Over the last decade, the Department of Labor has reported slower than normal growth in a variety of different fields in which CAD jobs used to flourish. The most noted area is drafting. While it was once done by a full time employee, the industry norm is now to have it done primarily by interns. Outsourcing has also been a concern in terms of slowing the job growth in several CAD fields. If you are trying to find out what kinds of jobs there are, then there are several different ways that you can approach this issue. Here is a quick look at some of the different approaches and how they will affect you and your findings.

By Platform

Currently, one of the most commonly used descriptions of a CAD job type is not what industry it is in, but rather what type of software is being used. This is because once you are well versed with a certain platform, transitioning from one industry to the next is fairly easy. The trend across a variety of job search sites, even CAD specific sites, seems to note that AutoCAD, SolidWorkds, CNC, CATIA, and MicroStation tend to be the most sought after. AutoCAD appears to consistently be the top platform being used, and not by a small margin On many sites, the AutoCAD platform will have up to 10 times as many openings as the next closest platform.

By Industry/Classification

Another way to determine what types of CAD jobs there are is to look at the industry or classification of each open position. There are a wide variety of different industries that will need employees with in-depth CAD skills. The most popular industries tend to be civil engineering, engineering (general), manufacturing/operations, shape design & styling, and mechanical design. While this is not the limit of potential industries, these classifications seem to consistently be the most popular. Of all of these primary options, general engineering tends to carry the most job openings.

By Job Type

A final way to determine what kinds of CAD jobs there are is not to look at what you will actually doing, but rather what “type” of job it is. In most cases, CAD jobs will carry a full-time position, however part-time and freelancing is becoming more popular. Along the lines of a full-time employee, using limited contracts has become popular as well. That means that while the position is full-time, it may only last 6 months or year. With the increased number of communication methods via internet, especially in regards to conferencing, independent contractors or freelancers are also an option that is becoming more popular.

It can be difficult to answer the question, “What type of CAD jobs are there”, because there are so many different variables that come into play. However, recently there are 3 primary criteria that are currently being used to describe the different types of jobs available. These criteria are what platform is being used, what industry it is in, and what type of job it is. While there are a wide range of additional factors that can be taken into consideration, these 3 seem to be most prevalent.

Author Bio: Find engineering and design Cad jobs near you

Category: Career
Keywords: CAD, cad jobs, computer aided design, jobs