Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
(OP)
I'm in my mid thirties, married with two kids and have been doing nothing but Cad work for 10 years in the structural side of things to make a living.
I'm considered a technician. I've been going to engineering school at night (1 class a semester) and have 7-8 classes left mostly humanties and water/civil classes. Strength of materials, concrete, steel, structural analysis, soil are all behind me. (Senior standing in school)
I watch as each new engineer comes to work with half the knowledge I have. (Don't get me wrong, some are very bright and will succeed and become those people we admire the most.)
My question is this.....
Does it make sense for me to sit for the EIT exam and leave my current position as a tech and strive for a more design oriented engineering job now or wait it out.
I think I have CAD burnout... and I understand that CAD is an important tool in the design process.. however I would like to see if anyone else has been down this road and can share their insight and wisdom.
Thanks in advance.
MJ
I'm considered a technician. I've been going to engineering school at night (1 class a semester) and have 7-8 classes left mostly humanties and water/civil classes. Strength of materials, concrete, steel, structural analysis, soil are all behind me. (Senior standing in school)
I watch as each new engineer comes to work with half the knowledge I have. (Don't get me wrong, some are very bright and will succeed and become those people we admire the most.)
My question is this.....
Does it make sense for me to sit for the EIT exam and leave my current position as a tech and strive for a more design oriented engineering job now or wait it out.
I think I have CAD burnout... and I understand that CAD is an important tool in the design process.. however I would like to see if anyone else has been down this road and can share their insight and wisdom.
Thanks in advance.
MJ





RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
And another thing: In my state, at least, engineering work done before, during, and after your EIT and Bachelor's degree can be used as PE experience if you are working full time in the day and going to school at night. Possibly the CAD work you've been doing may count for some of the required experience, especially if you've been working under a PE. Good luck.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
I've moved one CAD guy into an engineer's job and he went very well, and in this company our current Design Supervisor is an ex tubee. In both cases they already had engineering degrees, and got into CAD as a lucrative post graduate short term option, not as aspirational career moves.
Your experience as a draughtie will stand you in good stead as a design engineer. In my opinion ALL design engineers should spend a year or two on the tubes, and it wouldn't be a bad move for many other engineers in manufacturing industries.
Cheers
Greg Locock
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
Unfortunately, the ever-shrinking budgets and schedules seem to motivate more and more "copy-cadding", while designers get less and less opportunity to actually design (rather than draft) anything.
Your EIT/PE could help convince your boss to give you more design responsibility. A conversation with him might do it. Changing jobs might be necessary.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
looks like I re-iterated some of all three previous posts. I think they all offered some good advice.
Good luck
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
I totally hear you. I am a structural engineer. The industry always had a symbiotic relationship between drafters and engineers. At the same time, drafters had been treated as "support" and not compensated as much as engineers with years less years of experience.
After the introduction of CAD, engineer's dependence on CAD drafters increased significantly. Years ago, engineers were able to calc the design and even "draft" info on the vellums themselves. With the introduction of CAD, and the advances made in the program itself, CAD knowledge has become a field of its own. It doesnt make buisiness sense for the Principal to have their engineers perform engineering AND learn AutoCAD.
In my opinion, if you have the desire to succeed, you may put yourself in a position where you are "managing" CAD personnel. With your structural knowledge, you can establish office standards and guidelines. At that level, your time on CAD will have reduced significantly, your salary increased and you will have more authority over new engineers whom you have to train anyways.
Starting over as an engineer will take years. Finish engineering school, take EIT, get experience to qualify for PE exam, if in califirnia SE, etc, etc. During this process, you may find yourself getting the same pay as a new engineer right out of school.
I am not trying to discourage you; however, just presenting some thoughts to consider. It will be a big move. Engineering is rewarding, at the same time, follows a big responsibility and liability. It is a never ending struggle until we retire. In fact, structural engineers never really retire... we fade away.
Best of luck to you.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
If you have desire and interest in engineering, by all means, go for it. It may be very rewarding.
