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AutoCAD...City & Guilds
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in Work & Study
Has anyone had any experience of taking in AutoCAD through City and Guilds? I'm desperately looking at changing my career and have been researching other possibilities for over a year now. Really feels like I need to take the next step and retrain and I've always been drawn to the idea of working with computer design and doing project based work. I'm worried about getting a job at the end of the course, so has anyone who works as a CAD designer got any tips on starting out, getting work experience? I'm quite prepared to start on a low salary and learn on the job. Also, funding another degree isn't really financially viable at the moment, so is the job market for juniors reasonably healthy if I'm prepared to be persistent? I keep having a look around on job sites and there does seem to be a fair few junior jobs around, but very often it doesn't specify a particular qualification, just experience using AutoCAD. Will C&G suffice, and is the key to getting a foot in the door largely to show I'm keen and put together a solid portfolio?
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What's your background? I've only got experience in a very restricted field, but most of the CAD users I've come across have a background knowledge/experience in some kind of design/engineering work as there's a bit more too it than to something like graphic design.
Very different to autoCAD, but a CAD style program, have a play with google sketch up.
My academic background is in music and my work experience is customer service and library based. I'm no great scientist or mathematician by any stretch of the imagination, but my general level of education is fairly good and it seems all you need to take C&G is GCSE maths/science which I've got. I'm pretty strong with art/design although I stopped formal study at A-level - that's partly why I'm looking into CAD as a possibility, as it seems to have some scope for creative input within certain industries. I realise there's potentially going to be a lot of competition from design/graduates/school leavers who've got work experience within design, so I'm prepared to start at the bottom, so any pointers from anyone connected in the industry would be very welcome.
There are some CAD jobs listed on www.oilandgasjobsearch.com. I'm not sure how useful this is for you, but I hope it helps.
D
I am doing an HNC CADD (its all AutoCAD programs) through motherwell college. They do a correspondance course, so technically you should be able to complete the course from wherever you are.
I'll be looking for one of those junior jobs in a couple of months, fingers crosse, when I've finished my HNC.
I've already managed to get a couple of work experience placements through friends of friends to try and boost my CV. I am fully expecting to have to relocate to get a job in this "current climate" which I don't really wanna do, but hey-ho!
hope this helps,
Kirsty