Dead Career - Drafting

How many were looking over you?
That really can matter.

 

I'll wager that he's a "keyboard" guy as opposed to a "button" guy.

 

That's another thing .... different keyboards & system
configurations.
Those keys move about too. And sometimes the ESC key is
very important. Then there's the FEEL of the keyboard ...
(personally, I LIKED [and miss] the old IBM ones ... you
got good solid clicks ....)

 

Personally its not how fast but how accurate. No point on doing it in 3
minutes if the answer is wrong, take 5 and be right.


--

uNkulunkulu
uMvelinqangi
Mina bona wena
mina bona lo mombi yena lo shatini
Skat lo Boss yena fika, nika yena iwhisky

 

zion9

Times change.
Every CEO has a PC on his (her) desk now, and most do at least some of their
correspondence from it. Typing pools are mostly gone, and even large
companies share one secretary position amongst whole departments, with
engineers and managers making up the difference by doing some of their own
secretarial work.

I completely agree with you that many CAD positions are underpaid. I see
many AutoCad positions advertised at about 1.5X minimum wage - when the
skill and understanding required to do the job well should be worth much
more than that. That's just the way it is - few companies today have a lot
to invest in someone who just does AutoCad.

What would you think of a secretary who says "I'm not into all of this
"personal assistant" nonsense, and I don't care about Word, Powerpoint and
Excel. I just type - that's it." You'd probably say she isn't selling her
skills very well, and doesn't seem interested in investing what's necessary
to get a better job.

Take the hint - zion9. There are good jobs out there, and many employers
take it as a godsend if one of the applicants has AutoCad skills - but no
one today wants someone who says "You show me where all the lines go, and
I'll just click the mouse button."

If you feel you have AutoCad proficiency, but lack the necessary skills to
present yourself in a more demanding position, then you'll have to start as
a drafter, possibly in an underpaid position. If you invest in learning the
company's business, however, then you can move up. Learn enough, and you'll
soon be able to present yourself to other companies as a designer/drafter -
many many working "engineers" do not have engineering degrees, but learned
on the job.

Any company in a hiring position is interested in someone ambitious, curious
and eager to learn. If they can get a Cad person at a low wage, they'll take
it - the rest is up to you.

G Faris

 

I gather that AutoCad may be low-end entry-level still. Cheap
enough for the trade schools to use, anyway.
Last I looked at it (Rev. 10) it could not even model the
average cheap-o ashtray.
On the good side: You could pretty much learn it all in two hours,
as compared to possible years for the better systems of the day.

 

One would have to try very seriously to be further off the mark!

 

there are a buttons?

 

those 2.5 minutes included pulling dimensions to check my work.
....
someone did point out that configuration is a huge factor,, & that is true.
if i didnt have all my aliases configured & my settings in place .it would
probably double my time,

 

lol

 

;:: )

 

To "button" or not to "button"?
Answer 1. Yes, why not?
Answer 2. No, why bother?
Answer 3. Only new people that don't know what they are doing use "buttons".
Answer 4. Only oldtimers stuck in the past still rely on the keyboard.
Answer 5. Buttons slow you down.
Answer 6. The keyboard slows you down.
Answer 7. On & on.
Another topic, another day. This thread is too long now.

 

I don't button, but if it makes you faster go for it

I prefer the keyboard with my own aliases and or lisp commands

 

people aways told me.. Man you are so fast.. if you would only leanr how to
use those buttons, you be twice as fast...

 

Where I work (petro-chemical), we get fresh engineers from university
each year. They get a quick course on AutoCad, and get thrown in at the
deep end. Sink or swim....

The engineers aren't expected to do all the detail work, just the
overall design, so there will always be a job for drafties. It is NOT
the drafties job to design....sure, once youv'e been at the job for a
while you learn the basics and could get away with designing, but as
everything needs to be signed off, it's not worth it.

It makes life easier for me as the engineers notes/sketches etc. are in
the computer and easy to access.

Drafting is a long way from being dead....As long as engineers are paid
more than drafties, there will always be details that need sorting out.
The same goes for architects and drafties...the is a huge gap between
'concept' drawings and 'construction' drawings.

Move down to NZ where there is a shortage of drafties, and you will find
that employers are still 'picky'. It's not a glamorous job, but it's
still important. You can have the cleverest engineer/design team in the
world, but if the draftie stuffs it up, it gets built wrong! ("It was
the checkers fault.....")

Brian NZ

 

How easy is it to get into New Zealand?

 

If you can speak (passable) English and have ANY skills, there shouldn't
be any problems. The more skilled people we can get down here, the better.


http://www.emigratenz.org/

Check these guys out, they cover most questions.

Brian NZ

 

I was under the impression that it was about as hard as Australia
.... which is hard, having worked there (on contract).

 

No way! NZ wants/needs immigrants to help the country grow. Especially
skilled workers.

C'mon down, the weathers great...nothing that can bite/harm you in the
wild and a relaxing lifestyle (if you avoid the bigger cities......)

Brian NZ