Expert: Bob - 11/8/2007

Question
I am an interior designer with 6 years experience in the
industry however I want to work for an architectural/interior
design firm and I am not experienced in AutoCAD. Can you advise me other than taking the basic classes in AutoCAD do
I also need to take a class in 3D? Is it very difficult?
Is it okay to take these classes in a community college?  

Answer
Hi -- I guess I should assume you did not go to school for Interior Design, at least not in the last decade or so, or you should have been required to learn AutoCAD or ArchiCAD.
-- My point is that I dont know if you have studied drafting, which one must understand to use AutoCAD.
One must also be comfortable with Windows, and should take a class in that first, if not.
3D is great, not difficult for me, but horrible for old hands who always drafted by hand and think of everything as flat plans and elevations.  If you plan to work awhile, and are not retirement age, of course you are going to need 3D, but not all firms yet use it. Complete competence in 2D AutoCAD and doing construction docs in it, is what gets you hired.
You might need Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop as well.
Smarter, more aggressive firms should be on 3D by now, but many are not.
As for community colleges -- fine, if they have Interior Design or Architecture oriented AutoCAD classes -- not so fine if their classes favor Mechanical or Engineering only.

Pardon me if I read you wrong -- you did not give me enough background to advise you more fully.

BOB