Architect onboarding at a glance

Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.

Before day one

Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
Verify required credentials: State architect license, ARE (as applicable)
Prepare equipment and access: revit; autoCAD; sketchUp; rhino
Assign a buddy or preceptor
Enroll the new hire in Architect training so foundations are covered before or during week one

Week one: orient and protect

Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
Design to code
Wear PPE on sites
Design for accessibility
Coordinate structural safety
Shadow an experienced architect through a full shift
Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)

Days 1–30: learn

Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.

Supervised practice: develop a building program with a client
Supervised practice: check a design against building code
Supervised practice: respond to a contractor question during construction
Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins

Days 31–60: contribute

Goal: handle a regular workload independently.

Meet clients: independently
Develop designs: independently
Create drawings and models: independently
Coordinate engineers: independently
Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
60-day check-in

Days 61–90: own

Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.

Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
Begin cross-training on a secondary task
Agree on a credential goal (for example, State architect license)
Discuss the career path: Architectural Designer → Licensed Architect → Project Architect
90-day review

Competency checklist

Skill or task	Trained	Observed	Signed off
Develop a Building Program with a Client
Check a Design Against Building Code
Respond to a Contractor Question During Construction
Design
Revit and CAD
Building codes
Construction documents

How to measure onboarding success

Time to independent work on instruments or projects
Documentation or data corrections required
Rework, out-of-spec results or failed audits
90-day retention

How Architect training maps to this plan

Introduction to the Architect Role
A Day on the Job
Essential Architect Vocabulary
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Common Tasks, Step by Step
Tools, Equipment and Technology
Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
Skills Employers Look For
Launching Your Architect Career
Final Knowledge Check

Get team pricing

Architect Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)