Not sure if being fluent in AutoCAD can help open new doors in other industries? AutoCAD or automated computer-aided design tools are popping up everywhere. 

From architecture to engineering, medicine, and art, the tool is helping to push innovations in multiple industries. The many advantages of AutoCAD fluency do more than pump up your resume. Okay, the skill does look great on a resume, but it can also make it easier to advance in your chosen industry.

If you’re not sure if you really need to add AutoCAD, here’s a look at some of the industries embracing the flexible tool.

Creative Industries

Creative industries and AutoCAD naturally go hand-in-hand, and this shouldn’t come as a surprise if you’re interested in a career specializing in artistic work. 

Whether you’re starting a career as an architect or animator, the automated tool can help you succeed at just about any project. Even established sculptors are turning to AutoCAD to help them finish projects or come up with ideas for new ones.

How can AutoCAD fluency help? The possibilities are almost endless. Artists can use the tool to create 2D and 3D renderings, and the tool can also produce the very schematics artists use in their creative process. Architects can develop layouts and floor plans. They can even develop the infrastructure for buildings in progress, and they can see what works and what doesn’t before the foundation is laid.

Drafting

Once architects and engineers send over their blueprints, the drafting department takes over the process. The primary job of a drafter is to finalize the measurements and dimensions of a building, machine, or tool. They also help decide which materials are best suited for the project. For example, will brick or concrete work best in a specific area?

Using AutoCAD, drafters can create a prototype without spending the time to build one in a physical space. Whether it’s a 2D or 3D model or one limited to a computer screen, the tool can show the design in action. Drafters can easily make any last-minute changes without taking the time to create another model.

A fun fact—did you know drafting agencies are focusing more on applicants fluent in AutoCAD than those with college degrees? This is just a basic indication of how the computer tool is changing what recruiters are looking for in applicants.

You may be able to launch a career as a building design technician with AutoCAD fluency. Then from there, you can stop subspecialization. Maybe you’re interested in civil drafting or mechanical designs. With AutoCAD, you can have the foundation for a long and successful career.

Designing

If you’re interested in a career in the design industry, you’re probably already aware of your two options. You can pursue a career in interior or industrial design. Yes, AutoCAD fluency is a key skill in both design fields.

You’re familiar with how AutoCAD can create 2D and 3D models since this is something both interior and industrial designers use on most of their projects. The only difference is how the two fields use the created models. Interior designs focus on creating physical spaces. 

Think of living rooms in homes and atriums in office buildings. Industrial designers work on the developmental stage of the project. They’re the ones responsible for designing the living room interior decorators put the finishing touches on.

Industrial designers aren’t limited to creating buildings. They also develop toys, tools, and vehicles. Yes, AutoCAD can play a large role in most stages of the design process. The models designed by AutoCAD can serve another purpose. The small 2D and 3D models can also become part of a designer’s portfolio. 

Sometimes, clients can get a better idea of your capabilities when they can see samples of your designs in a physical space.

Engineering

You shouldn’t be surprised that AutoCAD is a popular tool in the engineering industry. You have a pretty good idea of what the automated tool can accomplish, and a lot of this translates to the engineering industry.

Since engineers create and work off of designs, AutoCAD can be an invaluable tool. AutoCAD can help produce solutions for problems that typically pop up during the design stage. Whether it’s an issue with a design modification, running simulations, or conducting research, the versatile tool is ready to perform these tasks with only a little guidance.

While AutoCAD fluency doesn’t mean giving up on getting a college degree, familiarity with the tool can help open doors to entry-level positions in your chosen field. From there, it’s up to you how far you decide to go in your new career.