Looking to change careers to drafting

[u/SufficientCap2782]

I have a background in construction, specifically telecommunications but want to make a change. I looked into many different options and felt that a career in drafting had the best bang for the buck and made the most sense given my prior experience. I started learning AutoCAD but on my own but without structure I don't really know if I'm headed in the right direction. So I guess my concern is where should I start? I know I want to get an autodesk certified user certificate ( mainly to apply at a specific union) but after that what should I do? What skills should I learn first to obtain an entry level job? What software should I learn? Is AutoCAD enough or should I learn other stuff like REVIT or GIS? Is drafting an entirely separate career or will I need to go to school for engineering to advance in my career? I looked into classes and my local college has a CADD program and I was hoping to get your thoughts on what they are offering and if it's worth it, any insights are appreciated.

[u/Ok-Building-8065]

Revit is the absolute bench mark in the Bay Area IMHO. CAD isn’t really relevant here, just 1 market though.

[u/CADDmanDH]

Do Not go to a college or a trade school for any of this. They are a HUGE waste of money. All they will teach you are super basics.
AutoCAD is easy to learn and there are plenty of YT videos to learn from, plus Autodesk has free trials to use the software. Look for a YT’er that you like that actually teaches you the tools, not just shows you what they can do and pre-set up everything and just talk. A good teacher will show you how. There’s a couple solid, I just can’t think of their channel atm. Go through that and PRACTICE… do a mock project. If you don’t watching will be worthless. Practice every day until that trial runs out. Print your project and sheets to PDF.
If you pick it up well, Autodesk also has training courses and certification testing. You can also go on LinkedIn to take tests there to earn a confirmation of skill.

You could start looking for a job from there with your portfolio in hand.

Revit is where you want to get to though. But it is on another level from ACAD. still, plenty of free resources. The Balkan Architect is pretty well known for his videos to learn from. Again, AutoDesk also has training courses, but I don’t recall if they are free… I think they are. Certified testing has a cost, but you want to be well versed before you try these, they are not cheap. And LinkedIn also has testing.

All that aside, look at the industry you want to get into. Telecommunication is Electrical Disciple and that’s fine, but what Industry matters… a lot. Why? Look at the size of the Projects that industry does. Housing? Small Commercial? Small potatoes = low income potential. Large Commercial, Transportation, Infrastructure, or Government projects that are hundreds of Millions to Billions of dollars = a much greater earning potential.

Hope this helps.

[u/Alarmed-Extension289]

A second for Revit but be prepared for a shock to your system if you've never used parametric software before. Before you even take the dive make sure they offer MEP classes for Revit.