How to Become a CAD Drafter?

Introduction of CAD Drafter

Drawing precise technical drawings and plans remains vital in modern construction and manufacturing processes, contributing to project completion that is accurate, safe, timely, and cost-effective. However, CAD (computer-aided design) drafting is becoming more popular as an alternative to arduous, time-consuming, space-intensive, and difficult-to-edit manual drafting. CAD Drafters are experts in using various tools to create schematics depicting the designs engineers and architects created.

Similar Job Titles

• Computer-Aided Design Drafter
• CAD Draughtsperson
• CAD Technician
• Drafting Technician
• AutoCAD Drafter
• CADD Operator
• CADD Specialist
• Architectural Drafter
• Architectural Draftsperson
• Architectural Draughtsperson
• Draftsperson
• Draughtsperson

Typical Job Responsibilities

What do CAD Drafters do?

A CAD Drafter would typically need to:

• Use computer-aided design and drafting (CAD/CADD) software to create or modify high-quality and detailed technical digital plans, designs, drawings, diagrams, and 2D & 3D models
• Begin a project by discussing the brief with the team lead or project manager and consulting architects, engineers, and designers to understand their design requirements.
• Collect relevant information and record it through rough notes, sketches, and designs before generating them virtually, using their IT skills.
• Generate output based on the rough sketches, specifications, and physical or computer models provided by engineers, architects, and surveyors and work under their supervision.
• Provide detailed specifications of dimensions, materials, and procedures for production and construction workers building diverse products and components, such as airplanes, toys, homes, bridges, machinery, and pipelines.
• Specialise in an area of drafting, such as mechanical, civil, pipeline, aeronautical, electrical, or architectural
• Visit sites and conduct surveys as needed to understand processes and requirements better.
• Generate accurate on-screen drawings; enable views from different angles and in 2D or 3D vision.
• Use construction techniques and materials knowledge to supplement architectural plans with structural details.
• Use an understanding of production and engineering techniques to create detailed product plans and designs.
• Prepare and present working drawings to support various stages of the project, from the tender to fabrication/construction, installation, and any subsequent repairs, modifications, or additions.
• Provide technical counsel to manufacturing and construction technicians
• Generate multiple versions of designs for engineers and architects to check; make modifications and amendments based on their feedback
• Store drawings electronically in a way that facilitates easy retrieval, viewing, printing, sharing, and direct programming into automated manufacturing systems
• Ensure that the drawings abide by industry protocols & standards and health & safety legislation
• Evaluate the cost and feasibility of manufacturing a particular product or constructing a building based on their knowledge of materials and engineering
• Maintain technical documentation and records
• Stay current with the latest CAD/CADD tools and software

Standard Work Environment

CAD Drafters may work in a factory, modern office building, or even a temporary site office during projects, depending on their industry, architectural design, manufacturing, construction, electrical, or waste management.

They mostly work inside, seated at CAD/CADD workstations or PCs in well-lit, air-conditioned design or drawing offices or an open-plan office’s design area. Normally, workplaces are kept quiet to allow for concentration.

While CAD Drafters operate individually at their desks, they must also collaborate with architects, engineers, and designers, whose directions must be followed to develop accurate design representations.

You may need to occasionally travel to construction sites or manufacturing plants to meet with architects or engineers working on the production or building project.

Work Schedule

Most CAD Drafters work full-time, 40-hour weeks. Deadlines and hectic periods may necessitate working longer hours. Shift work is an option, as is part-time or freelance work.

Employers

Seeking a new job may appear difficult. CAD Drafters can improve their job hunt by soliciting referrals from their network, contacting firms directly, using job search platforms, attending job fairs, leveraging social media, and contacting staffing agencies.

CAD Drafters are generally employed by: 

• Engineering & Drafting Service Firms
• Architectural & Landscape Architectural Firms
• The Healthcare Industry
• Automotive & Manufacturing Industries
• Aerospace Industry
• Ship Designing & Building Companies
• Multimedia Design Firms
• Civil Engineering & Construction Companies
• Broadcasting & Telecommunications
• Utilities
• Electrical & Electronic Engineering Companies
• Governments
• Consumer Goods Manufacturers
• Oil & Gas Providers

Unions / Professional Organizations

Professional groups and organizations are essential for CAD Drafters who want to further their professional growth or interact with other professionals in their industry or trade. Participation in one or more of these organizations adds value to your resume while strengthening your credentials and qualifications.

Workplace Challenges

• Meeting tight deadlines while working on multiple projects
• The loss of work due to unexpected computer breakdowns
• Carrying out work that is prone to viruses and hacking
• Constant upskilling is needed to keep pace with technological advancements
• The lengthy process of grasping software operations
• Fulfilling last-minute requests to provide updates or make changes
• New systems expensive to produce or buy
• Costly and time-consuming to train staff
• Regular updates to software and operating systems needed
• Lower employment due to automated systems
• Eyestrain and other physical ailments from sitting for long periods and looking at the screen

Suggested Work Experience

A possible CAD Drafter’s academic program will allow you to gain abilities, knowledge, and experience in operating relevant software, such as AutoCAD and Solidworks, in your academic modules. The curriculum may also require supervised experience, such as an internship.

During your degree program, you could find summer or year-in-industry placements at large engineering and construction firms. Several firms provide on-the-job training through apprenticeship programs while you pursue your academic credentials.

When your tasks outside of the classroom precisely align with your learning, you will benefit from them. When more experienced workers turn seemingly ordinary occurrences into unique learning experiences, you may hear endless stories from them and gain significant hands-on knowledge.

With the variety of possibilities for gaining drafting training and experience, including military service, choose the one that provides the best quality and value.

