portfolio-need sample drawings

[erikerik777]

hi, I want to create a prtfolio of my drawing abillitiy, but the problem is that I cannot give out dwg's from previous employment due to legalities.After looking through my books, I have not found suitable parts to draw .On looking through the web, I found some decent dwg's, but not in autocad format. I need the dimensions, so a pdf file is useless. Mechanical drawing, electro secondaryif any one has a good link to find samples.
Thank You

[Brian Myers]

If you are a professional then I likely would either:

a) Just design something you are familiar with. If you are not familiar enough with a product or industry to be able to accurately annotate it then I would suggest...

b) Don't do a portfolio. You don't have the experience to actually show off the work to a level that says "I can do this kind of work unsupervised", so come in with a strong cover letter and well written resume and be ready to prove that yes, you can do CAD well. As an employer if I saw a portfolio with work I wouldn't assume the person was good at CAD. Personally, I would assume the person got it wrong 5 times with enough red-marks that it finally looks correct now that they updated it to production standards... unless they could intelligently answer questions about the designed product and why the design was communicated in such a way. Because of this, copying a part won't do you much good unless you can communicate about the design process, etc. which ultimately is what Engineers really care about... the fact you are willing to learn and have a deeper understanding of the "process"... because in understanding what their job is you can better help them (and the company) reach their goals.

Point being... a portfolio with "CAD" work is mostly good for two things:

1) Advancing the interview process (it creates conversation).
2) Helps the employer understand if YOU understand what constitutes a good set of plans.

So while it would be nice to have a portfolio it isn't required if you have difficulty putting together that good, complete set of plans yourself... instead you should focus on your other strengths to get you in the door.

[Robert.Hall]

I have yet to interview someone that brings in a portfolio.
I would aslo hire somebody without one.

Portfolios are only good for showing off unique talents.
Do you have an eye for design? You might just be a
drafting workhorse, just like everyone else.