For individuals interested in training for skills related to building information modeling, there are several avenues available for learning like in-person courses, live online training, and on-demand classes from a variety of sources including education providers and course facilitators. Prospective students also have free options such as BIMsmith, which is a cost-free platform that provides training in areas related to construction such as learning techniques for modeling roofs, ceilings, walls, and floors, including downloads available for software related to Revit, and training from FreeCAD, which is a free 3D design modeler for working in computer-aided design (CAD) and BIM. This article will focus on how to gain skills in BIM technology without having to leave home.

What BIM Coordinator Training Method is Right for Me?

BIM has become a critical element with architecture and engineering for industries such as construction and manufacturing for building structures and products in managing and completing projects. There are several paths for training in BIM technology on a journey to a career as a BIM Coordinator that includes taking classes, watching a YouTube tutorial, or reading the right book along with other approaches. Any method for learning BIM will depend, of course, on what’s right for the person taking in the new information. Listed below are a few ways for learning BIM.

Certificate Programs

A person with a background in architecture or engineering who is considering a career in construction can focus on business information modeling as a skill by enrolling in a certificate program for learning tools and software such as Autodesk Revit and other 3D modeling technology. Certificate programs offer new learners a focused curriculum for learning specific skills with the goal of improving career options. Gaining skills with BIM not only provides skills for 3D modeling but contributes to working more efficiently and productively as well as seamlessly collaborating with other professionals on construction projects.

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BIM Bootcamps and Courses

In-person or live online courses and bootcamps offer training for learning BIM technology within a more traditional, structured environment. Both in-person and online courses allow students to interact with instructors and classmates personally or virtually in real-time. The main benefit of learning BIM in a course or bootcamp is that a new learner would be able to ask questions about particular procedures, techniques, or software for better understanding the technology.

On-Demand Classes

Training to gain new skills with technology like BIM might be difficult for someone who has a busy work schedule. However, those people might opt for enrolling in on-demand training in BIM that allows them to learn at their own pace and on their own time. On-demand training involves learning software from Autodesk and other companies for gaining comprehensive knowledge with designing buildings, analyzing data, and managing construction projects through skills for technical drawing and spatial visualization.

Online Tutorials

A prospective BIM Coordinator may already be working in areas of construction like architecture or engineering and has decided on learning the digital design technology for enhancing career options. Anyone unfamiliar with BIM technology might benefit from finding online tutorials either through videos posted on YouTube or through on-demand modules available from several online education providers for learning how to create 3D models related to building construction, manage information on structural design or local codes, or collaborate with other professionals such as Engineers and Project Managers.

Self-Guided Learning

Some people who are considering learning BIM may opt for self-guided training for gaining knowledge with the technology. Anyone interested in working with BIM software for 3D modeling, data analysis, or collaborating on projects can learn aspects of the technology through watching video tutorials, reading online documents, or downloading software by taking advantage of free trial subscriptions. Autodesk, for instance, which produces the BIM software Revit, provides free on-demand training videos and presentations through the Autodesk University learning option.

What Is a BIM Coordinator?

BIM Coordinators are tasked with managing projects related to the construction industry. Their jobs typically involve developing strategies, coordinating modeling, facilitating collaboration among professionals like Architects and Engineers, and maintaining communication among those colleagues as well as clients. BIM Coordinators ensure that everyone involved on a project stays in lock step with responsibilities for creating, managing, and coordinating BIM modeling from the planning stages through construction.

BIM Coordinators have to make sure that proposed concepts are viable for construction by thoroughly analyzing designs to make sure that they’re not only aesthetically pleasing but structurally sound as well as compliant with local codes and zoning regulations through applying BIM processes. Their responsibilities involve the geometry of a design revealed through 3D modeling for examining shapes, lines, and points with structural design for determining overall integrity.

Once a plan goes forward, BIM Coordinators are responsible for supervising 2D and 3D modeling involved with construction projects related to architectural design and engineering. This requires working with Architects, Engineers, and Project Managers for overseeing models with an emphasis on structural design as well as MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) engineering.

Can I Learn To Be a BIM Coordinator from Home?

Prospective BIM Coordinators have virtually unlimited options with training from home for learning BIM software. In the first place, there are several methods for training available with learning from home, including online courses available from a variety of online education providers like Noble Desktop, Ledet Training Centers, LinkedIn Learning, and Certstaffix Training as well as online course platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and Simplilearn.

What Are the Advantages of Learning from Home?

The main advantage of training in BIM technology from home is with the freedom to schedule training that the approach provides. Anyone seeking to learn skills with building information modeling has options through live online courses, which provides many of the same advantages as taking a class in-person, as well as on-demand courses that allow students to set their own training schedule for completing assignments.

