zippia ai icon

Automatically Apply For Jobs With Zippi

Upload your resume to get started.

Drafter skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Drafter Example Skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical drafter skills. We ranked the top skills for drafters based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 7.9% of drafter resumes contained layout drawings as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a drafter needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 drafter skills for your resume and career

1. Layout Drawings

Here's how drafters use layout drawings:
  • Prepared layout drawings of minor mechanical assemblies from design specifications and/or finis design layouts.
  • Created the Electrical, Mechanical, and other machine layout drawings for the liquid packaging lines in the plant.

2. Aided Design

Here's how drafters use aided design:
  • Created and maintained engineering drawings using AutoCAD and SolidWorks Computer-Aided Design Software.
  • Performed the actual creating process, using the CADD (computer-aided design and drafting) system to document all designs.

3. Revit

Revit, also known as Autodesk Revit, is computer software used by architects, structural engineers, and designers to perform building modeling tasks. Revit was designed to facilitate users, draw building modeling structures in a 2D and 3D format. Creating such models allows architects and engineers to pre-planning, scheduling, estimating the life of the structure and the entire cost of construction.

Here's how drafters use revit:
  • Modeled existing floor plan, suggested construction options, and appliance layout using a Building Information Modeling software named Revit 2014.
  • Worked with CAD based systems including AutoCAD (2000-2012), Revit, and manipulating graphics and 3D modeling.

4. Auto CAD

Here's how drafters use auto cad:
  • Prepare, or direct the preparation of, product or system layouts and detailed drawings and schematics using auto CAD software.
  • Prepared residential drawings, lands segregation drawing and sites electrical and plumbing drawings using Auto CAD and Carlson Survey programs.

5. Engineering Drawings

Engineering drawings are technical drawings that tell about the requirements for engineering components or equipment. Such drawings have standardized languages and symbols. There are multiple types of engineering drawings such as isometric drawing, orthographic or multiview drawing, schematic drawings, one view, and two view drawings, etc.

Here's how drafters use engineering drawings:
  • Produced and prepared nationwide telecommunication engineering drawings for 3 of the top telecommunication companies in the United States.
  • Document control of Engineering Change Notices and Engineering drawings for Quality Water Monitoring Systems.

6. Sketch

Here's how drafters use sketch:
  • Draft detail drawing or sketch for drafting room completion or to request parts fabrication by machine, sheet or wood shops.
  • Converted 2D drawings to AutoCAD from a sketch, to create elevations, sections, and detail drawings for brochures.

Choose from 10+ customizable drafter resume templates

Build a professional drafter resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your drafter resume.

7. Assembly Drawings

Here's how drafters use assembly drawings:
  • Drafted detailed mechanical assembly drawings, electrical schematic diagrams, architectural layouts, and structural plans.
  • Produce sub-assembly, top-assembly drawings and kit assembly drawings from detail engineering sketches verbal instructions.
Select Skills To Add To Your Resume

8. Shop Drawings

Here's how drafters use shop drawings:
  • Completed price quotes for engineered parts, created shop drawings for CNC/plasma/water jet machine operators, and reviewed customer specifications/requests.
  • Attended weekly meeting, reviewing shop drawings and communicating effectively and efficiently with clients and construction personals.

9. Construction Drawings

Here's how drafters use construction drawings:
  • Develop and translate client ideas into construction drawings for engineering certification and use by building contractors.
  • Compiled bills of materials and construction drawings required for reverse engineered medical device test fixtures.

10. GD

GD refers to Grade Delay and is often mentioned on report cards or academic records when the instructor of a particular subject decides to hold the grade of a student. This is usually done if the instructor wants the student to improve their grade by retaking the exam or doing something for extra credit that will ultimately enhance their overall grade. Eventually, when the grade is assigned, the GD is then replaced with the original grade.

Here's how drafters use gd:
  • Utilized GD & T 3D sustaining tooling/fixturing of existing products, utilizing ProE/SolidWorks.
  • Created fab drawings, GD & T required for precision parts.

11. Technical Drawings

Here's how drafters use technical drawings:
  • Prepared technical drawings and plans clearly illustrating the details of tools and structure.
  • Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics and computer-generated reports.

12. GIS

A geographic information system (GIS) is a tool for capturing, storing, manipulating, analyzing, managing and presenting various forms of geographic data.

Here's how drafters use gis:
  • Drafted base according to GIS and mapping data to scale including property and streets; hydrology with all names and notations.
  • Assisted GIS administrator in extensive data quality control of geographic features and pipeline crossings in ArcSDE database.

13. Design Drawings

Here's how drafters use design drawings:
  • Develop detailed design drawings and specifications for mechanical equipment and tools using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment.
  • Develop design drawings and specifications for structural engineering, commercial architectural projects, using AutoCAD knowledge and skills.

14. PDF

PDF, which stands for Portable Document Format, enables one to open a document on any operating system-OS without using the app that created it while maintaining the same layout. You only need to have the PDF reader to view a PDF document.

Here's how drafters use pdf:
  • Transferred information from PDF files to working AutoCAD drawings, added soil sample information to existing commercial floor plans.
  • Used Adobe Acrobat to generated & maintain PDF libraries for manufacturer specifications & approved final assemblies.

15. Mechanical Drawings

Here's how drafters use mechanical drawings:
  • Assist engineers in designing mechanical drawings and modifying existing drawing for manufacturing sheet metal.
  • Created and edited mechanical drawings of electrical motors and generators for Service Department.
top-skills

What skills help Drafters find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

List of drafter skills to add to your resume

Drafter Skills

The most important skills for a drafter resume and required skills for a drafter to have include:

  • Layout Drawings
  • Aided Design
  • Revit
  • Auto CAD
  • Engineering Drawings
  • Sketch
  • Assembly Drawings
  • Shop Drawings
  • Construction Drawings
  • GD
  • Technical Drawings
  • GIS
  • Design Drawings
  • PDF
  • Mechanical Drawings
  • Drawing Packages
  • HVAC
  • MEP
  • Windows
  • CNC
  • BOM
  • Fabrication Drawings
  • Electrical Schematics
  • Construction Projects
  • PowerPoint
  • DOD
  • Electrical Drawings
  • As-Built Drawings
  • P Id
  • Production Drawings
  • Mechanical Drafting
  • Rough Sketches
  • Cad Cam
  • R
  • ANSI
  • Isometric Drawings
  • IDS
  • Structural Drawings
  • ECO
  • Design Changes
  • Civil Engineering
  • Autodesk Autocad
  • Architectural Drawings
  • ECN
  • Part Drawings
  • Part Numbers
  • Instrumentation Diagrams
  • Mechanical Equipment
  • Drafting Tools

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse architecture and engineering jobs