A drafter 'draws' the plans that should specify how something should be constructed. Engineers and architects may develop the grand design of a machine, building, or circuit board, but the drafter is the one who fills in the specific details - without which nothing could be built. Therefore, the drafter must often work closely with engineers and architects in order to draft these plans to exact specifications.

The work of drafters is all around you. Your computer, your telephone, and your TV exist because a drafter at some company created a set of plans specifying how they should be built. Today, most drafters have traded their ink pens and protractors for PCs and special 'computer aided design' or 'CAD' software. So, the more training you've had in the latest versions of this type of software, the more attractive you'll be to employers. A heavy dose of math and science courses would be helpful, too.

There are drafting jobs in every manufacturing or building industry. You'll do best if you have a natural aptitude for drawing and for thinking in three dimensions.