Career with AutoCAD

[sgouki]

Hey guys.
I'm looking into a career in architecture/engineering related work. It seems like theres alot of members on this board that has taken piping/drafting or other engineering course related studies who now have careers in the field and are loving it.
I'm not here to ask if you guys love your work as I can already see that you all do.
My question is what would be my best education choice if I wanted to get my foot in the door to a company.
Would it be best to go for the entire piping/drafting diploma at SAIT or do you think it would be sufficient if I just went over to Bow Valley College and took the courses for AutoCAD and advance AutoCAD.

Thanks. Your input is greatly appreciated.

[88CRX]

Originally posted by sgouki

I'm not here to ask if you guys love your work as I can already see that you all do.

LOL! Yup, thats right... I love my job.


If your interested in the Architecture side go to SAIT and complete the Arch. Technologies program. After that your good to get a job anywhere in this industry (not slowing down at all on our end).

[Euro838]

Yeah, it's the thing to do! Once you make it to a 3D Pipe Designer, you'll be pulling in massive coin! Hopefully you won't have to spend much time doing P&IDs!

[BlackArcher101]

So do you want to do architecture or piping? From your post it looks like you want to do both.

[sgouki]

Thanks for the info guys. A few of my friends tell me that having the AutoCAD certificate is mainly what companies look for. So I'm just really trying to figure out if I just got my certificate if it would be enough since Bow Valley offers a no bull program thats 4 months long of just AutoCAD training.

[PINOY-X]

doesnt most companies now use microstation .. well i know the company i work for doesnt use autocad nomore they use microstation

[snowboard]

micro station BLOWSSSS

[Antonito]

^^^ agreed. Stupid assbackwards program.

[Lex350]

Originally posted by PINOY-X
doesnt most companies now use microstation .. well i know the company i work for doesnt use autocad nomore they use microstation


On the Architecture side I don't know of any companies that use Microstation. It's either Autocad or Architectural Desktop.

[Lex350]

IT sounds like to me that you are trying to take a shortcut to a career. Sure your CAD certificate will help you get in the door somewhere because there is a shortage of people that can use the program properly. However, it will only get you so far because of a lack of training in a specialty. It will also limit your salary.

Take the time to learn a peoper careeer. It will pay off in the end.

[sgouki]

Yea I am looking for a shortcut to get right into it. I feel that if I am able to secure a position in with just an AutoCAD certificate then I can go back to school after and do the other courses.
If I can get the Certificate from bow valley in their fast track 1 month program, secure a position within a company, then I can go back to SAIT and finish up the rest of the courses on drafting and or piping or interior design.
Then maybe I can negotiate the salary :)
But the salary for just autoCAD shouldn't be very low anyways right. It ain't going to be 10 bucks an hour now is it haha.

Lemme know if this plan will work. I'm just really on the border and I do fear that the opportunities may disappear if I were to go to school for another 3-4 years.

[PINOY-X]

how much to cadd operators usually make anyways ?

[Antonito]

Originally posted by sgouki
Yea I am looking for a shortcut to get right into it. I feel that if I am able to secure a position in with just an AutoCAD certificate then I can go back to school after and do the other courses.
If I can get the Certificate from bow valley in their fast track 1 month program, secure a position within a company, then I can go back to SAIT and finish up the rest of the courses on drafting and or piping or interior design.
Then maybe I can negotiate the salary :)
But the salary for just autoCAD shouldn't be very low anyways right. It ain't going to be 10 bucks an hour now is it haha.

Lemme know if this plan will work. I'm just really on the border and I do fear that the opportunities may disappear if I were to go to school for another 3-4 years.

It's a half dozen of one, 6 of the other. If you go into industry now with the Operators Cert, you'll make less than if you had a technologist diploma, and there will be a few companies that you wouldn't get hired at. But if you go for 2 years to get said diploma and come out and all the high paying jobs are gone (which it's starting to look like they may be, Royalties or not), you may make less than you would right now with just the Operators certificate anyways.

Your plan could be right, unfortunately you won't know if it is/was until 2 or 3 years from now. I'm personally planning to ride out the boom, and then go back to school for my Eng Degree. It's a risk, but at least I have money in my pocket right now, which helps :D

[Euro838]

Originally posted by PINOY-X
how much to cadd operators usually make anyways ?

$15/hour to $100+/hour.

[Euro838]

Originally posted by rotten42
IT sounds like to me that you are trying to take a shortcut to a career. Sure your CAD certificate will help you get in the door somewhere because there is a shortage of people that can use the program properly. However, it will only get you so far because of a lack of training in a specialty. It will also limit your salary.

Take the time to learn a peoper careeer. It will pay off in the end.

Agreed, it WILL show if you take a short cut. First impressions are very important. Once people see that you can only do the monkey-see monkey-do jobs, you'll be blacklisted from the good paying jobs that require industry knowledge.

Anybody can connect a pipe to a flange, but will you know why?

Also, is this something you LIKE to do? Otherwise your 8 hour day 5 days a week will feel a lot longer! And you won't excel in it because the passion isn't there.

[sgouki]

Originally posted by Antonito


It's a half dozen of one, 6 of the other. If you go into industry now with the Operators Cert, you'll make less than if you had a technologist diploma, and there will be a few companies that you wouldn't get hired at. But if you go for 2 years to get said diploma and come out and all the high paying jobs are gone (which it's starting to look like they may be, Royalties or not), you may make less than you would right now with just the Operators certificate anyways.

Your plan could be right, unfortunately you won't know if it is/was until 2 or 3 years from now. I'm personally planning to ride out the boom, and then go back to school for my Eng Degree. It's a risk, but at least I have money in my pocket right now, which helps :D

I agree with what you said. Thats exactly whats been running through my head. If the jobs would be much less if I finished with the diploma. Thats why I just really wanted to know if just having the AutoCAD cert. was enough to get going. As long as I have a position secured, then I can feel safe to continue my education. The worst part for me is to do my program, then before I'm about to finish, the demand has already disappeared or has become very limited to those with an even higher education or they would prefer experience in different studies, etc.

[Antonito]

Originally posted by sgouki


I agree with what you said. Thats exactly whats been running through my head. If the jobs would be much less if I finished with the diploma. Thats why I just really wanted to know if just having the AutoCAD cert. was enough to get going. As long as I have a position secured, then I can feel safe to continue my education. The worst part for me is to do my program, then before I'm about to finish, the demand has already disappeared or has become very limited to those with an even higher education or they would prefer experience in different studies, etc.

I don't know about other places, but I know where I work, there is not such thing as a "secured" position. Oh, they'll gladly take you back, if there is an opening. If the field falters, don't assume having a job means there'll be one to come back to. I know for my plan, once I leave, it'll be a struggle to come back in

[gatorade]

Originally posted by PINOY-X
how much to cadd operators usually make anyways ?

I know someone who just started at atco at 20/hour who just graduated from sait, he has no previous cad experience.

[sgouki]

Oh I don't really intend on leaving the company to go back to school
Its more like if I got in with just the certificate, I would then enroll in night school to finish up the program. That's the type of security I'm looking for.