How to find a design engineer: CAD, industry, staff or project
A design engineer is about drawings and responsibility for the product
A design engineer develops the structure of a product and issues the documentation that technologists and the workshop then follow. A steel structure detailer, a mechanical engineer, a furniture designer and an electronics developer are different profiles, and moving from one to another is not always easy. If the job post doesn't name the industry, random candidates will reply.
Software and experience
Name the CAD software the person will use: SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Inventor or another. Say whether 3D modelling is needed or 2D drawings are enough. Ask to see a portfolio or sample drawings (without the closed data of former employers). It helps to ask how the candidate prepares bills of materials and makes changes after comments from the workshop.
What to put in the job post
- Industry — steel structures, mechanical engineering, furniture, electronics;
- Software — SolidWorks, AutoCAD, other CAD;
- Education — a technical degree or diploma;
- Experience — how many years on similar products;
- Format — staff, project work, office, hybrid;
- Schedule — for example, 5 days a week, 9:00 to 18:00;
- Pay — salary or pay per project;
- City — where the company is located.
Example: “Cape Town, a design engineer is needed for steel structure detailing. Work in AutoCAD and Tekla, a technical degree, 3+ years of experience. Hybrid format, 5 days a week, 9:00 to 18:00, on the payroll, salary from R 8,900.”
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
Instead of a series of ads, you create one request for the job. It is checked for ads and contacts, and you get hints on what else to add. Candidates reply in chat: they tell you about their experience, software, expected pay and start dates. Reviews are visible next to a reply. Your number and messenger stay hidden until you choose a candidate. Read more: how it works.
How to assess a candidate
It is good when the candidate knows not only the software but also production: how a part will be cut, welded or bent, because a drawing that can't be made is expensive. Give a small test task: a sketch of a unit or corrections to a finished drawing. This is quicker than long interviews. Ask how he acts when the workshop returns a drawing with comments. Check his knowledge of drawing standards and his ability to work with technologists. If you need not a design engineer but a doer in the workshop, look at the lathe operator or fitter; for other trades, see the manufacturing section.
If you are looking for work
Register on BlaBlaPrice as a service provider, pick this category and your region, and you will receive such job posts to reply to. Mention the software you work in.
