BIM Coordinator Requirements

BIM is an area of digital technology that has become popular within the construction industry. BIM Coordinators manage projects in various capacities for working in industries like construction as well manufacturing. BIM Coordinators are responsible for pulling people and concepts together, supervising the design process, and approving 3D modeling used on construction projects involving architecture, structural design, and MEP engineering by coordinating various parties and functions into a coherent unit. BIM Coordinators collaborate with General Contractors, Architects, Engineers, and Project Managers for ensuring that BIM standards on a project get followed as well as preparing construction documents using BIM technology.

Becoming a BIM Coordinator typically requires earning a bachelor’s degree related to areas like engineering, business, construction management, architecture, computer science, or graphic design for working with BIM software, tools, and technology for developing building structures or manufacturing products. Prospective BIM Coordinators may also want to gain certification for pursuing a career related to construction or manufacturing. BIM certification requires passing an Autodesk Certified Professionals (ACP) exam for expertise with 3D modeling tools like Revit. Essentially, working as a BIM Coordinator requires knowledge with BIM technology and methodologies combined with experience in areas such as architecture, engineering, and construction.

Becoming a BIM Coordinator typically involves experience from working in the construction or manufacturing industries with BIM tools and technology. While most candidates vying for the position have a college degree, experience can also open a path to a career for working with skills in BiM. The number of years a person has been working in any profession may contribute to being hired as a BIM Coordinator.

What is a BIM Coordinator?

BIM Coordinators are tasks with managing projects related to the construction industry. Their jobs typically involve developing strategies, coordinating 3D modeling, collaborating with Architects, Engineers, and Project Managers, and maintaining communication among colleagues as well as clients. BIM Coordinators ensure that everyone involved on a project stays in lockstep with responsibilities for creating, managing, and coordinating 3D modeling from the planning stages through completing construction.

BIM Coordinators have to make sure that proposed concepts are viable for construction projects by thoroughly analyzing designs to make sure that they are not only aesthetically pleasing but structurally sound as well as compliant with local codes and zoning regulation through applying BIM processing. BIM Coordinators’ responsibilities include assuring the geometry of a design revealed through 3D modeling for examining shapes, lines, and points within design for determining structural 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 modeling with an emphasis on structural design and MEP engineering. 

Education

Becoming a BIM Coordinator typically requires earning a bachelor’s degree related to areas such as engineering, business, construction management, architecture, computer science, or graphic design for working with BIM software, tools, and technology for designing and developing building structures or manufacturing products.

Prospective BIM Coordinators can also find live online training courses related to BIM technology or gain certification through appropriate channels for pursuing a career related to the construction or manufacturing industries. BIM certification requires passing an Autodesk Certified Professionals (ACP) exam to expertise with 3D modeling tools like Revit. Essentially, becoming a BIM Coordinator requires knowledge with BIM technology and methodologies combined with experience in areas such as architecture, engineering, and construction.

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Experience

A BIM Coordinator is a managerial position used in industries like construction and manufacturing that typically requires someone with seven to 10 years of experience for working on 3D modeling and data analysis using BIM technology and procedures. BIM Coordinators have typically earned a bachelor’s degree related to engineering, business, construction management, architecture, or computer science as well as training in BIM software, tools, and methodologies for designing and developing products as well as constructing buildings. Working as a BIM Coordinator usually involves managing 3D modeling as well as collecting data for collaborating with Engineers and Architects along with informing clients through a shared database or a cloud platform. Knowledge in BIM technology helps with being able to solve potential issues in construction before a project even starts. This includes clash detection for identifying how areas such as ceilings, beams, walls, or plumbing might interfere with each other.

Working as a BIM Coordinator requires skills in areas of digital technology for working in construction and manufacturing. Skills for working with building information modeling technology can enhance career opportunities for people with the ability to create designs and documents using software that facilitates 3D modeling along with opening up collaboration with Engineers, Architects, and Project Managers. BIM also helps with recognizing trends or forecasting weather before commencing construction, which is vital information in that industry.

Internships and apprenticeships also provide an effective way of getting a foot in the door with companies for working as a BIM Coordinator. Students looking for careers in 3D modeling can arrange an internship through educational counselors at their schools or universities to find organizations that are willing to bring in young talent for training or eventual employment. This benefits interns by providing them with boots-on-the-ground experience related to 3D modeling, data analytics, architecture, and engineering that give them a taste for whether or not the profession fits their expectations. An intern usually works in an unpaid capacity with a commitment of 20 to 30 hours per week with the possibility of employment following the assignment. Similarly, an apprenticeship typically offers paid participation with an understanding of being hired following the observation period. An internship or apprenticeship related to working in the construction industry can help students gain knowledge through hands-on experience from getting immersed in a working environment in order to gain experience working alongside Architects, Engineers, Project Managers, and BIM Coordinators. 

