Any advice for changing career?

I'm thinking about persuing a different career and I am looking for imput. I enjoy working with autoCAD and I would like to find employment that would incorporate that. I have a local community college that has classes on CAD that I could take to further my chances of being prepared and considered for cad work. What I don't know is if there is even a market for this in today's economy.

Should I take some CAD classes with a focus on something particular like architecture or electrical, or should I scrap the whole idea?

Architecture and electrical are still done in 2D, so AutoCAD should be a good foundation for those. If you want to do mechanical design, it would help to learn 3D. SolidWorks is popular, powerful, and easy to learn.

That's true. I hadn't even considered my experience with 3D Studio Max. I don't use it for animation, just 3D rendering of stuff. Maybe there's more market for 3D rendering.

Do you "like" using these things as a part of your job? Because that would be way different than going out and getting a job and doing nothing but cad work.

What I'm saying is that you might not like HAVING to do cad all day every day.

I like sweating copper pipes and I like running a tire changing machine. I don't, however, think I would enjoy plumbing or slinging tires for a living...

Just a thought.

Clem

Yeah, very good point Clem. Thing is, I don't use these things as part of my job, but I do enjoy rendering a lot. I have done drafting in one form or another since shop class, and that was a long time ago I guess the reason I am focusing on this kind of stuff is because I do enjoy it. I know things change when you have to do it versus doing it for your own enjoyment, but I think I'm willing to take that gamble. After all, I have been doing my current job for almost 16 years, and the "fun" part ran out years ago here. I think my tolerance for "not fun" must be pretty high.

I had the exact same thought back in 1995... "I'm in a nowhere job... watching the tech-school commercials on tv... I like drawing... sitting in front a computer and drawing for 8 hrs sounds nice..." 14 years later, I'm an electrical designer... do I love it? No. But there are worse jobs and it pays the bills reasonably well... especially for one w/o a college degree... Unfortunately, the job market has changed since those commercials were made... and I have to chuckle a bit when I see them.

So... some advice from someone in the industry right now... and literally started from where you are.

first - the job market sucks. I'm VERY happy to be employed right now and they'll pry me out of here with a crowbar. I know a lot of unemployed CAD designers right now with years of experience.

second - AutoCAD is slowly going away. Revit and "BIM" (3D, integrated building modeling) is the "next" big thing...

third - the era of the "red-line CAD operator" (a person who CAD's what an engineer has designed and drawn free-hand on paper) is also going away... Quickly. CAD operators now are expected to know at least some level of design in a particular field (HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Architectural... sometimes all of the above). I was hired because I knew the electrical lead in this office and he knew what I can do. However, in general, I would need an B.S. in engineering to get my job at an entry level. At this point in my career, getting my degree wouldn't gain me much... it would actually be much more beneficial for me to get my P.E. license (possible in PA; not so in other states).

If you have any more specific questions, fire away...

Cool. Thanks Ian, I was curious about the industry and what the trend is right now. I wish I had acted on this years ago.

I suppose I could use my photoshop skills in advertising....

Ian has summarized it nicely. As the "old school" paper-and-calculator engineers and architects are retiring, those like me who came into the field during the cusp (15-20 years ago) and are comfortable with CAD tend to do our own drafting because it's faster. Since CAD work is the new pencil, there's little point in spending time marking up drawings for someone else to draft and then spending more time checking their work.

Also, the building markets are down - way down - and that means the design work is way down too. It's as bad as it's been since 1990.

That being said, an intelligent drafter can learn on the job, too, and you're clearly intelligent. I don't know what you need to make but if you can work independently and are a quick study, you might do well enough to fake it till you make it. But as Ian so accurately says, it's not just lines on paper. You need to understand what you're looking at so that you won't need to be spoon fed by the architects/engineers.

You've said you have rendering experience. How is your design eye? Do you have a good sense of aesthetic style and proportion? If I were you I would see about a job in a rendering shop. You'll get base drawings of varying degrees of completeness which you turn into rendered perspectives of buildings, etc. But often times the architect relies on the rendering house to "firm up" his napkin sketch and make it look real. Photshop would help with that a lot, too. It would be a fun job for somebody who has the drawing skills but not necessarily the technical background to work in the design professionals' office.

Good luck!

Ian F wrote: second - AutoCAD is slowly going away. Revit and "BIM" (3D, integrated building modeling) is the "next" big thing...

+10

This is somewhat of an aside, but I recently had an interview with a composites shop, where all the design work is done in Solid Works. Even though I was applying for a fabricator position, the shop manager interviewing me was personally offended that I mentioned AutoCAD experience on my resume.

He said "You must have worked in the architecture field- I really wish they would grow up and dump AutoCAD."

He then went on to say "Don't take this personal, but I wish people would stop coming in here and bragging about AutoCAD experience like we give a E36 M3.", all while trying to contain laughter.

