An Appropriate Job Title For Someone Who Does More Than Just CAD Drafting?

[V_L_F]

Greetings everyone,

I'm coming to you under less than desirable circumstances - I'm looking to hit the ol' job hunt again due to my feeling like I could do much more than my dusty ol' "CAD Technician" job title says that I do. But I'm not entirely sure what kinds of positions I'd be applicable for. I've done a fair amount of googling about, as well as searching this forum, but I haven't found anything that pertains to my growing skill set.

My current position involves me creating 3D models of wooden crates for the shipment of curtain wall units, and then producing shop drawings for said crates. Pretty straight forward stuff (in most cases, anyway).

Now for the neat stuff - I've been dabbling heavily in the creation of iLogic rules & vba macros to automate my modeling & shop drawing creation processes. I've created an elaborate crate generator that will create a crate sized specifically for 1-4 unit assemblies (even if they're different sizes) simply by typing in each unit's height, width & depth nd clicking a button or two. I've almost completely automated the shop drawing creation process for the standard types of crates that we make.

I've taught myself everything up to this point, and I'm eager to do more. But my current job position wants to keep me where I'm at, and I hunger for more.

So what would be an appropriate job title for such an involved skill set?? The closest thing that I've come across is Design Engineer, but that position's definition varies widely depending on the industry in question. Do you guys have any pointers on what kinds of positions that I would qualify for?

Thanks in advance for any help that you guys can provide me. Here's hoping that I can find a more rewarding place to work at in the near future!

[mcgyvr]

Well.. Do you actually do math,etc.. on the design of these "crates" or just enter them in based on excel or whatever formulas that are already done for you..

Frankly.. What you do is a CAD drafters work.. + being "programming aware" which is still in the wheelhouse of many a drafter.. 

You might be able to pull off "Product Designer" or "Design Engineer" (note.. many companies will NOT let you hold any title with "Engineer" in the name if you do not hold an Engineering degree,etc..)

Can you design a product from start to finish?

No offense but a wooden crate doesn't count IMO.. 

Any mechanical or electrical Engineering type experience?

[V_L_F]

No offense taken. Yeah, crating doesn't sound all that exciting. But you'd be surprised at how much goes into automating an assembly model created using a ton of iParts. I coded everything from scratch; the only time I even touched Excel was for the creation of a number of iPart factories to create my library of typical lumber sizes.

I'm curious about what Excel "cheat sheets" you're referring to, though. Maybe there was an easier way to create my crate generator that I'm unaware of.

To answer your question about product design, I was a Design "Engineer" of sorts for 5 years at a signage company. I took signage designs and figured out how we would actually fabricate & install the end products. I did everything except engineer-stamp the drawings myself for city install permits. So take that for what it's worth. =P

I'm aware that I'm not a proper engineer since I lack the degrees for that. However, I'm thrilled at the chance to finally use my coding skills for something work-related. I've dabbled in various programming languages over the years, but have never been able to land a job as a code monkey. I've always had an eye for details, so CAD tech work always came naturally to me.

I guess what I'm really asking is what would be the next level of career advancement for a CAD monkey who's code-savvy and wants to design more involved & automated processes in product design and such. I just don't want to go chasing after positions that I'm not appropriately qualified for. Is there a list of Inventor-related job titles that I could peruse to see where I might fit more appropriately?

[Mark.Lancaster]

@V_L_F

May I ask why you are concerned about a job title at this moment?  Meaning in my job experience..  I've known drafters that should've been designers and designers who should only be drafters..   And don't get me started on Engineers.. 

Granted it sounds like you have hit the top of the ladder in your career at your current job.   That happens a lot..  No forwarded moment..  Unless (and don't take this the wrong way) your company, management or your boss feels like you are not performing at the expected level.

My advice find a job posting that looks interesting and something that you can accomplish.  Apply for it and go from there.  But don't apply to something that you know is out of your expertise.   Be prepared to take a CAD test..  Make sure what you say on your resume or what's in your portfolio you can back up.  Know that you will be rejected or the interview process goes on for awhile.

In the end you could take another job that also has CAD Technician as the title.  Yes certain job titles sound great and impressive but each company has their own definition...  So keep an open mind..   

[MechMachineMan]

Also, depending on your the country you are in the the governance of the profession of engineering there, you might not even be permitted to call yourself an engineer. In Canada, you must be licensed as an engineer through the association to use the word "engineer" in your job title.

My advice would be to aim high with the jobs you apply for. A lot of the workplaces I've been at have been too naive to post jobs for CAD Techs/Mech tech's even though their budget and required skills match that of the Tech better than they do the Engineer that they ask for. Prove yourself through a nice concise resume, and ace the interview and I'm sure you'll do fine.

