How Contract houses exploit the Automotive CAD workforce

[@orgullosamenteperonista]

I really amire you and I'm thankful for everything you do man, you are a free man.

[@JaredEBrunner]

Luckily for me, I am finally at the point in my career where I turn down all "contract work" and it feels so liberating. I have been approached to work for some amazing companies, projects, and teams but turned them down simply because it's a contract house/contract work/contract to hire "BS", and 9 times out of 10 they will not pay what I am worth. They take advantage of creatives because we are so passionate that we will take any job to get industry experience. I loathe that part of the creative field because the desperation is shooting us in the foot as a whole. Thank you for making this video. We all need to hear this whether for the first time or as a great reminder. I hope the creative workforces can take back the freedoms and choices we deserve.

[@fullyleaded]

How do you get work without an agent?

[@SoloBench]

@@fullyleaded start a youtube channel or become an influencer 🤣

[@BIV13]

Now that's the real talk! Thank you for the insights. I know from experience how hard it is to convert your skills into money in this industry.

[@thedesignjourney953]

Sir please upload more videos. you content is really helping us a lot.

[@eobet]

Always speak truth to power and fight for the workers. Thank you for making this video!

[@AssassinGT]

Thanks for putting this out there Raymundo. They don't only exploit the CAD guys but the designers as well; and if you're stuck as a contractor it can be a nightmare. The OEM's also do their fair share of exploitation as well.

[@SoloBench]

Many thanks Robin Williams

[@lonelyredwolf4608]

Thanks you finally a good guy for a change. Awesome !

[@savvysymbiont]

Straight up mafia racketeering Raymundo...throw the RICO Act at these houses of extortion.

[@davexbit]

Thanks for making this video. My situation has come at from the opposite end. I'm experienced in the OEM industry and separated back in 09 and have worked for companies as a contractor that have belittled and reduced the work I've done to get me to work harder given the contract period or will try to dangle the carrot of full-time employment. The contractor will do all the heavy lifting and then the corporate director will say it's not meeting requirements to get that person to work harder. Diversifying the way you have is the best way to handle it and maintain some autonomy. Again, thank you for making this known. I need to do the same.

[@GabeDrawsCars]

Thanks so much for making this video, Ray!

[@NightfallNarrativesOfficial]

Finally someone with a decent channel talks about our real feelings and how we are treated. Sad but true! How to fight such a system? We are the ones who make their money come in. Last 7 years working for companys that doesn't even know how our job is, what I really know about the position that I have held for 15 years.

[@Edward3DFX]

if some one calls you for a job and the they have a funny accent - and they sound like they are calling you fro the other side of the world just hang up ! CAD WORKERs SHOULD MAKE A UNION !

[@muskam8074]

becoming am Expert CAD modeller is very long and time consuming journey.I found alot of 3D world countries quote way too low that you cannot compete against . I feel frustrated. They even quote $10 for CAD modeling! So stupid. I tried Alias and its so difficult to master. I salute those Alias CLass A modellers. i am still trying after 3 years and not good enough from my standard. Thanks for sharing this information.

[@danwohlslagel1277]

It's very liberating to hear your story Raymundo. We're connected on LinkedIn. Thank you.

[@martincstee5335]

Contract houses and staffing agencies are the bloodsuckers of the industry. But they are able to suck the blood out of the hardworking people like you and me because the companies that use their contracting services allow them to. I had a very bad experience dealing with one. During the interview the hiring manager told me it will be a contract to hire position. After working for three months my manager liked me so much that he wanted to convert me to direct staff. But the staffing agency told him there will be no direct convert from their contractors. It turned out that the company (a fortune 500 company) had a no direct convert agreement with the staffing agency that had around 200 contractors working for the company globally at that time. My manager could not do anything because it's the corporate policy. I left that position and the agency after my one-year contract was up, despite their desperate effort to keep me in their roster.

[@7evensabre]

Thank you for releasing this Raymundo

[@golonkadesignconsulting9179]

Thank You. It is very valuable.

[@schalkvandermerwe3838]

Thanks for this Raymundo. Disheartening. And so true about surface modeling! What do you think of Alias' Learning Editions? Just going to flood the market with workers? I always wanted to learn it, because as a South African dropping $100k on automotive design ed. in another country is near-impossible, no one will sponsor you that kind of money. But I figured if I can't Industrial Design my way in, maybe one day I can surface model my way in. Now it feels like the gatekeeping is just worse than I ever knew and like you I'm not one to keep quiet when I see wrongdoing - especially when it's something that leeches off my talents. I probably would have gotten myself fired or blacklisted in no time. It is sad that South Africa has Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW, Nissan and Ford producing vehicles here but not even one has a small satellite design studio that I've ever heard of and I am 41. Brazil does have.

