Online Learning and Alternative Careers ft. Shaun Bryant at CADFMconsultants

In this Architecture Social CPD, Stephen Drew speaks with Shaun 'SCB' Bryant, founder of CADFMconsultants, about online learning, building technical skills and creating alternative careers inside the built environment. The conversation runs for roughly 81 minutes.

Who this is for

Architecture and design professionals who want to strengthen their software and technical skills, anyone considering a move into CAD management, BIM, training or another adjacent role, and built environment workers looking to build confidence and create their own opportunities.

Learning outcomes

1. You will be able to explain how structured online learning can build both software skill and professional confidence.
2. You will be able to describe how technical expertise in tools such as AutoCAD and Revit can open alternative career routes.
3. You will be able to identify the communication skills that make technical knowledge valuable to a team.
4. You will be able to recognise how Autodesk certification and continued learning support career progression.
5. You will be able to outline practical ways to create opportunities during periods of disruption or change.

From the drawing board to CAD and beyond

Shaun's career began on a physical drawing board before moving into AutoCAD in its earliest days. Over more than three decades he worked as a CAD manager, then through the Autodesk channel in sales, technical and training roles, before founding CADFMconsultants in 2001. The path shows how a career can evolve step by step as technology and the industry change.

Building online learning that lasts

As a LinkedIn Learning author, formerly Lynda.com, Shaun produces and maintains a large library of AutoCAD and Revit courses. Each year the core AutoCAD course is fully revised and released on the same day Autodesk ships the new version, supported by his place on the AutoCAD beta testing team. Good online learning is not a one-off recording; it is kept current so learners can rely on it.

Turning learning into evidence and confidence

Online courses can do more than top up software skills. Used well, they help professionals document what they know, build confidence and demonstrate expertise to employers and clients. For many architecture professionals, that visible evidence of capability matters as much as the skill itself.

Technical skill still needs communication

Shaun is clear that deep knowledge of AutoCAD, Revit and BIM only becomes valuable when it can be explained. The ability to teach, translate and communicate technical detail is what turns a skilled user into a trusted trainer, consultant or team lead.

Alternative careers inside the built environment

Not everyone follows the standard route into practice. Shaun's story shows how technical expertise can lead into training, CAD management, consultancy and CAD and BIM journalism. There are many ways to build a career around the built environment beyond a single job title.

Innovation in the face of adversity

CADFMconsultants was founded in the aftermath of redundancy, when the fallout from the events of 2001 pulled work out of the UK. Rather than wait, Shaun built his own business. During the pandemic he moved his physical classroom online, which let him train people anywhere in the world. Disruption can be the moment to create something new.

Working from home and reaching a global audience

Having worked from home for over two decades, Shaun was well placed to adapt when remote working became the norm. With the right technology and bandwidth, he can now train learners across the UK and internationally from a single home office.

Creating opportunities for yourself

A recurring theme is agency. Whether building a course, starting a business or moving into a new field, the message is to understand what people actually need and then build something useful around it. Opportunities are often made rather than found.

Key terms

• CAD: computer aided design, the software used to produce technical drawings and models.
• BIM: Building Information Modelling, a coordinated approach to designing and managing building information.
• Autodesk Certified Instructor: a recognised accreditation for trainers delivering Autodesk software courses.
• Autodesk Expert Elite: an Autodesk community recognition for expertise and contribution.
• LinkedIn Learning: the online learning platform, formerly Lynda.com, that hosts Shaun's courses.

Reflective prompts for your CPD record

1. Which software or technical skill would most strengthen your current role, and how could structured online learning help you build it?
2. Where could your existing technical expertise open an alternative or adjacent career route?
3. How well do you communicate your technical knowledge to others, and what would make it more useful to your team or clients?

About the guest

Shaun 'SCB' Bryant is the founder of CADFMconsultants, a CAD and BIM training, coaching and consultancy business based in Norfolk. An Autodesk Certified Instructor and Autodesk Expert Elite, he is a long-standing LinkedIn Learning author with a large library of AutoCAD and Revit courses and the author of the CAD blog Not Just CAD.