Drafters

High school classes such as shop, mechanical drawing, computer-aided design, and graphic design provide good opportunities for gaining experience in drafting. There are also many hobbies and leisure time activities, such as woodworking, building models, and repairing and remodeling projects, which require the preparation of drawings or use of blueprints. After the completion of some courses in mechanical drawing and computer-aided design, it may be possible to locate a part-time or summer job in drafting. You should also try to interview a drafter about his or her job. Ask your counselor or shop teacher to help arrange an information interview. Suggested interview questions include: What made you want to enter this career? What type of tools and equipment do you use to do your work? What do you like most and least about your job? How did you train for this field? What advice would you give to young people about preparing for the field and being successful on the job? How will advances in technology change the field?

Participate in competitions that are offered by professional associations, youth organizations, and other entities. For example, the Technology Student Association (https://tsaweb.org/competitions) offers 40 competitions for high school students, including those in Architectural Design, Computer-Aided Design-Architecture, and Computer-Aided Design-Engineering. SkillsUSA (https://www.skillsusa.org) is another youth membership organization that offers competitions. Some of the SkillsUSA competitions that will be of interest to aspiring sonographers include Architectural Drafting, Technical Drafting, and Engineering Technology-Design.