I’m not an engineer, but I’m surrounded by them at work and at home. I’ve even been accused of thinking like one—which knowing the context of when it was said, I take as a compliment. So, with all this immersion into the ways and minds of engineers, I can’t say I'm surprised when I hear a talented engineer say something like, "I've been using your software for years. I don't need any training. I already know all that I need to know."
Oh, really. I bet you dimes to donuts, you also utter phrases similar to “who was the idiot that designed this?” or “I’ll figure it out as I go,” and "how hard could it be." On top of that, these phrases are more likely to come out when you're in a hurry. And doesn't that seem counter-productive?
Nearly every engineer in the world today has one thing in common: they are pressed for time. They need bigger, better, faster and they need it yesterday. Sound like you?
I don’t care if you’re a manufacturing engineer, design engineer, an R&D engineer, a sales engineer or a domestic engineer. I’m sure you, like everyone, are looking for ways to improve on the status quo and get things done quicker.
But sometimes just doing what you're currently doing, only doing it faster isn't the right answer. I guarantee that many, many things (like software) have changed and improved in recent years, all for the betterment of you and your processes. And if you aren't spending time - even just a little - to keep up, you're really missing out.
What are the things you should realize if you find yourself racing against time?
- Know your time is a limited commodity. You need to find ways to use it wisely. Have you heard the saying, "sometimes you have to spend time now to make-up time later?" (Probably not because I just made that up.) But it makes sense, doesn’t it? You're never going to improve unless you put the time in to make improvements.
- Realize that you don’t know what you don’t know. That even applies to the most talented engineer. We can’t be an expert in all things. Seek out those who are. After all, there are some people whose main objective is to know more about CAD software than you do.
- It’s okay to stop and ask for help if you don’t know how to do something. Sure, you might be able to figure it out on your own. But you could end up wasting a lot of your time trying to figure it out. Be honest—you know that if you ask the right source, you’ll likely get an immediate answer.
- Take advantage of the resources available to you: technical support, online lessons and training classes, video tutorials, tips & tricks, webinars...I could go on, but the point is, you might already be paying for these things, so use them. And even if you aren't paying for them, take advantage of what's free.
So, what does this boil down to? Figure out what fits your schedule and then either do your research, get educated or ask the question. Yes, you might have to spend a little money. And you're certainly going to have to spend some of your time. But you should leverage the resources that are already available to you. (Ahem. Like maybe your CAD software vendor?) Maybe with any luck, you’ll uncover things you didn’t know and figure out how to use that knowledge to get your job done and get it done fast.
PS. So yes. Kubotek offers a variety of CAD training courses for KeyCreator Direct CAD. Kubotek University is also another place where loads of resources and expertise reside - and it's available for free to customers current on their maintenance contract. Also check out our numerous on-demand webinars, available for free on our website.
Get in there and see if you can uncover ways to use powerful functions, new and old, to get your job done. It will be time well-spent.