[@HyperSculptor]

Never EVER pay for education, in a world where knowledge is free and available to all.

[@somerandomname3024]

The university I went to has between 100-200 new students enrolled onto its auto design course every year. There are at least a few unis offering the same auto design course in the country where I live and only a few oems that have very limited number of jobs available. The supply and demand ratio is a joke. You first get screwed over by universities selling you dreams (your chances of getting into an oem are very small no matter how good you are) and then you get screwed up by these recruiters/agencies as you explained but I personally blame the oem rather than recruiter. Oems don't invest in training newcomers themselves and expect the people with knowledge and experience to come out of a blue. Now if you do get your foot in the door, it is still a risky situation because an oem prefers to keep you as a contractor. It is cheaper for them not to pay for your pension, benefits, insurance, etc.. Contractors don't get all the perks but they keep more money in the pocket because of tax advantages. The problem is that goverment doesn't want you to work this way because of the "tax avoidance". So the outlook is that it is nearly impossible to get into the industry for majority of people and even if you do get there you will have an unstable and very risky job (you may end up having to pay back a lot in taxes and only then you will realise that you worked for peanuts all along). I can definitely relate to your comments about constant overtimes and no time for your family as well. I don't think that union will improve things that much and honestly I would advice people just to go into another industry (something I am working on myself now). Maybe programming, games development, ux/ui or anything that you find enjoyable and there are shortages of workers. I wish some gave me this advice when I was starting out.....

[@lavatr8322]

This is exact my situation.... I can't choose a career because of this... and UI UX field is Flooded too , all they want is a B.Des, Masters in Product design Students.... As you said they want _knowledge and experience to come out of the blue_ (in india this is the exact scenario) i am proficient in Blender but in india blender isn't considered anywhere.... It's concerning wtf my future is gonna be...

[@sibasish_sa]

I am 19 years old l always dreamt of designing l made it to a design school but couldn't afford the fees and my moms health condition is not good now I am doing computer science can I become a freelancer car designer will anyone give me work if l work on my skills for 10 years please guide

[@SoloBench]

I used to work for Scania Trucks in Sweden. I was paid £500/day as a designer in 2014 and the British Alias modellers were getting more, all paid through an agency called Futura. This is fairly good pay for the design world. Some Alias modeller 'contractors' had been there for 10 years and earning 5x as much as the Swedes, who were 'employed' to do the same job. So if you want to be a contractor you go through an agency who sort everything out for you and in return you get paid way more than if not, so in that situation it wasn't a problem at all. I suppose if you want to look at skills vs pay you'd be better off being a lawyer or doctor or trader, none of which are as difficult as transportation design in my opinion (knowing people in those industries and their abilities and level of skill/knowledge for the job).

[@alexeychupin3824]

Thank you for making this video!

[@MageAtYou]

Is this local to USA (california) only?

[@HandleBar3D]

This happens everywhere

[@NullPointerEcho]

Well, that was painful to hear. Similar sorts of things happen in the video game and concept art spaces too. Sorry you had to experience it. The phrase "it's a small industry" is probably the biggest red flag there is.

[@GreenTost]

Yes that's how it is

[@stoptwo]

Worst situation is, if you have the new job already set and your new employer forces you to still go thru an agency. so they get the money even without having done a single thing...

[@ruzzdugg]

Thank so much for point this stuff out. I always wanted to become a car designer since forever, self learned some sculpting and alias. Honestly would love to be part of both a fair union (not ne one that the leaders\staff of really benefit not members) and an apprenticeship\internship.

[@mauriciopedroni]

Thank you.

[@lavatr8322]

I am exploring this Class A surfacing world... I am used to Blender and comfortable in it but I'm not getting a job with it because in india Blender is still not the Norm. I see on linkedIn people work in Volvo , Daimler etc.... im 26 and dont have a job.. its concerning whether to Choose this career or not...

[@shaZzmlik]

sir there is a hope which is 3Dprintable CARS these have futures, so 3d modelers too

[@HopeGamerBrand]

Yesssssbro!

[@shaZzmlik]

Sir you can work for gaming industties Simply by comverting NURBS to fbx Make a strong tream of developers And boom, like PUBG game only is making billion of dollars Blender is a blessing too

[@udayakanth]

👍👍👍

[@shaZzmlik]

I think they dont have any idea, rhe giant softwares we use in our work, their subscription worths more than their Hourly rate

[@kaylynemeline1154]

Keep making a great video, I enjoy watching! Crush your competition with Promo-SM!

[@shaZzmlik]

I have been used, I had to design full class A surface, making it 3d printable, improve in just 200$ like what🥲