Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of shitty CAD jobs out there, but there are also plenty of great CAD jobs as well. I got my AS in Drafting for manufacturing, but manufacturing paid pretty low when I started looking. So I applied for civil CAD jobs instead. Started out at $26/hr, which was a little under double what I was making at the time.
The great thing about CAD work is that there’s lots of room for upwards momentum. I applied for a designer position 8 months in, which bumped my pay to $30/hr. You can work your way up as a designer, or into project management. My company also offers continued learning, so if I get the bug to go into engineering (unlikely, math & physics is my sticking point) then I can, for free.
I was pretty active for a while in the CAD subreddit, and I was almost afraid to graduate because there were a few people in there who were so negative about CAD as a carreer. Turns out they don’t look for good jobs, don’t ask for pay raises or continue to learn. My experience in CAD has been nothing but fulfilling and exciting. I design substations, I’m learning a lot, my drawings literally build/extend America’s power grid, so I feel like my job matters and is important. I find ways to increase my knowledge and pay, and there’s tons of upwards momentum if I take it.
For reference, I was an animal hospital receptionist before I made the switch.
CAD drafting.
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of shitty CAD jobs out there, but there are also plenty of great CAD jobs as well. I got my AS in Drafting for manufacturing, but manufacturing paid pretty low when I started looking. So I applied for civil CAD jobs instead. Started out at $26/hr, which was a little under double what I was making at the time.
The great thing about CAD work is that there’s lots of room for upwards momentum. I applied for a designer position 8 months in, which bumped my pay to $30/hr. You can work your way up as a designer, or into project management. My company also offers continued learning, so if I get the bug to go into engineering (unlikely, math & physics is my sticking point) then I can, for free.
I was pretty active for a while in the CAD subreddit, and I was almost afraid to graduate because there were a few people in there who were so negative about CAD as a carreer. Turns out they don’t look for good jobs, don’t ask for pay raises or continue to learn. My experience in CAD has been nothing but fulfilling and exciting. I design substations, I’m learning a lot, my drawings literally build/extend America’s power grid, so I feel like my job matters and is important. I find ways to increase my knowledge and pay, and there’s tons of upwards momentum if I take it.
For reference, I was an animal hospital receptionist before I made the switch.
Sounds interesting. Brains not braining well on a Saturday what’s an AS? Associate Degree?
Probably an Associate in Science degree.
Associates of Science, rather than an AA, Associates of Arts.
Thanks!