No, I didn't get the job. Of course, the company did have multiple open positions that reported to this guy, so he must always be Mr. Personality.

I work in an engineering office, and second the comment that redline CAD operators are going away. Our younger guys already know AutoCAD and could probably do a lot of their own stuff if the firm's workflow wasn't designed around older guys' habits (and Carmine Red pencils). The (40 and younger) architects I know do almost all of their own CAD stuff.

I also second the comment about the job market: architecture/engineering are hurting big-time right now.

What color is your parachute?

buy it.. read it.. do the activities.

hey ECM, ever think about working as a bicycle designer? you've been a bike tech forever, so you know first-hand what works and what breaks, and that's gotta be worth something.

or learn to fabricate and weld stuff, and go to work in a high-end hot rod shop. or open one of your own.

AngryCorvair wrote: or learn to fabricate and weld stuff, and go to work in a high-end hot rod shop. or open one of your own.

Man, that would be cool.

ignorant wrote: What color is your parachute?

I have a copy on order now. Thanks for reminding me of that one.

Duke wrote: If I were you I would see about a job in a rendering shop. You'll get base drawings of varying degrees of completeness which you turn into rendered perspectives of buildings, etc. But often times the architect relies on the rendering house to "firm up" his napkin sketch and make it look real. Photshop would help with that a lot, too. It would be a fun job for somebody who has the drawing skills but not necessarily the technical background to work in the design professionals' office.

I could really get into that. I've never heard of a rendering shop. And, there's even one closer to me than my current job. I will definately check that out.

That sounds like a really, really cool job. Please let us know how you make out with that.

Do they have a canoe course?

I know someone who restores them, pretty labour intensive. My area used to be known for their cedar-strip canoes, very pretty.

http://broadcasters.tripod.com/id10.html

EastCoastMojo wrote: I'm thinking about persuing a different career and I am looking for imput. I enjoy working with autoCAD and I would like to find employment that would incorporate that. I have a local community college that has classes on CAD that I could take to further my chances of being prepared and considered for cad work. What I don't know is if there is even a market for this in today's economy. Should I take some CAD classes with a focus on something particular like architecture or electrical, or should I scrap the whole idea?

Autocad is a very small but necessary part of the job but have you ever thought about learning how to design and layout fire sprinkler systems?

It's a difficult field to get into but pay for someone with 5+ years experience is between $50,000 and $85,000 and even now jobs are plentiful for someone with experience.

I only have this one canoe and I can barely fit in it. I built this from a kit a few years back.

Did you just get double canoed in a single thread? That might be a first in GRM history!

nicet wrote: It's a difficult field to get into but pay for someone with 5+ years experience is between $50,000 and $85,000 and even now jobs are plentiful for someone with experience.

Where?

EastCoastMojo wrote: I only have this one canoe and I can barely fit in it. I built this from a kit a few years back.

That is just so cool.

My father just retired after 50 years of being a fire sprinkler engineer. Up to the last few months, he still would draw all his prints by hand and still got work. He currently did freelance work for 2-3 companies.

His success is he would be the Friday afternoon call when they needed a print first thing on Monday morning. I was still amazed that a large corporation like Grinnell Tyco Fire Protection would use a guy to hand draw prints.

I think you need a full blown engineering degree to submit these prints though...

pete240z wrote: My father just retired after 50 years of being a fire sprinkler engineer. Up to the last few months, he still would draw all his prints by hand and still got work. He currently did freelance work for 2-3 companies. His success is he would be the Friday afternoon call when they needed a print first thing on Monday morning. I was still amazed that a large corporation like Grinnell Tyco Fire Protection would use a guy to hand draw prints. I think you need a full blown engineering degree to submit these prints though...

People have no idea how tight employment is in this industry. The only people not working at those who don't want to work.

And it is going to get tighter. Very severe shortage now.

In most states (I would guess 75% or better) you do not need a full blown engineering degree but you do need NICET certification which does not require college. I do know in the following states; Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas and everything south of the Mason Dixon line (with the exception of Florida) NICET certification is as good as a professional engineer. In all the states where NICET is accepted the law is only three people can submit drawings. Registered architects, professional engineers and NICET certified technicians in the case of fire sprinkler systems.

I spend 80% of my time in front of a CAD station but knowing CAD is only 5% of the job.

For employment google "nicet fire sprinkler jobs"

Ian F wrote:

nicet wrote: It's a difficult field to get into but pay for someone with 5+ years experience is between $50,000 and $85,000 and even now jobs are plentiful for someone with experience.

Where?

About anywhere.

It would be the perfect career for the recent high school graduate that wants to go to a technical college (there are only three in the country that offer courses as far as I can tell) and be able to end up with a secure job.