OCCUPATION: DRAFTER

Name: Meg Beatrice Company: The Blurock Partnership, Newport Beach Thumbs up: “You have a chance to constantly learn new things. I’m always exposed to different jobs and different construction processes, as opposed to a job where you do repetitive functions. I’m a little unusual because I’m in the middle of switching professions. I left a job as a controller to go back to school. I’ve always wanted to be an architect since I was a kid. I didn’t find accounting and finance very rewarding. But drafting is an interesting mix of creativity and structure.” Thumbs down: “Drafting is set up as an internship rather than a job . . . and being a drafter is an apprenticeship to that program, so the pay is a little low. It’s OK for kids right out of college, but for someone like me who is a little older and more established, the pay structure can be difficult.” Next step: “I took courses at community college to become a drafter. Now I’m in the process of applying to graduate school so I can get a professional degree and learn what I need to pass the written and oral parts of the exam to get my architect’s license.” Advice: “Talk to as many architects as possible to find out what the profession is all about because it’s a big investment of time--it takes eight years to get there. And since things are so tough in this economy, I would say: ‘Be persistent in looking for a job.’ ” Salary range: In Orange County, drafters earn between $5.75 and $23 an hour. Education and training requirements: Employers prefer applicants with at least two years of college or technical school training. Ability to read blueprints, and freehand drawing and computer assisted design skills are also essential. Size of work force: Large. In Orange County, 4,600 to 4,900 people, or 0.4% of the labor force, work as drafters. Expected demand: A slower than average growth rate is expected through the end of the decade. Employers have reported little trouble finding both experienced and inexperienced applicants. Most expect to see a portfolio during an interview. Job description: Working from rough sketches, verbal instructions and engineering data, drafters produce working drawings--such as schematics, instrumentation diagrams and drawings of finished products--that specify dimensions, materials and processes used in the creation of a final product. They produce drawings either manually or by using a computer assisted drafting system. Mechanical drafters design machinery and mechanical equipment; electronic drafters produce schematics of electrical circuits; civil drafters work on plans for major construction projects such as dams, roads, bridges and sewage systems; architectural drafters are involved with the structural, functional and aesthetic features of buildings. Major employing industries: Engineering and architecture firms; manufacturing, electronics, construction, transportation, communications and utilities industries; federal, state and local governments. For more information: Call the American Design Drafting Assn. in Rockville, Md., at (301) 460-6875. Researched by DALLAS M. JACKSON / Los Angeles Times