It’s simpler than you think!
It's my first blog post and I’m answering this loaded question!
Knowing where to start can seem like such a huge task. The article below will provide clarity on how to start your career in construction!
Research the basics of construction!
Construction is the reason that Revit exists. Someone out there thought, "if we can understand all the issues that may happen in the field before it actually happens, then projects would be more profitable with less mistakes." Well...they were right! And Revit 3D modeling was born.
So first, begin looking up general practices of residential/commercial construction. What is a General Contractor? What are subcontractors? What do Architects & Engineers do? The activities and tasks that happen on a real-world construction site are replicated before-hand in the virtual world using Revit.
Understanding the basic relationship that each one of these parties has on a project will help you decide where you want to begin to learn Revit. So as you do your research on what you find most interesting, that will give you an idea on where you should start in your Revit training.
Now...don't feel like the decision you make today is set for life. Suppose you enjoy everything that an Architect does, you learn Revit Architecture, get certified and you begin working in Revit for an Architect but...you don't necessarily enjoy it. You can change and switch it up.
The real world has crews of construction professionals that come on to a job site and perform their scope of work. Think of what virtual ‘crew’ you would want to be part of when beginning to learn Revit. That will make it much easier to make your decision. However, I've known many Revit professionals that want to use Revit differently and decide to move to a different discipline. It happens all the time. So don't be afraid to do your research, pick a discipline you find interesting and go for it! You can always change later.
“...pick a discipline you find interesting and go for it! ”
Now on to the good stuff!
So how can YOU learn Revit? If you want to learn Revit on your own, the Autodesk website gives you a clear path on what topics you need to learn to pass one of their certified tests. Let’s use the Structural discipline as an example. In the certification section of the Autodesk website, (https://www.autodesk.com/certification) you’ll find many certification links. The link for "Revit Structure" leads you to the following website.
On this page, when you select on the link for “Revit for Structural Design,” a pdf will open highlighting EXACTLY what you need to learn. Now you can search free videos online for each specific topic and master each topic on your own time. Each discipline has it’s own topics to cover, so this is why it’s important for you to do your research beforehand about which discipline you would like to dive in first.
Once you have your pdf road map...PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!
Learning on your own without professional experience can only take you so far. Eventually, you will decide that you want professional training to expedite your Revit learning. There are many well-respected training centers with a traditional classroom settings with live instructors at various price points. Some as high as $800 per person. Most students value learning Revit from a User who has used the program for real companies in real scenarios! After 15 years of implementing Revit at many different companies, building BIM/VDC departments and creating on-boarding and training programs, I'm ready to share my knowledge with the world so that you can use Revit to it's full capability.
My live courses are the best value currently on the market! My students have the luxury of a live instructor who has dedicated his career to a deep learning of Revit. They also have the benefit of being able to ask questions and revisit the course on their own time since I record all of my courses! Take a look at the Live Courses section and see if any courses interest you!
Now you know what to do!
And that's my take on how YOU can learn Revit. I learned Revit on my own by trial and error. I have no degree or any expensive certifications, but the reason that I was able to command an awesome salary was by choosing my discipline and learning Revit for that discipline! I learned how to become a construction professional by means of Revit! It's been 15yrs since and I'm still learning about the program.
If you want to learn Revit from me and all of the experience that I bring, take a look at my Live Courses and sign up!
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