AIBU to think I can do an AutoCAD course for a career change?

[probablynotthesame]

I’m currently working in the NHS in a clinical role, so although I can highlight transferable skills like working under pressure/alone/teamwork/organisational skills etc it’s just not enough for employers.

I'm really into design and have done an interior design diploma and extra training in colour phycology, and although you don’t need a degree to be an interior designer there doesn’t seem to be anyone out there that will employ without a degree and two years experience 🤯

I’ve been looking into doing an AutoCAD course in 2D and possibly 3D as well. I’ve also looked into Revit as there seems to be lots of jobs in the engineering and construction industry.

would it be a total waste of money and time to do these courses? I’ve been looking at architectural technician/CAD drafter type jobs. All advice and suggestions welcome!

I'm in that industry. AutoCAD, Revit etc can be learned like any other piece of software but aren't much use to a business if you don't know what you are drawing. So you would be looking at entry level positions and even then may well be overlooked in favour of a kid who's done a construction related college course for a couple of years.

What kind of work experience do the jobs you've seen advertised require?

Thanks @Ablondiebutagoodydo you think it’s better to start off doing a college course first then? The experience varies depending on what sector it’s in, I guess I’ve been focusing on the technical skills more rather than the whole picture.

CAD technician is a very transferable role in construction - usually the engineers mark up drawings etc so don’t need to know the in and out so much. ARC GIS is also a good skill to have

Yes, I think you should.

Its like learning to use Excel wouldn't make me an accountant. I would need to learn the principles of accounting first. Excel is just a tool.

You would need to learn about whatever construction field interests you. CAD is just an alternative to pen and paper (which we still also use for sketching btw) and not that big of a deal. The technical skill is knowing what to draw rather than operating the software.

Thank you that’s really helpful. I’ll look into what college courses are available. Out of interest what industry are you in? Is it all uni graduates that get jobs?

I don't know anything about the specific field, but for anything software related I'd want reassurance that this isn't something that will all be being done by AI in a few years time.

I'm a structural engineer. We have a mix of people here. All of the engineers have a degree/masters. Most technicians come via college, HND type courses, where there is much more work experience involved. It was easier when I started. Kids could come in after GCSE as a general office junior (printing, filing etc) then learn the other stuff at quiet times and do day release at college. But we don't have office juniors anymore.

I really appreciate your insider knowledge on this and your advice has really helped me. Thank you ☺️

I qualified in Autocad by studying at collage outside of work (although my work did fund it).
Didn't make much difference to my career other than that I could use Autocad whereas some colleagues could not so I tended to get given different projects where I could make use of it.
Was interesting though.

Thanks @Nourishinghandcreamthats good to know it didn’t make much difference to your career. Can I ask what industry you’re in? And what employers look for when hiring for a junior position?