Training from home also provides more cost-effective options than with typically attending class in person. On-demand courses in particular allow scheduling flexibility for people who need to balance work with finding time for learning skills to move on to a new career by permitting them to train at their own pace and on their own time within the framework set by the course.

What Are the Disadvantages of Learning from Home?

While there are plenty of advantages to training in BIM from home, there are also plenty of disadvantages. While live online training from home still provides real-time interaction with instructors and classmates, there might be too many distractions with training at home, including noise and disruptions from nearby people and activities. Additionally, with on-demand training from home, the temptation to keep putting off an assignment could lead to eventually not completing the course.

What Resources are Available to Help Me Become a BIM Coordinator at Home?

For training in BIM technology from home, prospective BIM Coordinators have options for learning through a variety of platforms that include free online courses, online education providers, and on-demand educators like LinkedIn Learning and Udemy. Training for working with BIM includes learning tools like Autodesk Revit, Trimble Sketchup, or Graphisoft Archicad for working in industries like construction and manufacturing. Knowledge with BIM provides not only skills for 3D modeling and structural analysis but also for collaborating with Architects and Engineers to get construction projects off the ground and completed.

Free Resources

Prospective BIM Coordinators should consider learning BIM for working in construction and architecture. This type of training can be gained for free from a variety of online education providers for learning how to design and manage digital concepts for building physical structures. In this endeavor, LinkedIn Learning offers several reasonably priced and free tutorials for learning the BIM design technology. Those looking for initial training in BIM can also find plenty of free online resources such as BIMsmith or FreeCAD.

On-Demand Classes

Training to gain new skills with a technology like BIM might be difficult for someone who has a busy work schedule. However, those people might opt for enrolling in on-demand training through platforms like LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, or Skillshare. Noble Desktop also offers on-demand training in BIM technology through VDCI. VDCI stands for the Virtual Design & Construction Institute and is an authorized Autodesk training center that provides education and certification in a variety of software. Training in BIM involves working with a variety of software from Autodesk and other companies. This can also include training in other disciplines like AutoCAD or Tableau that can help with learning and understanding BIM. Learning BIM provides comprehensive knowledge for 3D modeling with building designs, data analysis, and construction management that includes skills for technical drawing and spatial visualization.

Live Online Classes and Bootcamps

As with learning anything, many people prefer learning new skills inside classrooms with an instructor standing in front of them. However, because BIM is a fairly new and narrowly used technology, finding in-person training locally with the methodology may not be an option. Training in similar types of digital design technology may help with eventually learning BIM.

However, online education providers like Ledet Training, for example, offer training with BIM through Revit courses, including Autodesk Revit 101 and Autodesk Revit Bootcamp. Additionally, there are a few online education providers like Noble Desktop that offer BIM training through VDCI or Certstaffix Training that has training in BIM software and tools such as Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Navisworks, Graphisoft Archicad, and Trimble SketchUp. Learning BIM can provide comprehensive knowledge for designing buildings, structural analysis, and collaborating with colleagues and clients on construction projects.

Additionally, while Noble Desktop does not directly offer courses in BIM, the school does provide courses for learning AutoCAD and Tableau that can prepare someone for training in BIM software. Knowledge in computer-aided design (CAD) and data visualization can help with moving on to BIM by taking AutoCAD and Tableau courses or bootcamps.

Certificate Programs

Students can enroll at VDCI for the BIM Certificate Program that provides an eight-month timeframe for completing on-demand training by learning at their own pace and own their own time through a series of courses for gaining expertise with Autodesk Revit for working in the construction industry as a BIM Coordinators among several career options. Prospective BIM Coordinators can learn Revit for providing workflows using an industry standard software program for creating 3D models on construction projects. This training program involves a series of courses for students to create 3D models and construction documentation using BIM. Courses include getting an introduction to Revit followed by intermediate training with BIM software. Training involves working on BIM construction documents with the goal of achieving expertise.

How to Find BIM Coordinator Work at Home

As with nearly every area of work nowadays, there are opportunities for working remotely for BIM Coordinators. Working as a BIM Coordinator involves creating 3D models, structural analysis, and collaborating with professionals like Architects, Engineers, and Project Managers, which can all be done through either a shared database or the cloud. With modern technology, BIM Coordinators do not need to be in the same place as the people they are working with in order to exchange ideas or manage projects to completion.