If your move is because you are simply sick of CAD, there are things you can do in this field that doesn't require much of CAD. Field work, shop drawing review (for copys give it to the office boy/girl), CAD manager, Senior designer, etc. I feel that you can't escape CAD in this route, but there is room for career advancement (if your employer has it in his vision).
Regards,
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
Do you guys think that an engineer can survive in the future without knowledge of CAD and its capabilities?
It seems to me that it has worked so far with the attitude of some older engineers. They continue to make more and more money without the knowledge of CAD and "farm it out".
Especially since they used to draw by hand just a few short years ago and now all of sudden stick their head in the sand and don't adapt to the technology.
Boy if I had that attitude I'd get booted out on my butt as fast as you can say "AutoCad"!
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
I don't think that engineers will be able to forever avoid CAD, and I don't think designers will forever be able to avoid learning how to design something.
I strongly believe there are substantial efficiencies and quality improvements to be gained by a broad overlap between "engineer" and "designer" positions, same as there was in the past prior to CAD. Unfortunately, there is a strong (and hopefully temporary) resistance on the part of many engineers to learn CAD, and there seems to be a strong resistance in many designers to learn design.
There's no reason a reasonably intelligent designer with nothing more than a high school diploma can't learn to design stuff, same as 30 years ago. And while there's certainly a generation gap with computers, there's plenty of old designers that were forced to learn CAD and are doing at least marginally well with it. Any engineer who "can't" learn CAD is either stupid or stubborn.
I had an interesting conversation with an industrial engineer some years ago. He said the model for project-based organizations is a race-car team. Everyone on that team may have a specialty, but they know at least a little bit about the whole car. In the pit, problems are fixed by whoever is closest. This makes a lot of sense to me in design work. Whoever sees a problem on the drawing should fix it. Designers should understand the concepts behind what they are drawing. Engineers should be able to make quick corrections on CAD. That's my opinion anyway for whatever it's worth.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
Well, strictly speaking, CAD is not essential in my opinion. It is only replacing draughting, and so long as you can read the drawing correctly and visualise the product I don't really think that knowing how the lines get on the paper/screen is all that important.
However, CAE is becoming more and more important, I doubt that anyone in a first world manufacturing environment could imagine coping without it, cost effectively.
Cheers
Greg Locock
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
In my opinion, the need for CAD in our industry (Structural primarily)will never go away. Other disciplines the same probably.
What will happen is, there will be an overflow of new tech school graduates with expert CAD knowledge but no structural background. What these "older engineers" need are a few talented CAD personnel with competent level of CAD knowledge but who knows the structural detailing and standard symbols to represent engineer's intent. These people carry great value. I hope that you belong in this category. It makes business sense to employ the young CAD experts to carry out the tasks under the direction of the CAD coordinator such as yourself.
I am also against the idea of having engineers to perform AutoCAD work. If they possess that talent, it will not go un-noticed; but i feel that engineers should focus on engineering. We are not trying to AVOID learning CAD, we just have more qualified people to do that work.
I sincerely hope that you are valued at your current work place. I am sure you will make the decision that best serves your goals.
Nice chatting with you. Ragards.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
I think there is a distinct separation between the CAD experts and the engineering experts. I say let them ascend to their chosen abilty and make lots of money on the way. Its always good that each discipline knows just a little taste of the other.
I'm just finding that I'm in that transistion period and need to "tough it out". However, I've been doing it so long the burnout thing is getting to me and I'm ready to move on and dive into my chosen profession. I feel like I'm losing time that I don't have when I was younger.
Can anyone out there share with me their experiences? Any late bloomers out there that didn't graduate at a young age?
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
First, my advice is to go back to school full time and get it over with. You sound like a bright guy and could knock out 4 classes per semester. There is a lot of help out there in grants and loans. It’s a little tough but worth it.
Second, Pass the F.E. and P.E. as soon as possible.
As far as the comparison between experience and education, they are not interchangeable. You will be amazed the way people treat you once you get your degree and then your P.E. It gives you credibility. Something you can’t get with a hundred years of experience.
What you do at work is directly related to the things you are willing to do. For example, on my first engineering job they found out that I knew something about computers and liked tinkering with them. Guess what I spent hours doing instead of engineering work. Every time someone couldn’t get a printer or program to work, I’d hear “got a minute?”