Skills

Aside from possessing thorough knowledge in BIM technology and methodologies, a BIM Coordinator must also be able to manage various aspects and people involved on construction projects. Skills for working with BIM require experience in design and construction, specifically with architecture and engineering. Working with BIM, of course, requires training in BIM software and tools, including Autodesk products like Revit, Navisworks, BIM 360, Formit, and InfraWorks along with Graphisoft Archicad and the Dalux BIM Viewer.

Additionally, working as a BIM Coordinator means being able to communicate and visualize concepts that help get Architects, Engineers, and Project Managers as well as shareholders on the same page. Responsibilities also include solving problems by applying BIM methodologies on construction projects that include making sure that clients remain well-informed on the status of the project throughout for maintaining realistic expectations.

Portfolio

A portfolio provides examples of a person’s work that reflects accomplishments, skills, experience, and abilities in specific areas for employment. Anyone looking to become a BIM Coordinator would be advised to compile a portfolio that showcases skills in graphic design, 3D modeling, and data analytics that includes completed projects that display experience with work related to construction or manufacturing.

It’s a good idea to save work from training or assignments that involve creating 2D or 3D models that should provide examples of a candidate’s capabilities to potential employers. A portfolio for gaining employment as a BIM Coordinator should emphasize skills with BIM software like Autodesk Revit, Graphisoft Archicad, or Tekla Structures. The main purpose of a BIM portfolio is for displaying a candidate’s skills with BIM software for developing 3D models from working in construction design. The focus on the portfolio should lean on the candidate’s technical abilities with 3D modeling as opposed to overemphasizing aesthetics with design skills. While part of the design in construction obviously involves how a building or product will look, the main aim of working with BIM concerns structural integrity and clash detection. Working as a BIM Coordinator includes collaborating with Architects and Engineers for ensuring that construction designs are technically sound.

A portfolio represents a critical tool for getting hired. For BIM Coordinators, the content of their portfolio should reflect skills in design and structural analysis that can help with standing out from other candidates with how they handle 3D modeling, analyzing structural integrity, and detecting clash issues. To find a career as a BIM Coordinator, a portfolio should emphasize comfort with technical skills over aesthetics.

Resume & LinkedIn Profile

A resume should be no longer than two pages for concisely presenting a person’s background and qualifications for a position. A resume must begin with an engaging summary that states a candidate's career objectives followed by listing a work history in reverse-chronological order with a brief description of job responsibilities. Information on the resume should also include educational background with details of degrees, certifications, workshops, foreign languages, and other relevant learning experiences. It is also a good idea to briefly list or discuss any self-training related BIM technology and software.

In addition to building a resume, it would also be beneficial to establish an account with LinkedIn, which is a social media platform focused on connecting people who are seeking work with employers looking for the right people to fill their open positions. LinkedIn provides an effective venue for connecting or reconnecting with former employers and coworkers as well as providing opportunities for networking with potential job opportunities. Creating a LinkedIn account and profile helps people with getting their resume seen by companies or individuals who may never have met a particular candidate but find that the skills listed match what they have been looking for.

References

Finding qualified people who will testify about an individual’s qualifications is helpful with finding employment. Gathering references for gaining work as a BIM Coordinator is vital for landing the job. As with any line of work, getting good references from past employers can provide good support with getting that next job. In addition to current and past employers, recommendations from current and former coworkers or people within a profession who are familiar with a candidate’s work, background, and capabilities can help a person accomplish career ambitions. References do not have to be directly related to the field a candidate is hoping to work in. A candidate’s character is important and provides a general foundation combined with work-related references. However, although it is important that people speak well of the person, it is also essential that whatever they have to say about the candidate is relevant to the job being sought even if it’s not directly related. In this capacity, while teachers often provide good references, using friends or relatives should be absolutely avoided.

Additionally, if a prospective BIM Coordinator had done some independent work, a client’s recommendation can provide strong testimony about that person’s abilities that should appeal to potential employers, especially with how the candidate communicates and works with others.

Learn the Skills to Become a BIM Coordinator at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers options for learning BIM technology, software, and procedures through VDCI, an authorized Autodesk training center that provides education and certification related to a variety of technologies, including building information modeling. Anyone considering becoming a BIM Coordinator might want to enroll in a certificate program or gain certification in the methodology or similar technologies. VDCI offers options for broader professional training, including the BIM Certificate Program which aims to provide students with all the skills and experience they need to start working on BIM projects in a professional capacity. This course covers over 400 hours of training content, all of which is modeled on real world construction projects. There is also a combined CAD/BIM Certificate Program for students looking for even more professional construction training.

Certificate programs provide hands-on experience with BIM or similar technologies for working with Engineers and Architects as BIM Coordinators. Certification, on the other hand, verifies a person’s expertise with particular skills like programming languages, software, and some types of tools such as BIM. Education providers like VDCI also offer various AutoCAD-related certification programs, including the AutoCAD Certification Program that provides comprehensive training 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 BIM 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 using BIM software. BIM Coordinators can also gain certification for improving career options with expertise in tools like Autodesk Revit for working in 3D modeling with designing and analyzing building structures. This can include taking on the Revit Certification Course for gaining expertise to create and manage architectural models using the Revit software.