Architectural Drafting

Have you ever thought about what it takes to create and build a skyscraper?  There are so many different aspects and people involved in such a project, people often forget about the architectural drafter.  Architectural drafting is the first step to creating any commercial or residential building. Take the time to see the importance of this profession as well as what your part will be upon graduating from your training school and starting your architectural drafting career!

As a drafter it will be your job to create the designs as well as all of the construction details for any given structure.  These details need to explain everything that needs to be done when given to the construction foreman.  The foreman will look over the set of plans and if all is well, he or she will begin the construction. 

Your drafting level will be determined by the amount of work and responsibility that you have under your belt.  The senior drafter has the most responsibility and work to handle each day.  He or she will also have drafters working beneath them so that plans are of top quality at all times.  As the senior drafter on staff, it will be your job to finish out all of the development plans and deliver them to the site once they are ready to go.  The junior drafters will work under the senior drafter and use plans that the senior drafter has created to create new plans and new details.  Once you are out of school, you will actually start out as a tracer before you get to being a junior drafter.  This is how it goes for most job positions so just work your way up from there.

As an architectural drafter, you will need to employ the right tools when you are at work each day.  Freehand drawings may not be as common with drafters these days, but you never know when you will need to rely on the skill of your hand and a basic No. 2 pencil.  Freehand does require some sort of artistic ability and you will need to have tools such as calculators, protractors, and rulers to help you out.  Of course, you will work with your computer on a regular basis.  Most of the time, you will be using CAD drafting software in order to calculate and design all of the plans needed properly.  When using computer software, the mistakes are going to be few and far between.

Without our architectural drafters, we would not be able to enjoy tall skyscrapers, movie theaters, libraries, and even the homes that we live in.  During your training, try to find out about different career advancement opportunities for you.  Most training schools will actually assist students and help them land their first tracer position or internship.  Career websites will also point you in the right direction to finding the right drafting position.  The current average salary of an architectural drafter is just right around the $40,000 mark. Of course, there are excellent ways that you can advance and earn more each year.  Extra training classes that can be taken online will enable you to get better jobs.  You can also try to outsource your services to companies for a lower rate, but you may have to wait awhile till you get to that point.