I am 57 and have little sympathy for those who have not kept up with technology in the profession. I learned AutoCAD on Version 2.1 in 1984 not long after I passed the ARE and our 20 person firm switched to Revit cold turkey for all projects in early 2005 after a 3 month trial. None of our staff that have learned Revit want to go back to AutoCAD. Firm management has seen the performance gains and keeps all hardware and software current. The change was not as difficult as people think and the level of project intergration and coordination that Revit brings to the table is fantastic.
I manage projects, design using Revit, coordinate with consultants, write specs, do CA visits, and serve as the firm IT Manager. I take on new tasks and responsibilities every day. I know several architects out of work at the moment. Most are in that position because they ignored the technology trends of the profession and turned a blind eye to their situation. The vast majority only do one task well: spec writing, CA visits, management, etc. How can you manage what you do not understand?
You are never too old to learn. If your firm willl not pay or make the technology jump, learn it on your own time to better yourself.
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Alan Horne AIA, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP
MCA Architecture, Inc.
Greenville SC
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