[blahxx]

can you guys tell me anything that you guys know (not assumptions) that can help me. im pre-nursing right now (doing the pre-reqs but who knows if ill even get into a program since so many ppl apply and are waitlisted) but is still considering other career options.

is there a big demand for drafters, is it easy to find jobs, how demanding is the major/study, what is the work condition like, etc etc. i think i can earn as much as a RN as a drafter and im going to work a job for like four yrs and go into business (dont ask lol).

thanks

[Tuffcore]

Do you mean drafter as in Autocad and stuff?

I've been doing that for about 5 years now. The money is supergood especially in Calgary where the Oil and Gas sector is booming. I'm not sure where you are from but you can make upwards $40/hr after 5 years experience if you are in Calgary. It's crazy money. It's like more money than doctors. The thing is though, it's the borest job in the whole wide world so you must be prepared to be bored.

[blahxx]

where is that at? ive never heard of that place before, and yea i meant like auto cad stuff

im in orange county, southern california. do you know if drafting is big here? what kind of a drafter are you? like architectural, uhh what else are there i forgot

what kind of college did you go to and what was studying drafting like? what kind of education do i need and do i have to go to a four yr college or can i study this at a tech school?

i know there are different kinds of draftings and i want to chose one that has the best job prospective. any recommendations for me?

would it be easy for me to find a job as a drafter? my dad is a manager at a very busy construction company and he majored in architectural related subject looong time ago and that's how i learned about drafting (i dont think my dad does drafting, he like looks at them)

what is working as a drafter like? what do you on a daily basis and how is the working environment? im so glad you posted bcuz i dont know anyone who works as a drafter so i dont have anyone to talk to about this. i was interested in this area but wasnt sure how i would do as far as getting a job goes so i just went w/nursing with its security and all but it's not what i really want.

anyways i checked online and the starting pay of an i think architectural drafter was low $30k but i also know that with experience pay does increase. just a random thought

[Tuffcore]

Calgary, Canada. It's a city of roughly 1 million people and it's the Oil and Gas capital of Canada. Oil demand is at an all time high and any job relating to oil and gas is paying well above normal these days. I do Process Piping Drafting which is a form of mechanical drafting.

I've also done some mechanical HVAC and plumbing drafting before but the pay for those jobs is significantly lower than that of process piping. I also heard Architectural firms pay their drafters the lowest wages of them all. Architectural drafting jobs are supposedly dime a dozen and it requires substantially less knowledge than mechanical drafting.

I presume the situation is the same in Orange County. Mechanical drafting will pay the most and Architectural drafting will pay the least. Other forms of drafting such as civil, structural, and electrical are somewhere inbetween those two.

There always seems to be jobs for intermediate and senior level drafters no matter where you are in the world. Junior level drafting jobs are tough to find but it looks like your dad can find some hook-ups so you are set. So no need to worry i suppose.

I went to a technical school myself and earned a certificate for a 1 year program. I became a certified CADs person after that and that's how i got my job. I learned most of my stuff directly from work. I was lucky because i found a company willing to teach juniors. Most people aren't as lucky.

Being a drafter is okay if you don't mind sitting in a cubicle for 8-hours a day staring at the computer monitor. Some find it relaxing and others find it unbearably boring. You pretty much work on autocad for 8-hours straight each day. Luckily, there's always internet on the computer so there's always room for Soompi and stuff.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

[blahxx]

oh nvm i just did a search on salary wiz and for LA the salaries for an architectural drafter level 1 are $36,293 $46,916 $54,972 (lowest, average, highest) and says "May require an associate's degree in related area and 0-2 years of experience in the field or in a related area"

it depends on the size of the company that you work for though and you can earn more than what's mentioned as the highest w/a build up of experience right?

there is not a big difference for level 2 arch. drafter, but for level 3 it says $47,302 $60,382 $77,693 and "May require a bachelor's degree in related area and at least 4 years of experience in the field or in a related area".

should i go for it??

im gonna go look into other types of drafting, but for me personally architectural drafting sounds more interesting

can you tell me what the schooling was like? what did you do in class, what were your grades based upon, was it difficult/stressful, were there a lot of projects, was it interesting, etc.

maybe i can work as a drafter and later go back to school and become like an expert..or go into a different but similar area to expand my responsibilites?

i dont want to rely on my dad for a job. that's just added stress knowing that the ppl that i work for know my dad. would it be difficult to enter the workforce as a fresh graduate? do employers care what school you graduated from?

anyways, thanks for all the info!

**i just did a search on level 1 mechanical drafting and the salaries were: $32,892 $40,228 $49,233

i know what the salary wiz say can be off, but i posted them up for those who are lurking in here

[blahxx]

i also found this

Significant Points

The type and quality of postsecondary drafting programs vary considerably; prospective students should be careful in selecting a program.
**Employment is projected to grow more slowly than average.
Opportunities should be best for individuals with at least 2 years of postsecondary training in drafting and considerable skill and experience using computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) systems.
Demand for drafters varies by specialty and depends on the needs of local industry, particularly architectural and engineering services and manufacturing

** worries me