AutoCAD

Fletch123

I'm struggling at the moment to get my foot in the door with a commercial archaeology company. I have my degree and masters in archaeology as well as work experience (albeit research rather than commercial) and also good references.

Through the masters I learned how to survey, use GIS and various other bits and bobs.

However, didn't learn AutoCAD.

Do you think I should do a course in it while looking for work to be more employable? Is AutoCAD still a good skill to have or is it something that people pick up nowadays?


I've been working in admin with a conservation architect, but am quitting to get back onto the archaeology (money can only give you so much happiness!).

Saabdub

Hi Fletch, I don't see many archaeological reports where the drawing are prepared in autocad (but that could just be the consultancies I'm working with). The main autocad drawings I see come from planning/engineering consultancies preparing development/EIS drawings and from geophysics consultancies.


Saabdub

the evil belly

i use autocad on a regular basis but it's not something most people need. it's mainly a survey/illustration tool so if you're not applying for that side of things then i wouldn't see how it would be of much benefit. that said if you can get your hands on a copy then play around with it a bit but i wouldn't go to the expense of doing a course in it

tonc76

I couldn't see any practice employing an archaeologist with a masters and then asking him/her to produce anything using Autocad. While Autocad is a widely used piece of software worldwide, it wouldn't make sense for you to be producing drawings. A technician getting paid half or less what you will be earning would produce drawings.

Basically - don't worry yourself about learning Autocad. The other skills that you have picked up along the way have far more importance in the field.

Fletch123

Thanks all. Was wondering since applying for jobs I got one or two responses asking if I had experience of using Autocad.


Still looking for work- any tipoffs out there? I'm just phoning round, pestering companies until they give me a job- just need some commercial experience and then I'll have more leverage I think?

tonc76

Try having a look at www.nra.ie (National Roads Authority) to see where roads projects are ongoing and proposed. Archaeology has to be carried on nearly all schemes before construction starts. List the upcoming schemes and then carry out a seperate search for that scheme as many have their own independant website. I have seen archaeological contractors listed on some of these sites so they may have an opening. Alternatively call the NRA as they have archaeologists employed. You could ask are there any openings or at least get a heads up from one of them as to which contractors will be carrying out work in the near future.

Best of luck

Fletch123

Tonc- yeah, I've been going that, I know how it all works, just trying to get my foot in the door.

the evil belly

try www.bajr.org too perhaps, though obviously a lot of it's uk based. i assume you've tried simply visiting all the commercial companies websites and checking their jobs pages. golden pages can be worth a shot for some of the smaller one man band kind of things weher people need one or two staff for a few weeks monitoring or whatnot. that said things do seem to be a little slack at the moment

Fletch123

Evil Belly- think I've given the advice of looking in the Golden Pages in another thread!

Like you said, things are slow, just not having much luck at the moment (just the same as everyone else!).

Just asking on the off chance that someones heard of giant new project that requires archaoelogists of my experience

the evil belly

fair enough, haven't read through the entire forum yet like, people keep expecting me to do some work:rolleyes:

i'll certainly give everyone here a heads up when our lot start hiring again. hopefully soon. i'm cracking up from being inside doing post ex, though i have had worse winters

Red_Star

and who is your lot eh???:D

the evil belly

ofices in cork galway and scotland.

'nuff said?

Red_Star

Headland ....I thought the Carlow dig was over ....post ex then

the evil belly

wasn't involved with carlow myself. managed to avoid it completely in fact. happy days.

out and about now and again doing a few bits and pieces as they come up and then back in for post ex on a few other jobs and getting **** together for other small ones due to start soon.

nothing doing on the job front for upcoming stuff i'm sorry to say