If you choose to do cad work and are good at it, that’s what you will be given. On the other hand, if your answer is “I really need to get to this or that meeting with a client and then review his billing, and then draft that report to the home office, etc. then you will see the change.
Good Luck
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
If you decide to pursue a full time engineering degree program, you will definitely be ahead of the young engineering students in that you already have experiences to be able to focus on topics that matter in the real world. Most students with no experience will basically be spoon-fed with information and realize in the end that they haven't focussed on topics they should have.
As an experienced person in the structural field, and having dealt with engineers, you may have a clearer understanding of what's important.
Wish you the best of luck.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
Thanks for the input. I'm looking at speeding up my time in school and appreciated the remarks.
If anybody needs some solid grounding all they need to do is just listen to the pack that roams this thread.
My Thanks!
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
Cheers
Greg Locock
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
You mean Calculus, Differential Equations and the like?
or something else????
You would be surprised how much you draw upon on the disciplines that came before. Even the algebra and physics of years ago. I'm fortunate, I enjoy the math and use it day to day in my job.
Hope this helps.
MJ
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
In real life, and I am talking average Joe's life like mine, even with the engineering work I have, I hardly use college level math.
Way to success, in my opinion, is common sense and ability to apply your knowledge and be resourceful enough to learn and apply things you haven't learned in school.
Cheers.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
Come on....I had to take 3 calculus courses????
Do we really need that many. I could have used a Masonry or Wood design course peppered in there. Instead, I have to flounder out here on my own, or take a post-graduate course.
Oh yea forgot...I haven't graduated yet...hmmm.
regards,
MJ
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
Cheers
Greg Locock
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
All the design related knowledge I've learned over the years is from work experience. I see many who want the easy way out, who are not passionate about engineering and wanting to just get by being mediocre. It sickens me. Your success will come with your passion and desire to learn. Ask questions, point out the errors made by your peers (in a tactful manner), and never be afraid of taking criticism from others as long as they are constructive.
I am beginning to sound like an old f*rt... I will stop here today.
Good day.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
I've got very strong opinions on CADD (autocadd in particular) as used by structural engineers.
I just had to let one of my CADD guys go as we were slow. However, we'd been struggling with CADD issues for some time.
I don't know exactly where we are going as an industry but I do know the following:
1. AutoCADD (and other cadd programs) have gradually become very complex programs that require a lot of training to use. The software vendors have a vested interest in continually updating their software to require firms to buy buy buy more.
2. The software vendors make it much more complex than it really has to be as they try to be all things to all people in ONE PACKAGE. This requires firms to buy buy buy more training on a continual basis. Years ago, once you learned how to draft, you were good to go. No more.
3. CADD operators (designers is the term used above) spend so much time learning the intricacies of CADD that they fail to learn the basics of engineering detailing or design. I once told the guy I let go, "If you are a CADD expert, you're not doing your job."
4. CADD intricacies have become so prevalent that a huge effort must be used to get out drawings without mistakes. We had a four story building go out a while ago and everything looked great on the screen. After printing 20 sets we noticed that a set of concrete columns that occurred only in the basement were drawn on the roof framing plan. It seems some layer script was screwed up and the column layers were turned on for that level and shouldn't have been. THE MORE COMPLEX THE TOOL, THE MORE LIKELY ARE THE MISTAKES.
We've begun a process to reduce all complexity in the way our cadd drawings are put together. Its just a tool but its a tool that can grow into a monster if you do not manage it effectively.
My rant is now over.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
I agree. Cad has gotten complicated. I havent even touched on the question of the speed of cad.
Anyone who uses cad knows that it takes the same amount of drafting time to draw today than 30 years ago. Just the revisions can be quicker and the math more accurate and the documents can now be e-mailed to someone around world in few seconds. These are two traits that are real handy today because we are in such a hurry to get drawings out on the street we make mistakes that require addendums or the like. Also, some of the kids coming out of school today need the help with the math like I need help with the spelling, grammer and long sentences......
anyway....
