The SolidWorks Geek

Time are tough. Just ask any of the estimated 15.1 million unemployed Americans. Unfortunately, last week I joined the ranks of the unemployed and now find myself scouring various job boards for the perfect position. Of course a good job hunter would leave no stone unturned and I figured I had a rare opportunity to reach out to some of the best engineers and designers in the world that read this site. Who you know can often play a major part in finding that “perfect job” and I am hoping that one of my loyal geeks might have a good lead or two.

Most of my readers only know me as The SolidWorks Geek, a individual who is passionate about the CAD industry and enjoys sharing tips and tricks with SolidWorks users around the world. That is true, but unfortunately blogging and writing does not pay the bills. That is why I am looking for a full time position that would be a good fit for my unique set of skills and experience. I currently reside in Orange County, California and unfortunately I am unable to relocate due to family obligations. However, I love traveling and I am not opposed to any position that may require me to travel anywhere in the world as much as necessary.

So what do I do? I actually have a varied set of skills that can be extremely valuable for any company. I will list a few highlights of my skills here but if you would like a more detailed list, check out my Linkedin page at http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrruiz or email me for a copy of my resume.

Mechanical Design

When I started my career I was just a young kid who loved 2D drafting. I was a very good drafter, in my opinion, and I caught the eye of some great designers and engineers who showed me the ropes. Within a couple of years of starting my career, I was fortunate enough to be trusted with the task of designing and modeling various products. Over the years I have worked for many companies that designed products for aerospace, medical, automotive, solar power, and meteorological applications. Using AutoCAD, AutoCAD Mechanical Desktop and SolidWorks, I have designed machined parts, injection molded parts, sheet metal components, and electrical components. Even though I have worked in many fields and I am comfortable within any industry, I have concentrated on the medical device industry for the past 10 years and it is my strongest area.

Drafting and ASME Standards

Technical drawings are what attracted me to the engineering field and I continued to improve my knowledge of every aspect of their creation. To me a drawing is not something can be taken lightly and I am actually a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to the content of a drawing. Whether I am creating a drawing on my own or I am assisting others in the creation, checking or control of drawings; I am not one to take shortcuts that can ultimately result in costly mistakes. I am always a very vocal advocate of correct and complete drawings. There have even been times when other designers, engineers or drafter have hidden every red pen just to keep me from adding too much color.

CAD Management

In recent years, I have made the transition from full time designer to that of a CAD systems administrator. I still enjoy getting down in dirty with a troublesome model or creating new designs but most companies have found it was better for me to share my experience with others to make a stronger team. I have installed and managed multiple installations of SolidWorks Workgroup PDM and Enterprise PDM. I have written multiple drawing standards for at least 6 different companies. I have even taught classes on SolidWorks and PDM usage within a corporate environment. I am not a project manager and honestly my brief experience in that area has not been pretty. But if you are looking for someone that can mentor designers and drafters, set up company standards, manage the various CAD systems, provide training on modeling and ASME standards, explore and implement new technologies, and make it easier for your engineering or design team to create… I am your man.

Misc. Skills

Lastly, I would also like to mention my various other skills and technologies that many of my previous employers had found to be extremely useful. I am a geek. I admit it wholeheartedly. Not only do I love engineering and design but I love all kinds of technology. I have worked for a couple of companies where my job in design or drafting evolved into something completely different. I have worked as an IT manager, Web Designer, Graphic Artist and I even created over 200 interactive dynamic PDF forms for companies. I also enjoy writing, of course, but I am still hesitant to market myself as a writer or even a technical writer. However, if you need someone that can string a few words together, I have written many guides and instruction manuals over the years.

Thank you for allowing me to take this time to sell myself; hopefully it will not be in vain. If you or someone you know may be interested in speaking with me, please feel free to email me at blog@theswgeek.com.