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Regarding the requirement of Revit in todays Profession

potentdreams

My apologies if this has been a question posted before.

Since my experience in college was minimal and the firms I worked at for 3 years only used Microstation and Autocad am I essentially screwed out of a career since all positions in my experience range require professional Revit experience? Or is having experience bringing projects from zoning approval to having certificate of Occupancy sufficient? or is it completely firm dependent? 

 
Jan 15, 20 4:01 pm
SneakyPete

Find a job that values your skills or bolster your skills to find a job.

Jan 15, 20 4:04 pm  · 
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Chad Miller

You're going to have to know Revit to be marketable even up to a Project Manager level.  That's just my opinion coming from smaller firms where you do everything.  


Jan 15, 20 4:24 pm  · 
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tduds

In my experience the higher up you are the less important it is that you know Revit. We have some PMs who seem to manage to do their job with Excel + Sketchup.

Jan 15, 20 5:55 pm  · 
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tduds

I learned Revit with a handful of youtube videos & two weeks of picking up redlines. What's stopping you?

You're only screwing yourself out of a career if you don't take the initiative to learn new things.

Jan 15, 20 4:24 pm  · 
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tduds, I agree to a point, but also: I'm currently simultaneously learning and using Revit on a HUGE project that exists in the cloud (BIM 360) with nearly a dozen consultants all in the model simultaneously and it is HARD. Is your experience on smaller projects? Because I am starting to think it would be fun to use on smaller projects now but this big multi-headed hydra of a project is a beast.

Jan 15, 20 5:22 pm  · 
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SneakyPete

That's like joining a superbowl halftime show in the middle and expecting your incredible dancing abilities to help you figure out the routine...

Jan 15, 20 5:49 pm  · 
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tduds

Revit is great for gigantic projects like that (if you have an organized BIM manager!), but I can't imagine jumping into that without ramping up on some smaller projects first. I learned Revit on smaller, but not very small, projects. 25-50 unit apartments, mostly.

Jan 15, 20 5:53 pm  · 
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curtkram

be careful. if a pop up asks you to click 'ok' on something, it's not messing around. like, 'you accidentally clicked the left cursor button, are you sure you want to delete all the ceilings and throw the cabinets 100' outside of the model?' no revit, what the hell is wrong with you?

Jan 15, 20 8:37 pm  · 
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potentdreams

Learning on your own is not experience in a professional setting. Also I have used it before in school for about 3 years was quite proficient in it as well. Eventually I replaced it with autocad and Autodesk Maya could do alot more and alot quicker. Just no experience in the professional setting which youtube and a laptop cant accomplish.

Jan 15, 20 5:37 pm  · 
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Chad Miller

Well then you should find a different profession.

Jan 15, 20 6:42 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur

Use in school =/= proficiency

Jan 16, 20 9:59 am  · 
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Almosthip7

get a Lynda account and start learning

Jan 15, 20 6:14 pm  · 
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liberty bell

Can confirm, the Lynda courses are very good.

Jan 16, 20 7:00 am  · 
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Lynda has great classes and accounts can be free with a university affiliation or a local library card.

Jan 23, 20 10:09 am  · 
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zonker

many firms require you to take a Revit test, The office I'm at, we have to take a Revit proficiency exam every year

I learned Revit back in 06', it was easy then your work your way in - you just can't do that anymore, even small firms make you take a test

BIM360 makes it a global BIM profession. you really should learn it, or be forced to retire

Jan 15, 20 7:27 pm  · 
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SneakyPete

Absolutes are always right.

Jan 15, 20 7:35 pm  · 
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tduds

I've never encountered a Revit test and would probably leave mid-interview from a firm that required it. But maybe I'm spoiled.

Jan 15, 20 8:08 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur

I am the revit test in our office. The owners might be impressed with shiny images and self-evaluations on CVs but I’ll lift the skirt of your model and tear it down.

Jan 15, 20 8:22 pm  · 
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SneakyPete

the model? or the skirt? I'm confused.

Jan 16, 20 11:49 am  · 
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jwsd

I have taken a Revit test following an interview at a global sector-leader firm. This is so that they can ensure they are hiring the most well-trained people. Gensler had their BIM manager attend my interview to evaluate my level of skill. My personal experience is that it's always best to work with PMs who know the software and can understand its limitations. Therefore, some Revit knowledge is beneficial at every level in my opinion.

Jan 16, 20 2:52 pm  · 
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Chad Miller

We're a 12 person firm and we give Revit tests. Now this is just to know if we need to send you classes to get up to our standard.  We obviously require previous Revit knowledge to even get an interview.  

Jan 16, 20 4:38 pm  · 
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bowling_ball

With 3 years experience, so long as you can somehow demonstrate that you understand the basics of a CD set, and you have a good attitude, I would consider hiring somebody in your shoes. 


It also depends on the position you're applying for. Are you on track to get licensed? Then I don't care all that much (in my specific office). Are you looking for a technical position? Then you should be have some real-world Revit experience. Different skills for different roles. 


I put 'ability and willingness to learn,' 'good attitude,' and 'good fit for the office culture' all above technical skills when I'm hiring an intern or junior architect. I'm not the only one either. 



Jan 15, 20 9:07 pm  · 
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potentdreams

Definately towards taking on more responsibility, finiahing my idp hours, and getting liscenced. Drafting is fun when learning the ins and outs of how documents go together but my interests lye in the human interactions with coordination, contractors, and the client. All of which my mentors allowed me to learn. Well as much as someone with so few years under their belt can.

Jan 15, 20 9:43 pm  · 
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Chad Miller

With all that human interaction you didn't learn how to spell?

Jan 16, 20 9:48 am  · 
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potentdreams

Haha you are a true chad

Jan 16, 20 1:08 pm  · 
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Chad Miller

It's ok, my spelling is horrible and I only speak and write (poorly) one language!

Jan 16, 20 1:26 pm  · 
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What's Revit?

Jan 16, 20 10:00 am  · 
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Chad Miller

Ok boomer

Jan 16, 20 10:16 am  · 
1  · 

Shhh … adults are talking.

Jan 16, 20 10:39 am  · 
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Non Sequitur

I discussed rivets on site this morning.

Jan 16, 20 12:25 pm  · 
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potentdreams

If were talking about getting some blind rivets on a face panel thats the stuff, yea that good stuff, that looks good.

Jan 16, 20 1:10 pm  · 
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leonizer

riveting story. bravo.

Jan 16, 20 1:49 pm  · 
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Chad Miller

So do I need to say 'ok boomer' to miles more or less?

Jan 23, 20 10:27 am  · 
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atelier nobody

Roberts ought to recuse himself, as he is a Boomer.

Jan 23, 20 12:53 pm  · 
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Chad Miller

That doesn't answer my question though.

Jan 23, 20 4:36 pm  · 
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tduds

The boomer response to "OK Boomer" is exactly the kind of ridiculous emotional fragility they've been accusing millennials of for the past decade and it's fucking hilarious.

Jan 23, 20 4:43 pm  · 
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potentdreams

Fyi,  i got a job without professional revit experience. At a firm that uses Revit.


Experience is valuable afterall.

Jan 23, 20 4:52 pm  · 
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tduds

Congrats. Never stop learning.

Jan 23, 20 4:54 pm  · 
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Chad Miller

That's great! Now go learn some Revit and you'll be unstoppable! 8-)

Jan 23, 20 6:10 pm  · 
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