Begin compiling your portfolio while still in school, including your sketches and 2D models. While you look for work, you can keep generating different types of designs and adding them to your portfolio. Job experience will also help you build a strong portfolio of relevant models and sketches.

Get entry-level architectural, civil, or mechanical drafting positions to gain the work experience required for any drafting certification you wish to obtain.

To demonstrate your devotion to course providers and future employers, read about the profession and interview or job shadow specialists in CAD Drawing.

Recommended Qualifications

An associate degree, certificate, or certification in CAD Drafting is often obtained through a community college, vocational institute, or technical school. They could focus on electrical, mechanical, or architectural drafting.

Design fundamentals, sketching, computer-aided design (CAD) software, and CADD (computer-aided design and drawing) methodologies are all covered in drafting programs. You could also take a course with broader but relevant content.

Generalized skills and concepts are taught in certificate programs in drafting and design technology. Technical mathematics, drafting principles, AutoCAD, and advanced computer-aided design and drawing courses would teach you how to use drafting tools in various applications.

Electrical drafting courses offer specific abilities in creating plans, drawings, and charts, including electric wiring designs required to set up or restore electrical equipment.

Architectural drafting courses teach you architectural principles, basic drafting abilities, and computer-aided design and drafting. Typical courses include construction graphics, architectural detailing, building materials, and structural design.

Mechanical drawing certificate programs teach students how to create design draughts for machinery and mechanical devices while providing them with hands-on experience with drafting tools. You would normally study industrial drafting techniques, mechanical design drafting, engineering graphics, technical math, manufacturing processes, and industrial materials.

You might not be able to find a bachelor’s degree program that focuses on computer-aided design and drafting. On the other hand, a bachelor’s degree program in engineering, architecture, computer science, or mathematics would often contain CAD/CADD as a course, giving you a competitive advantage in the employment market. In-person training classes may be available near large industries that use computer-aided design and drawing, such as automotive manufacturing.

An apprenticeship may allow you to study for a qualification while working with an employer.

Take math, science, computer technology, design, computer graphics, and, if possible, drawing classes in high school.

Certifications, Licenses, and Registration

A CAD Drafter’s proficiency in a skill set is demonstrated through work experience, training, and passing a test in one or more specialties, such as architectural, civil, and mechanical drafting. Although certification from an impartial and reputable organization is not required, it can help you stand out in a competitive job market, carry a large wage premium of up to 18%, boost your prospects of progression, and allow you to become an independent consultant. Successful certification programs defend the public welfare by including a Code of Ethics.

Check with local or national CAD drawing organizations to see whether you need to be licensed. Individual government agencies handle the licensing process. An application, processing fees, an examination, and applicable education and experience are often required for licensure.

If necessary, an employment background check may include but is not limited to, a person’s job history, education, credit history, motor vehicle records (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, usage of social media, and drug testing.

A driving license is handy for traveling to job sites nearby or further away.

Projected Career Map

Career advancement is driven by performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional certifications. Workers who continuously demonstrate high-performance levels may be eligible for promotion every two to three years.

CAD Drafters with sufficient expertise may take on managerial responsibilities and educate colleagues in applicable software and systems. You could become a Drafting Supervisor if your organization has a sizable drafting department. To further their professions, several CAD specialists return to school to obtain degrees in engineering or architecture.

You can advance from junior CAD technician to Senior CAD Drafter, leading a team of technicians and their design work. After gaining industrial experience as a CAD Drafter, you may rise to higher technical positions such as Design Engineer or Civil Engineer, eventually becoming Project Engineering Manager. You could also pursue a career in architecture.

Job Prospects

Applicants with the required abilities, experience, and education have the highest job chances. While specialization is advantageous, adding other types of drafting to your skill set may increase your employability.

Beneficial Professional Development

CPD will assist an active CAD Drafter develop personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning. It enables you to always improve your skills regardless of age, employment, or degree of expertise.

CAD Drafters must stay current on technology advances and the sector’s most recent new or advanced design software. They can accomplish this by viewing video tutorials, reading drafting-related blogs, and participating in forums. With so much free and paid internet information, you can keep honing your drafting skills. Participating actively in online community discussions by offering thoughts and opinions and asking questions helps you learn and improve.

Adding skills in other drafting sectors to your toolbox is another method to advance professionally. While it is all too easy to get stuck in a comfortable but monotonous routine in your specialization, it is critical to strive to diversify. You may, for example, broaden your views beyond architectural drafting by enrolling in mechanical and electrical drafting certificate programs. Multifaceted skills will set you apart in the job market and bring new opportunities.

Teaching others in a new sector is a unique method to advance professionally while enhancing your performance and understanding. You may share your knowledge with coworkers, mentor aspiring CAD Drafters in your firm, launch a blog, or provide video courses.

By earning the necessary academic degrees, CAD Drafters can advance to become engineers, architects, or other technical professionals. You could also augment your degree with specialized formal certification from approved authorities. In some areas, experienced CAD Drafters or those with the requisite academic qualifications may apply for professional registration and credentials, increasing their earning potential and career options.

Conclusion of CAD Drafter

CAD Drafters assist any building or manufacturing project save money and time while also improving safety. Engineers, architects, and manufacturers can use the comprehensive blueprints, sketches, or 3D models of items or buildings they generate to develop, change, and optimize the design process and quality, allowing for more accuracy and innovation.

Advice from the Wise

You can reach your drafting goals in various ways; they do not have to be correct or incorrect. Maintain an open mind to recommendations or opinions from others on what is the best process for them. Test it out, and try something else if it doesn’t work.

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