Drafters / Designers

QUALIFICATIONS

Post-secondary education in drafting and designing, with an Associate Degree from a technical institute or community college, or a Degree in engineering, architecture, and mathematics, accompanied with Drafting / Designing certifications like the Certified Design Drafter from The American Design Drafting Association (ADDA), etc., encompassing at least 2-year requisite study and practice credit hours; combined with – On the Job Training (OJT) programs, Apprenticeships, Drafters / Designers Workforce Job Training or Experience; covering Drafting / Designing work topics including drawing and design fundamentals and principles, sketching, diagrams and blueprints, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and other Graphics software applications, and allied materials.

AVERAGE HOURLY PAY
(Credits: www.payscale.com)

PROJECTED GROWTH
(Credits: www.bls.gov)

Drafters / Designers is a highly sought-after career, in which employment is projected to decline at about 4 percent from 2019 to 2029.

SKILLS/ TRAITS NEEDED

Besides excellent Drafting and Designing skills, Drafters / Designers must be extremely creative, having sound knowledge of building techniques and specification standards, working knowledge of engineering, in-depth knowledge of CAD software, with the ability to create schematics, diagrams, and digital blueprints from rough sketches; be self-motivated, with dexterity, extreme focus, memory, rapt attention to detail, time management; besides the ability to work independently or as part of a team, ensuring timely work completion of their tasks in hand. They also must be professional, ethical, proactive, agile, and alert with a high degree of patience and perseverance; have the willingness to learn and adapt, with great listening, communication, and interpersonal skills.

WORK FUNCTIONS

Drafters / Designers use computer-aided design (CAD) software to design the architectural plans for buildings, homes, offices, commercial/ manufacturing units, and infrastructure construction and engineering projects. They work from rough sketches and specifications given by engineers and architects and crystallize the digital drawings and diagrams of the architecture or engineering designs, layouts, and plans; developing and drawing the technical specifications of the structure – the dimensions, materials, and procedures, using their knowledge of building techniques. They typically develop these new designs and plans under the supervision of engineers or architects, create schematics that can be viewed, printed, or programmed directly into building information modeling (BIM) systems, and are sometimes also called CAD operators. They can specialize as Architectural, Civil, Electrical, Electronics or Mechanical Drafters / Designers. They may set up their own business and work independently, or work for the government, or private contractors and employers.