I see online that grasshopper skills are in high demand but can’t seem to find any positions online that don’t require a degree in architecture or engineering. I have extensive proficiency with in 3d modeling, 3D printing, and cnc work, top to bottom implementation. I can build, run, design, code(via grasshopper non planar toolpaths). If anyone could help point me in the right direction I’d be truly appreciative.
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Architecture and Engineering is always about solving complex problems involving a balancing act of compromises. Yes computation like grasshopper or scripting may well be an important tool along the way. An architect or engineer having computational tools on his belt might get to solutions that are very hard to get to for traditional experts. So yes experts with this tool are in demand. But it is just a tool. The tool alone never makes a good problem solver. Just like knowing Excel doesn’t make an Account. Knowing Grasshopper doesn’t make an Architect or Engineer.
I would showcase the hard problems that you solved in a blog or a video. Showcase your decisions on when and why you used grasshopper. Not just that you know it. This emphasizes your skill in reasoning about problems. (Having a degree shows those skills too)
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Just apply and don’t expect too much from it.
There are people which emphasie the importance of the right education, and there are people which believe that academic education only proves certain soft-skills. You don’t want to have boss, which reminds you not to be an engineer or architect (and uses this argumentation to pay you less)
Other than that, I would disagree about the demand for Grasshopper skills. Often they just write it as useful skill, but the truly interesting jobs are very rare.
If you like Grasshopper, you might like programming in general. Consider to develop in this direction then. This is what I basically did. And it payed-off on multiple levels for me.
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Hi Goswin, thank you for your reply. I would describe myself as someone that uses grasshopper as tool to complete complex tasks. Where would you recommend I post completed projects and video that would translate into work opportunities?
Thank Tom for your reply. I’ve begun the process of learning C# right, with ambitions to eventually learn C++. What software did you initially learn? Was that the language that payed off for you or another one after the fact?
As for programming languages, the same applies. It is not about the language but about the actual problems you are solving. On top of that, learning how to program takes a lot more time than learning a programming language. I started programming in my early years with Visual Basic. When i got in touch with Rhino I soon started to automate simple tasks with rhino script and later IronPython. I’m now mostly writing in C#, but the programming thinking is independent of the language. There is a saying that, to master anything, takes about 10000 hours of practice. I think it definitely applies to programming thinking.
In my opinion the best way to attract the job you want, is to focus on the stuff you love doing most and help other people achieving their goals. Note that I am not saying ‘finding a job’ The job needs to find you.
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I didn’t go looking for jobs specifically using Rhino/Grasshopper. My first job using Rhino found me. During my interview I pointed out to them that I didn’t have any experience with Rhino, and that I had only been a SolidWorks user up until then. Though the company did use SW for some design and FEA, Rhino was very much the primary tool. It didn’t put them off me, and after a couple of months, I was something of a convert
Years later, I started a new job where they were primarily using AutoCAD. After some persuasion (taking advantage of that generous 90-day trial period helped) I convinced management to let us get our hands on a Rhino licence, which was a real game changer
Moral of the story? If you want to work with Rhino, wherever you go, just bring it with you 
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It depends on where you work. There are jobs where people do the same for decades with a very limited tech stack. They are experts in one domain, but often fail to adapt to new technologies and requirements. Even in the same company you have generalists and specialists. I was in a position, where I worked on all kinds of projects. At some time, I had two projects in parallel with 7 programming languages involved. I started with Basic, but moved to C#. This was in the early years, where C# wasn’t as bloated as C++. Nowadays, mastering C# is equally frustrating as C++.
It is difficult to give you a good advice here. Of course if you get a job, they are looking for a certain profile. And its bit of luck to find a good company with a perfectly matching profile. I could imagine, the broader your foundation is, the easier it is to find a good job. If you, as person, fit in the team and you fulfil 50% of the requirements, then its not unlikely to get the job. It depends on how hard it is to ramp you up.
Its not the language itself, but the understanding of the basic concepts. You can learn any language and any framework/library/toolchain, but in the end you have a hard time to understand what you are doing without knowing the basic concepts beneath it. You might consider to specialise on roles (web-dev, embedded etc.).
But also, you won’t become good outside of a job. Maybe try to get a junior role to learn. I might underestimate how lucky I was. I actually found a pure GH job as my first. And I might underestimate how much I learned over time in that company.
Years later, I started a new job where they were primarily using AutoCAD. After some persuasion (taking advantage of that generous 90-day trial period helped) I convinced management to let us get our hands on a Rhino licence, which was a real game changer
Moral of the story? If you want to work with Rhino, wherever you go, just bring it with you :zany_face:
This is my experience: I bring Rhino everywhere. I work in companies that use parametric CAD software, but when it comes to modeling complex objects, everyone comes knocking at my door. However, in front of clients, management proudly boasts about their subscription-based programs.
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