I'm with you..I think we need a little less dependence on computers and more thinking about how we build better, stronger and a more effiencient enviroment to live in.
Having said that....
I think I'm going to move my career track away from computers as a way of life to computers as a tool to help me do my real job....engineering.
What do guys think? Any Cad guys out there disagree with me???? Just Bring it.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
In the auto industry the primary advantage of CAD (to my mind) is that the packaging work can be done in much greater detail than is practical with manual methods. The availability of accurate geometry at all times during a vehicle program is also of great benefit to those of us in the CAE world.
So I think of CAD as being the first step in a useful direction, rather than an efficient or inefficient tool in its own right. Does that make sense?
Cheers
Greg Locock
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
I agree with some of the above posts that engineering is best done by engineers and detail design and drafting is best done by CAD experts. Of course engineers need enough CAD expertise for concept work and CAD experts will be well served to have an understanding of engineering concepts. It is just too much to expect an individual to be a good engineer and a CAD expert at the same time. Similarly, finite element and other analysis activities require specialized knowledge and dedicated personnel to achieve meaningful results.
In response to the initial post: While an engineering degree would provide the most career flexibility, and I recommend completing your degree, you will likely be considered inexperienced by potential employers as an engineer for several years. Perhaps you should consider specialized CAD training, such as structural analysis? That might be a more direct career advancement.
Pro/E is the CAD system we use.
Mike
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
It does not make business sense to provide AutoCAD training at a structural firm, especially if the size is small to medium. There are trade schools that train young kids how to use CAD. once they've become an expert at it, they can market their skill practically anywhere, including a structural firm.
All structural firms shall employ a seasoned drafter from the old days who can practically draw up the building without an engineer's input. He shall train these young CAD experts in structural concepts and detailing practices. Also, there should be one CAD veteran who establishes CAD standards such as symbols, layering and so on. He shall train the yound CAD experts in understanding the company-specific application of CAD software.
Everyone should be motivated individuals who are fast learners. I guess all except the seasoned drafter, who just has to be available to teach everything he knows.
I do agree that there are too many updates on the softwares. In order to maintain market share, structural firm must keep up at least with 3 of it's major clients (buy the latest version they have).
So long are the days when we can say "package is in the mail". Computer and fax machine are definite technological advances but a huge drawback sometimes. That's another topic.
Cheers.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
I love your input on what the cad department should look like. Its a good model and everyone should follow it.
The same could be said about the engineers in the office.
MJ
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
Quality drafters and engineers are hard to find.
Good night
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
It will be nice to have engineers experienced in CAD burnout and can relate to it.
I'm an old Board drafter that transitioned to AutoCAD and then on to Pro E. Initially with AutoCAD,I spent half my day battling with the program, the computer, recovering files, replacing dried out plotter pens that crapped out half way through a 10 minute plot, etc. Then just as I got all the bugs worked out and technology was catching up and once again as fast as I was manually, we change to Pro E and we have to learn the game all over again.
As an engineer, I hope you will appreciate the fact that "design" for the most part, is an artistic talent and no matter what tools are used, the numbers and formulas should be crunched by one side of the brain and the sexy lines drawn by the other.
To avoid burn out, I spent as much time as possible in the shop. I learned from the fabricators and they learned from me. This is where the CAD comes in handy..."quick changes" based on input from the guy's trying line up the holes. Line on line looks good on the tube but seldom happens in real life.
Good luck!
Bill Kay
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
All I can say is Yep!
Thanks,
MJ
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
I believe design engineers are using CAD today because they can produce good results from the various packages available, especially if they are computer literate. CAD pakages today do more than simply draw lines on paper. They combine drafting with analytical tools such as finite element, so some engineers prefer a hands-on approach. However, design engineers should not be full time CAD operators no more than they should have been full time drafsmen in the old days.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
Good luck
Source
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
Tomorrow I am going to a graduation party for a friend of mine. After 10 years as a UG CADslinger, he finally finished his BSET.
The shortest road can go on forever if you don't keep on a-walkin' ;)
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
I have noticed that all architectural firms have new graduates on the CAD stations drawing up window schedule and such. Also in the mechanical (building related - HVAC/energy etc) engineers are on the CAD stations.