Freelance Opportunities

For companies that specialize in construction, hiring a freelance BIM Coordinator might be a practical decision from a financial standpoint. Freelance BIM Coordinators can get hired on an as needed basis for performing specific tasks involving BIM technology such as 3D modeling and data analysis, informing Architects and Engineers on details related to structural design or clash detection, or for providing quality assurance once construction has begun. A freelance BIM Coordinator provides organizations with an on-demand resource that may ultimately prove less expensive than hiring someone in-house.

To find work as a freelance BIM Coordinator, a candidate can consult online employment platforms like Indeed, Fiverr, Freelancer, or Upwork by creating a profile that showcases expertise in BIM technology for connecting with potential employers looking for people capable of designing and managing 3D modeling for construction.

Finding Remote Jobs as a BIM Coordinator

Candidates can find remote work as BIM Coordinators through employment platforms like Indeed or ZipRecruiter by creating a profile that lists “remote work” as their preference. There are plenty of organizations looking for candidates who have expertise with BIM technology. While many companies involving physical work and development like construction might prefer some level of in-person interaction, the technology for developing 3D models as well as being able to exchange construction designs digitally for collaborating with team members can be done through the cloud and other methods for communicating and sharing information.

BIM Coordinators can find work in 3D modeling with companies involved in the construction and manufacturing industries that require collaborating with Architects, Engineers, and Project Managers on projects.

How Will Remote Work as a BIM Coordinator Differ from On-Site Work?

For companies that specialize in construction, hiring an on-site BIM Coordinator might be a necessity for working as a member of a design team tasked with shaping construction concepts into reality. A BIM Coordinator’s main responsibility is for bringing professionals together on the same page for working on moving forward towards the same goals for completing a project on time and within budget. Working as a BIM Coordinator on-site provides several benefits for companies related to construction, architecture, and engineering for managing projects in a variety of capacities. An on-site BIM Coordinator can connect directly with others involved on a project. BIM Coordinators are responsible for either directly creating 3D models or supervising Designers tasked with those duties on projects for both shaping the appearance of buildings as well as determining structural integrity.

However, due to the level of technology available these days along with the type of work involved, working as a remote BIM Coordinator might represent a practical decision for anyone working in the profession for performing tasks involving BIM technology ranging from 3D modeling and data analyzing or consulting with colleagues about structural design or clash detection. None of those duties require physical contact with colleagues or clients for getting work done. A remote BIM Coordinator can provide organizations with the same level of work as working on-site for a company.

Learn the Skills to Become a BIM Coordinator at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers training for learning BIM technology, software, and procedures through VDCI. VDCI is an authorized Autodesk training center that provides education and certification related to various technologies, including BIM. BIM, or Building Information Modeling, is a digital process for designing, developing, and managing projects for working as Architects, Engineers, Interior Designers, Project Managers, and BIM Coordinators in various industries like construction and manufacturing. BIM Coordinators, in particular, have to manage projects by applying 2D and 3D modeling in construction and manufacturing with responsibilities for handling costs, collaborating with other professionals, and interacting with clients.

VDCI offers a Revit Certification Training Bundle that is ideal for students looking to learn the broad strokes of BIM skills that aspiring professionals need to master. This course covers introductory and advanced Revit skills, making it ideal for beginners and experienced designers alike. In addition, students enrolled in this course will be able to take the Revit Certification exam as a part of their tuition, making it a practical option for future professionals. VDCI also offers focused courses in the important daily tasks involved in BIM projects, such as the BIM Construction Documents I course or the BIM Detailing course.

Anyone considering becoming a BIM Coordinator might want to enroll in a certificate program or get certification in the methodology or similar technologies. To be clear, certificate programs and certifications are not the same. Certificate programs provide hands-on training in BIM or similar technologies for working as Engineers, Architects, or BIM Coordinators. Certifications, on the other hand, verify an individual's expertise in a particular area such as a programming language, software, type of tool, or methodology like BIM. Education providers like Noble Desktop also offer various AutoCAD-related certification training, including the AutoCAD Certification Program that offers a comprehensive program that prepares candidates for Autodesk certification exams. Training involves learning the fundamentals of technical drawing along with skills for drafting and creating 2D and 3D drawing using AutoCAD.

Achieving certification requires passing an exam administered by an industry recognized organization. Ambitious BIM Coordinators can pursue certification through Autodesk, which offers several paths contingent on a person’s career ambitions. The Autodesk Certified Professional (ACP), for example, confirms a candidate’s skills with AutoCAD, including being able to solve complicated problems with workflows and designs related to the design software. BIM Coordinators can also gain certification for improving career options through tools like Autodesk Revit for working in BIM modeling for designing and analyzing building structures. This can include taking on the Revit Certified Professional certification program for gaining expertise for work in creating and managing architectural models using the Revit software.