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About Bob
Expertise
I am good at getting Architects and Interior Designers who are intimidated by Autocad, ADT, etc. to feel comfortable, get things done.
PLEASE GIVE ME:
1- some background on you and your skills, and what field you are working in, so I can reply at your level and dont give architecture answers to an engineer
2- the reason you want to do what you are asking, so I will know I am helping you to get to a goal (maybe I have a better way to suggest)
3- the release of AutoCAD you are using
4- how much AutoCAD training you have taken
THAT WAY -- your question will be easy to answer more clearly. Thanks, BOB
Experience
Interior Design and Space Planning. Autodesk U. 2000 and 2001.
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You are here: Experts > Computing/Technology > Computer-Aided Design > AutoCAD > sr.level interior designer needs autoCAD proficiency to get job
AutoCAD - sr.level interior designer needs autoCAD proficiency to get job
Expert: Bob - 9/22/2008
Question
good morning bob,
As requested a bot about me is necessary here we go... it's difficult to put twenty + years in a paragraph or a one resume, but i will try!
In 82 I graduated from Purdue Univ. w/ a BS in Interior Design. I have also successfully passed the coveted NCIDQ exam after the five years in the field requirements were met for me(87). I believe it was near that time I was introduced to r.9 in an architects office where we hired moonlighters to produce our plans on cad. That "practice" of hiring ACAD on contract basis continued through early-mid nineties and up to r12-13.
Thus "we" on staff designers were not typically trained to produce CAD drawings due to our time seeming to be more valuable with the upfront client interactions and space planning than handing our drawings off at night to a tech to produce them on CAD at nighttime.
I am an efficient and detailed manual drafter. I am capable of producing full sets of architectural construction documents and details (shop drawings especially involving millwork installations). I have done hundreds of drawings for the architects stamp. Additionally I can review and redline jr. designers plans as well all offer full scope of design services ie specification of furn/ffe,project management, sq.ftg calc's , site analysis, demo/reno plans etc...
Primarily (75%) of my portfolio is commercial space planning/CD's for corporate and hospitality end users and 15% healthcare w/ 10% high end custom/resort etc... My problem is I really missed the boat with on the job training and of course not offered during my time at Purdue. I have been employed across us within lg and sm architectural firms from Washington DC, Chicago, Indy, Nashville, OKC, Memphis, Charlotte and Minneapolis (transfers due to now my x-spouse) but now however for the past ten years reside in Phoenix, AZ.
Seriously I have not been able to get hired withi a reputable firm. Lots of i'views and interest but it's all about CAD here npw. Seems I can't get a job doing anything remotely close. Most recent course for CAD I took was for r2006 which I was behind b-4 the instructor got to pg 5 I think really embarassed too because my other pc skills are up to date. I feel like I have a mental block? Possibly also the course was geared more for other types of trades not interior designers not very arch. based (another $$500.00) mistake for only 3 days.
I say another because I guess I haven't learned that the same thing happened when I took a courses in 2002 and 1999 to try and get some entry level proficiency.
The hiring managers are impressed with my experience and education gets my foot in the door but since I can not pass the CAD test for proficiency I'm sent back on the street regardless if I'm capable of ALL other scope of work. More discouraging is so many firms use different releases or different manufacturers software which makes this matter even more frustrating for me to select which one to learn and and when and then not be using it daily until I would be hireds ahhhhhh help! See if I am trying to get the training and pay for it on my own it appears the firm is already past the one I learned and on to the next one or different program entirely.
Ideally I would love to find a company that would offer to train me on the job. Yes, I am willing to take less compensation for this approach. Yes, I have brought this up at interviews but with out luck.
Guess what the really want is just CAD tech producers. Frightening to me that so many of these kids are fresh on the market with no drafting or design background education or experience at all! Oh boy tho they can produce the drawings and for a little over ten/hour of course they are hired especially if I need over twnty/hour.
Even more scary is who is checking the drawings well b-4 cd phase since the sr. mgmt isn't trained on CAD either (such as me) to correct drawings on disk at their computer.So many problems arise in the field like with details that won't fit as planned than the client is po
more $$ etc. its a vicious circle at times.
Anyway going off track to vent my frustration. I need to be able to say I am and become a proficient CAD dradtsman. And produce the plans as if I was manually, but don't know which release to afford the training on that will land me a descent job again? Would it be better to go down another avenue entirely? Possibly with an updated related degree that pays better upon graduation? Such as ??? There are plenty of good programs and I know I need big bucks to attend. What grants or how can I afford this training if nort working? ASU has an Arch/ID school, ITT offers a lot of CAD programs, SCC and MCC have Interior Design courses offered I know.
Also their are private companies offering crash courses like I attended at Cadsoft Consulting... I feel like I need a home tutor to really understand all the commands and applications to make a realistic drawing to scale. I also feel by the time get it and can afford it the darn deal will be outdated again. Any suggestions will be appreciated because I sure believe I'M NOT TO OLD TO LEARN NEW TRICKS 4 this trade just in need of the right trainer/ing. I hope you can help set me back on track I obviously need to regroup. Thank you kindly for your patience and understanding my situation.
The Boilermaker missn out or....!!
Patricia, Phoenix,
patekennedy@hotmail.com
Sorry that wasn't a paragraph either I guess that was my full story version. Thanks for your time to absorb this and offer me some ray of directions. I would love to just intern to learn but absolutely can't afford to work for free as a single Mom to two young teen boys I am running low on options and savings. Is a new career in a HIGHER PAYING field maybe a wiser bet? Or do you know of something where my skills would transfer to wisely? At 47 now I can't believe I'm even needing to write this but it is tough out here and I do need some fresh ideas to consider.
Answer
Hi--
I am going to write plainly -- you dont have time to waste, as your amazingly L_O_N_G letter states. I hope you will take that venting as a final letting go, and say "enough, I must live in today" Pardon me if I skimmed it, and missed a point or two, but it seemed all about resentment of how the firms hire now, which leaves you (and me) out.
Of course you know that all the stuff about your proficiency in hand work is "I drive a mean buggy, who needs them damn cars!" stuff, to employers. You have to transfer your skills -- AutoCAD is computer drafting: if the firms were using Revit to build a 3D database, your knowledge would be good, but your skills would be less applicable, so be glad they are still on AutoCAD, and learn it!
Offering to take less pay for OTJ training in AutoCAD makes you look weak -- period. Think about their side, what a drag you would be on the staff, with no guarantee of success.
My experience as a teacher shows me that people in your spot need to get over the fears fast -- notice you got swamped quickly in that class. If I were there I could help, but I cost money.
You need a class that favors Interior Designers, after you get more confident --- and I dont think you are at a level where an intensive 3 days will help you.
You dont say if you have a modern computer -- you could download a free trial of AutoCAD (get LT, if your computer does not have 25% or more free hard drive. Get a book on AutoCAD for Interior Designers -- do the lessons. Meanwhile get an office temp job.
You should be able to draw easily at full scale with your past skills -- you only need a few commands to do that (use the toolbars). Then worry about scale (layouts and viewports) after that. Get a tutor, maybe an Interior Design student.
DRAW ONE OF YOUR OLD PROJECTS OVER AS SOON AS YOU CAN -- THAT IS HOW TO LEARN.
Interior design does not pay well at entry level, as you know, so you face some decisions about looking into other things. I cant help with that.
I hope this helps -- I have a lot of experience, and I know I am writing the right thing. I hope you will find it helpful, and let go the resenting and self-pitying: your kids need you to regain your power and get moving. (my personal old guy advice)
BOB
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