Greg Meyer is a mechanical draughtsman working for an air-conditioning company. He started as a trainee draughtsman six years ago, after his father helped him decide on a career path. He eventually dreams of becoming a project manager, and is lucky enough that his current company is training him in this. “The people that I work with are easy to talk to and fun to be with. This makes my job enjoyable,” he says.

A mechanical draughtsman can earn between R3 000 and R4 000 per month, when starting out. With more experience and training, this salary can go up to R20 000 per month.

“A basic job description,” says Greg, “involves getting information and details  from suppliers on the units that need to be drawn. Then, we draw up the drawings to the manufacturing standards, and send them off to the consultants for approval. Once they have been approved, the manufacturers can start making the units according to the drawings. Finally, we give copies of the drawings to all the relevant people, which means that they have to be up to date and correct at all times.” Site visits are rare and usually only happen when there are upgrades or extensions to units.

“One of the pros of this career is that, if you like drawing, you will love this career. You get to learn so much about AutoCAD, and you get to meet people on site and learn many new skills,” says Greg. “I don’t really have any cons, but maybe trying to get information from consultants could  be a con, as it is usually difficult.”

Although there is no course you can do to become a

mechanical draughtsman, Greg advises that you complete an AutoCAD course and gain some knowledge about the program. If you want to go into design drawing, you need to do mechanical drawing courses. Most of the learning for this career is, however, done   on the job.

The skills you need include being able to concentrate for long periods of time, computer literacy, and        a willingness to learn and expand your horizons and to try new things. “The speed at which you can draw  is also a skill that is gained over time and is very important for a mechanical draughtsman,” emphasises Greg.

To become a mechanical draughtsman, you need to be mechanically minded and somewhat artistic, very meticulous and neat.

“On an average day, I usually arrive at the office and complete tasks given to me by the project manager/engineer. At about 12:00, I will start with new drawings or complete current ones. Throughout the day, I also deal with consultants with regard to queries relating to various drawings,” says Greg.

“The best thing about the job is going to site and seeing what you have drawn, develop from start to finish,” beams Greg.

“The worst thing about the job is dealing with consultants for information regarding the drawings,” laughs Greg.

Greg advises the youth of today, “Choose a career you are good at, because, if you can do something        as a job that makes you happy, theoretically you will never have  to work a day in your life.”