Sorry, I can get a little verbose when I am upset.

Spot on. Real proper BIM management is for people with a solid background in IT and an understanding of construction. For example, a pro

programmer can far more easily learn revit and code scripts in Python for the API as opposed to an architect. Dynamo -visual programming gives non experts the ability to make things happen, but just things not miracles.

Thanks for the advice, Ill poke around the office and see if there is an opportunity for me to take on a role like this, although we primarily do high end residential projects, so even though our projects do have some complexity, I dont know whether they are large or complex enough to have a dedicated BIM model manager, but still, worth a try

I really like this diagram, wish I had seen it earlier in my life

Yeah this is mind numbingly stupid

To be honest, I havent really thought about this. The thing is that I havent really been doing any programming for almost 10 years now (5 years of architectural studies & about 4 years of architectural work), so I rusty to say the least.

I do feel like programming is a little like riding a bike, and that after a crash course for a few weeks I should pick up most of it again, but at this time, I wouldnt classify myself as being a particularly experienced and proficient in software developer. But still worth looking into. How would this sort of skillset fit into an engineering firm?

I do still have a soft spot for architecture, but at the moment its more about admiring it than actually doing it myself.

My main reason for not talking in terms of completely jumping ship to another profession is that I feel that I have already invested so much of my life into it that starting from scratch would almost be unbearable at this point. But yes, a different firm is on my list.

It was a combination of factors, all of which I do not remember anymore. At the time of my graduation it was difficult for me to find a job for some reason. I also think there was an element of being young and naive, wanting to make the world a better place, and who needs money anyway?! If you choose a job you love, youll never have to work a day in your life, right? Screw you Confucius! I was also possibly influenced a little by Ted Mosby. :(

I'm sure many of us are. One thing I realized was that if you want to make money in Architecture, you're in the wrong career. I have a sibling lawyer, who went through the same amount of schooling (in terms of years) and receives $15K raises every year... on the other hand, for an Architect to get a $15K raise, they would have to jump ship or work at the same firm for a combined 3-4 years! (Assuming that the firm gives 5-10% raise if you're lucky!)

Or is this where the "BIM Model Manager" thing comes in?

Do you really want to ride the hype train?

I know of them indirectly. While they cover technical aspects, they focus on management, strategies, BIM vs building lifecycles, budgeting of BIM systems - that's what an employer would want to hear anyway. At the end of the day, they are a mixed bag, but they look good on your CV, which will likely increase your chances of obtaining a BIM Manager job.

Touche Mr Ranodmised. What I meant by my question was whether the concepts and skills they teach are worth the price they command (it looks like a years tuition is pretty much exactly equal to my current annual salary), or whether the same concepts and skills could be learned on the job. But Adrian's comment about it looking good on a CV does make sense.

When you are looking to get hired at a firm where nobody knows BIM better than you, they might be impressed with such titles or courses...but at any other firm they'll see right through that I guess and only see the personal ambition reflected with taking up such a study(which might be a deciding factor)... It wouldn't hurt but it might be simply a waste of time and rands.

@Gsouth & randomised - it's not only a matter of raw BIM knowledge. Look at this https://www.thenbs.com/knowledge/bim-levels-explained - in the UK, the government is mandating BIM standards which will involve a lot of copyright and liability issues. For this reason alone, a client or an insurer could, and probably will require, that BIM managers must have a minimum level of formal qualification, degrees, etc - on top of their actual knowledge. I understand it's not the same in every country, but this, to me, is a universal trend. Also this document

@AdrianFGA Do you see this area separating itself as a fully formed and independent position of its own in the near future, like architects, quantity surveyors, mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, structural engineers currently are, or has this in a way already happened?

Ah yes, the BIM levels, you'll need to be able to work at least in level 2 or there's nothing substantial to even "manage" I suppose.

^ in theory who wants to bid on large projects especially public ones, should be level 2 - compliant... the next push is for level 3... the digital evolution from generating lines, to generating objects (as in your average use of Revit by architects) to generating whole processes, extending to more and more aspects of the project's life cycle

True, we had a BIM levels contract with the builder and engineers once about all deliverables in each phase.

@randomised - I'm not surprised. In reality, when it comes to BIM implementation, Britain might actually lag behind other European countries, like Germany.... some of the most advanced 3D software comes from Germany or France (Siemens PLM or Catia by Dassault Systemes), albeit they are used more in fields like manufacturing or the more technologically advanced aerospace. To give an example, Siemens developed a proprietary geometric constraint solver (a core component of any parametric software), which is used by lots of major players in the field including Autodesk, they have an impressive list of customers 

Even more?