[V_L_F]

@Mark.Lancaster
I'm p4imarily concerned with the job title specs because I'd like to make my job hunt easier to deal with. Like you said, everyone has slightly eifferent definitions for the same job title, and it's painful at times to wade through all of the CAD Technician job postings looking for one that actually applies to your skill set. Since I'm relatively new to the Inventor coding scene, I'm curious if there are more specific job titles out there that might pertain more closely to my specific skill set, is all. 😃

The othet reason that I'm looking for such specific job titles is to see what I'm actually worth on the job market. I've been at the same income level for longer than I like to admit, and I'd like to see what kind of leverage I may have if/when it comes time to negotiate compensation. You gotta be armed with as much info as possible if you wanna get anywhere in today's world.

[Curtis_Waguespack · Accepted solution]

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@Anonymous.fantini wrote:

... Inventor coding scene, I'm curious if there are more specific job titles out there that might pertain more closely to my specific skill set...

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Hi vincent.fantini,

Search for positions with the word "Developer" in the title such as "CAD Developer". And maybe look at "CAD Administrator" or "CAD Systems Administrator" if you'd be open to some more responsibilities, or working into those responsibilities.

And/Or search for listing with keywords such as "iLogic", VBA, VB.NET, or C++, or what ever you language(s) you know, combined with "Inventor".

FWIW, I think the title "CAD monkey with pants" looks good on a business card.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[Anonymous]

Im a Project Engineer in curtainwall. I would be shocked if your company wouldnt need more people in that area at some point. Fully automate your current job if you can.

[V_L_F]

There's currently two of us working in crating. I'm usually the one who's cranking out drawings while my co-worker is on the shop floor assisting & instructing our crating guys on various issues. He also assist in ordering crates from outside vendors to keep our supply going.

I'd like to fully automate our crating processes, but I feel that the people that we answer to are always going to be pressured by our crazy scheduling to just solve immediate problems immediately. I foresee that it'd take some alterations to our current design & engineering processes to make the crating processes automated; I just don't feel that they'll ever give me the opportunity to fully automate the crating process.

[kpyoung333 · Accepted solution]

I have had the same feeling my entire career and have taken insane steps to try to move ahead. First and foremost, where do you live and are you willing to move? You may be limited to your current surroundings by the businesses in the area. If you live in a poor area they just aren't making enough to ever pay you what you think your skills are worth. If you expand your availability to a nationwide search (assuming US) you will get broader results and increased pay scale. There are many places where weather is harsh, in the middle of nowhere, etc. that have manufacturing/design jobs that need skilled workers but have to pay for bringing them in. If you are primarily concerned about the title and pay that would be the easiest way to achieve both quickly. Work there for 2-5 years and take that title and experience back to the city/home to get a better job or start your own business with the extra money you made. If you want to stay where you are, how do you stand out? Do you have a portfolio (digital website for submissions and matching hard copy for interviews with leave behind flyer for them to hold on to) or are you going to just say you build the sweetest crates around, which will get the previous responses. You can tell that fellow designers are not impressed without seeing something. I understand what you've created and how difficult it is to just drafting, but without conveying this in a clear way you will not be rewarded. I have seen this first hand in my own interview experiences. Before I created mine I was never called back for interviews "I swear I'm the best!", once I had the tools to show my skills didn't have to be such a self-advocate and  got offers all the time (lots of crappy ones but better than being unemployed or ignored). The first thing employers see is your resume. If it sucks and has no portfolio you will go to the bottom of the pile. That is how most organize it. They make a stack and keep them. They might hire the top guy, but when they go to hire again instead of putting out another ad the go to the second in the stack. It feels great to have a good job and someone calls you from a job you applied for months/years ago. Use buzz words related to design and manufacturing. Take heed to the responses, you are not an engineer, nor does it sound like you want to be so don't pretend to be one. Be a manufacturing designer and let them figure out the numbers. I don't have the time, inclination, or money to go back and get my Masters in Engineering so it will be hard for me to build spaceships like I dream to. But I have had four interviews at Orbital because they like my portfolio and I keep applying. Will they hire me without an engineering degree, probably not, but I'm a bit nuts in the fact that I've never cared about the paper just like doing sweet design and am good at it. I believe that if you knock on someone's door long enough and show that you have the drive and will to succeed they will let you in. What do you want to create? Ask yourself the big questions and figure out how to answer them. Aggh I just got a dirty look for writing this manifesto and not making drawings, back to work monkey!

[Curtis_Waguespack]

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@Anonymous.fantini wrote:
... just don't feel that they'll ever give me the opportunity to fully automate the crating process.

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Hi vincent.fantini,

3 words: Return On Investment (ROI)

You'll need to learn to communicate with the powers that be in terms of money. When you show them that there are considerable* cost savings (time and money) to automating the process, it's hard to dismiss.

If the savings are not there, then it's not worth the time and effort, regardless of how "slick" it could be.

Google ROI and you can find a lot of information on how to calculate savings and communicate it.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com