit**: Numbered photos, one or two measurements and a note about something that surprised you. This page shows you look, not just draw.
5. **Export a small file**: A PDF under 10 MB travels by email without trouble. Keep a larger copy for the interview.

![Table of the four skills to show for architecture co-op training](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/architecture-coop-training-skills/architecture-coop-training-skills-inline-1-en.webp)


Ask the course lecturer or a graduate who went before you to look it over; the opinion of someone who knows offices is cheaper than a rejection you cannot explain.

## Do you need a particular software before applying?

Some offices ask which drawing and modelling programs you use, and there is no standard answer. Ask when you apply or at the first interview: “Which software will I work in?” Then let the office’s answer decide what you learn next. If you know nothing about a program they use, say plainly that you learn fast and show an example of another program you taught yourself.

And do not stuff your CV with a list of programs you do not master. The supervisor will test you in week one, and the difference between someone who learned a program and someone who wrote its name will show. Some drawing and modelling tools carry student licences, so look at the offers before you pay.[^3] Try the program on your latest project for two weeks, at an hour a day: 14 hours on a real model teach more than twenty video lessons.

## What should you check with your university and the office?

Universities differ in their training rules: some name approved offices, some leave the choice to you, and the way hours are logged and assessed varies. Ask your faculty’s training coordinator three things: do I need a letter from the faculty? Is any office accepted or only an approved list? And who signs the hours?

The Saudi Council of Engineers sets the rules for the engineering profession, architecture included, so find out what a student under supervision may do and what only a registered engineer may do, such as approving drawings.[^1] The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development’s decision on student training defines the relationship between you and the employer, and the guide to [co-op training](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/coop-training/) explains it.[^2]

## How do you tie training to your graduation project?

Many students use placement to choose their graduation topic: a site visit or a detail problem seen in the office can start a question. The reverse also holds: a good graduation project becomes material in the second portfolio when you look for work after graduating. For topic thinking see the guide to the [architecture graduation project](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/architecture-graduation-project-brief/), and for the wider portfolio the guide to [building a portfolio](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/build-a-portfolio/).

The CV itself stays short. Two sentences per skill and a link to the portfolio are enough, and the guide to the [student CV](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/cv-for-students/) covers the wording.

If you are in Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam, ask graduates from the year above which offices take trainees and how they applied. Most openings in a city are learned by asking before they are learned from an advertisement, and a graduate loses nothing by pointing you to an office, since they felt the same worry.

## What mistakes sink an architecture training application?

The first is a file so large it sticks in email, so nobody opens it. The second is showing projects you did not take part in. The third is copying a board from the internet, since some managers recognise images fast. The fourth is a portfolio with nothing to show you ever visited a real site.

The fifth is writing “proficient in all architecture software”. Nobody is, and the line tells the office you have not worked on a real project. Name the program, say what you made with it, and say how long it took.

The sixth is lateness on small things: the morning meeting, or a board due on Thursday. Offices run on client deadlines, lateness quickly turns into reputation, and your reputation is what reaches the next office.

For modelling and drawing you will need a suitable laptop and software with student licences, and some carry discounts. Look through the [student discounts in Saudi Arabia](https://tiswa.app/en/deals/) before you buy or subscribe. [Browse student deals](https://tiswa.app/en/join/)

## Questions

### What skills are needed for architecture co-op training?

Four: technical drawing, 3D modelling, site documentation and teamwork. Show one piece of work you can explain for each.

### How long should a portfolio for a training application be?

Two pages are enough: two projects with three boards each and a line under every board. Keep a longer copy for the interview.

### Do you need to know a specific software before training?

Ask the office which software it uses before you learn it, as there is no standard. If you do not know it, show a program you taught yourself.

### Is a graduation project enough for a training portfolio?

Yes if you can explain its decisions, but add a smaller piece showing a technical skill and a documented site visit.

### Do architecture students get paid in co-op training?

It varies by office, and the training contract is the reference. Read the Ministry of Human Resources decision and your contract before signing.

### Do you need faculty approval before applying to an office?

Often yes, as some universities name approved offices or require a letter. Ask your training coordinator first.


## Sources

[^1]: Saudi Council of Engineers, https://www.saudieng.sa/
[^2]: Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, https://www.hrsd.gov.sa/
[^3]: Autodesk: education software for students, https://www.autodesk.com/education/edu-software/overview