Why not the structural??? Structural engineers are, in my opinion, least familiar with the AutoCAD program. Even so, I plan on having my engineers perform engineering duties only (with hand drawn solutions) and drafters learn more and more about the CAD advancements. Anyone have any opinion on this?
Good night.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
At least he & I love what we do. Cheers to you Tick!
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
Get the remaining required coursework, get your FE, and get your PE. I admire a person that is willing to sacrifice a little short term gain for long term dividends. If you follow through on this, you will not regret it. However, as others have alluded to, it's not a walk in the park. But it is worth it. Just bust your butt. Put in the required studying and hammer those tests. More action, less talk. I like it!
----------------
Now on the Cad versus engineering discussion:
The thing about it is, dealing with Cad operators/technicians can be tricky. My opinion of a Cad Technician (I disagree that they are designers, at least in my line of work) is as follows. The tech should have a basic understanding of structures or whatever it is he/she is drawing. But, at the end of the day, a draftsman draws pictures representing an engineer's design. That's what it boils down to. Don't get me wrong, I love a cad person with some experience that is familiar with how something is actually built and understands the fundamental concepts behind why, say, a reinforced concrete beam has rebar on the tension face, or why a footing has to be 6x6 instead of 5x5 for uplift purposes. This in my opinion should be the extent of it. Cad technicians should be great at what they do - drawing through the utilization of a powerful computer program - and they should be satisfied with that. If not, do what Wrightguy is doing. I can't tell you how many times I've had experiences with cad people where it is clear that they have a tad bit of an inferiority complex, not because of how I deal with them, but because they themselves feel like they are smarter than we give them credit for. The fact of the matter is, if you are a draftsman, you are not a designer, and you need to be comfortable with that. If you are not comfortable with that, then change it by advancing your career skills. Do not bellyache about less pay and less respect, because it is useless. If you feel so "woe is me" about being a "lowly" draftsperson, then change it. If not, sit down and draw what I tell you to draw and make changes that I tell you to make. That's just how it is.
We need draftspeople. We need engineers. We do not need draftspeople trying to impersonate engineers, or vice versa. If you are an ambitious type person with high goals set for yourself, you will most likely not be satisfied with drawing other people's designs your whole life. If you are, then that's great, and it certainly is nothing to be ashamed of, it just takes a certain personality-type.
The bottom line is: simply know your role in the entire process and either come to terms with it, or change it. I commend Wrightguy for wanting to change it, because it's obvious that he feels like he has potential that is thus far untapped.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
The paradox of drafting and detailing is this: if a person is talented and competent enough to be a great draftsman, then he is talented enough to move on to greater things.
I noticed the civil field has a much more layered structure, separating engineering from design from drafting.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
To me, one of the real values of parametric modelers is that it makes more sense for an engineer to take the design from start to finish.
In machine design, I've never found it to work well to have a designer or draftsman try to do anything besides detail a drawing. Perhaps I've just not worked with good designers but my experience has been that it doesn't save me much time, especially if I can use a parametric modeler and we've got a good library of parts.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
We are the same, Binary! We are brothers!"
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
I AM SICK OF CAD.
I actually have a BS in Civil Engineering and passed the FE Exam this past April 2003.
Now the problem with me I guess is that when I took my current job the job offer letter said: "you will be performing Civil Engineering tasks with emphasis in CADD"!!! so I should have known better what I was getting myself into. I have been here 1 year and a half and mostly I have done is just plain old drafting on a computer. Have had the chance tho to do some hydraulics and hydrology design and that is because after I found out that I'd passed the exam FE I complained to the big boss.
What really pissed me off is that there are a couple of kids here one with a BS in CE the other one is not even a Civil Engineer and they get all the real civil engineering assignments. The first kid has taken and failed the test twice, the second kid is scared to death to take it because he didnt take most of the courses that the exam covers in College.
I mean I don't want to criticize anyone but I think it is unfair that I took the exam, passed it at my first try and I still don't get as much civil engineering tasks as they do!!!
