What You'll Do

  • Develop detailed design drawings and specifications for mechanical equipment, dies, tools, and controls, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment.
  • Coordinate with and consult other workers to design, lay out, or detail components and systems and to resolve design or other problems.
  • Review and analyze specifications, sketches, drawings, ideas, and related data to assess factors affecting component designs and the procedures and instructions to be followed.
  • Compute mathematical formulas to develop and design detailed specifications for components or machinery, using computer-assisted equipment.
  • Position instructions and comments onto drawings.
  • Modify and revise designs to correct operating deficiencies or to reduce production problems.
  • Design scale or full-size blueprints of specialty items, such as furniture and automobile body or chassis components.
  • Check dimensions of materials to be used and assign numbers to the materials.
  • Lay out and draw schematic, orthographic, or angle views to depict functional relationships of components, assemblies, systems, and machines.
  • Confer with customer representatives to review schematics and answer questions pertaining to installation of systems.

Essential Skills

Reading Comprehension 3.25/5
Active Listening 3.25/5
Mathematics 3.25/5
Critical Thinking 3.25/5
Active Learning 3.25/5
Speaking 3.12/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.12/5
Writing 3.0/5
Monitoring 3.0/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.0/5
Coordination 3.0/5
Instructing 3.0/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.

Common styles

Attention to Detail, Dependability, Cautiousness, Achievement Orientation, Intellectual Curiosity

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Near Vision 3.75/5
Mathematical Reasoning 3.5/5
Visualization 3.5/5
Oral Comprehension 3.25/5
Oral Expression 3.25/5
Written Expression 3.25/5
Fluency of Ideas 3.25/5
Originality 3.25/5

Technologies & Tools

1CadCam Unigraphics Adobe After Effects Adobe LiveMotion Autodesk AutoCAD Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D Autodesk Inventor Autodesk Mechanical Autodesk Navisworks Autodesk Revit Bentley MicroStation Bentley Navigator Bill of materials software Computer aided design and drafting CADD software Computer aided design and drafting software CADD Dassault Systemes CATIA Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Document management system software ERP software ESRI ArcGIS software Extensible markup language XML

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 5.0/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.44/5)
  • Cautiousness (High importance: 4.21/5)
  • Achievement Orientation (High importance: 4.03/5)
  • Intellectual Curiosity (High importance: 3.84/5)

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How to Become One

This career typically requires vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some specialized training or certification may also be required.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Aeronautical Drafter Architectural Drafter Auto Design Detailer Auto Design Drafter (Automotive Design Drafter) Auto Design Layout Drafter (Automotive Design Layout Drafter) AutoCAD Designer AutoCAD Drafter AutoCAD Technician Body Design Checker Body Designer CAD Designer (Computer Aided Design Designer) CAD Designer (Computer-Aided Design Designer) CAD Drafter (Computer Aided Design Drafter) CAD Drafter (Computer-Aided Design Drafter) CAD Draftsman (Computer-Aided Design Draftsman) CAD Draughter (Computer Aided Design Draughter) CAD Operator (Computer Aided Design Operator) CAD Operator (Computer-Aided Design Operator) CAD Technician (Computer Aided Design Technician) CADD Drafter (Computer-Aided Design and Drafting Drafter) CAM Specialist (Computer Aided Manufacturing Specialist) Castings Drafter Controls Designer Design Checker Design Drafter Design Technician Detail Drafter Detailer Die Designer Drafter Drafting Technician Furniture Detailer Gage Designer Installation Drafter Machine Design Checker Mechanical Design Drafter Mechanical Design Technician Mechanical Designer Mechanical Detailer Mechanical Drafter Mechanical Draughter Mechanical Piping Designer Mold Designer Patent Drafter Pattern Drafter Piping Designer Plastic Mold Designer Product Designer Project Designer Technical Designer Technical Illustrator Tool and Die Designer Tool Design Drafter Tool Designer

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.