So what can I do about it? A friend told me that the reason for that is because I am too good at CAD so they rather keep me doing CAD work than C.E.
Any advice? I want to be a Civil Engineer not a CAD drafter!!! How do I go about this? I feel so frustrated, specially cuz one of the "kids" the one who is not an engineer seats in the cubicle next to me and it is so depressing when any engineer comes in to give him instructions or assignments to design a drainage system or a stormwater basin and then they come to me just for some stupids mark-ups!!!
HELP please! I need some encouragement and patience maybe.
Thanks?
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
Maybe you are too good at CAD work. It sounds like you really don't have a draftsman in the office, except you.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
I have also seen engineers take more control over their designs, and I have no problem with that, until the drawings are made. Many recent graduates seem to have no concept on what constitutes a proper engineering drawing. Yes, they get all of the correct specs called out, and almost all of the required dimensions, but it is rare to see one of their drawings without glaring mistakes (per AMSE Y14.5). Part of the problem is that either they check and approve the drawings themselves, or have one of their fellow engineers do it. It doesn't matter to them that extension lines and leader lines cross dimension lines, or that their notes don't make sense, or that the geometric tolerancing is impossible to achieve. It tends to breed mediocrity when it comes to the finished drawings. I realize that this is becoming less important with the advances in CNC machining and robotics, but the intent of an engineering drawing is to make it easier for the producer (machinist, welder, etc) of the item to understand exactly what is required. These are things a drawing checker would have caught, but they are a rarity today.
I tend to agree with voltair and The Tick. After those years hunched over the board, I have to admit that I, too, love CADD, especially when I have the opportunity to work with engineers who give me the basic parameters of what is required and let me go at it. With today's high-end software, much more is produced than mere lines on paper, and on all but the most basic parts, even those lines are produced much more quickly and accurately. No comparison. No descriptive geometry required to define views. Design problems that would have been missed until actual parts are made are now uncovered as you create your model. It is much simpler to do mass analysis on a solid model (even lowly "technicians" such as myself can handle this) than with a picture on a drawing. I agree that more time is having to be spent learning the latest software versions, but each new version is more powerful than the last, and it is time well invested. In today's "just in time" environment, it doesn't make business sense to do away with designers and leave it all to the engineers.
I don't have an inferiority complex. I know about appropriate fasters, edge distances, suitable materials and finishes, manufacturing methods, etc. and am always learning more. It is not necessary for an engineer to spoon feed me this information, only to ascertain that the part meets stress requirements, that I have not made any mistakes in my judgement or to suggest better alternatives.
I have held several positions as a design engineer (though I will not refer to myself as such), because the only way the front office could justify my rate was to do so.
I apologize for ranting on about this, and wish I had more to offer racv2, other than look over the above postings again. There is some good advice there, and keep checking back.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
It looks like the consistant advise has been to graduate and pass the FE...
I'm on my way.....Just need to have a lttle more patience..
Thanks everyone..You've all been great!
Anyone else take the FE Saturday?
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
ctopher
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
Unfortunately structural engineers have the most risk (potential of structure collapse) associated w/ their design and they are not paid as good as other fields of engineering.
Structural engineers must be familiar with AISC design manuals. I don't know if the college course prepared you for this. The ideal assumptions used in the Strength of Materials college course may not apply in real life. Hence the AISC bridges this gap through a lot of conditions, & calculations to determine the allowable stress. How are you at Excel spreadheets?
ASHRAE offers night courses that are specific to HVAC. It will cost approximately $4000 total for say (2) years night study.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
I got a job as an "engineer". I like what I am doing now, I am enjoying my job. I always wanted to be a engineer and use my AutoCAD skills so I am glad I was able to quit and get a better job, better paid and a real civil engineer position.
Thank you all for your advice.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
In response to the original post, I think that his prior experience, new training, and crossover abilities will help him a great deal. The biggest problem with new graduates is that they have NO prior experience in ussually ANY field. Employers, as I have seen it, generally hope for some experience to show not only that they can use their skills but that they can work in a work place effectivly. I think this will be his greatest advantage.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.
RE: Help! I'm Sick of CAD.