What it Does: Makes software products and services for sectors like media, education, design, construction, architecture, engineering, manufacturing, and entertainment.
Mission: To empower innovators with design and make technology so they can achieve the new possible.
Size and Presence: Autodesk has offices across the world and its Canada offices are located in the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, and Quebec. It has more than 12,000 employees in 47 countries.
Best Known for: Developing a broad range of software using the latest 3D innovations and technologies.
The Good Bits: Autodesk Canada is known for its positive work culture and also provides equal opportunities to students and recent graduates. It offers competitive remuneration and flexible work opportunities to its employees.
The Not-So-Good Bits: It may be hard to get a job at Autodesk as the company is highly competitive when it comes to salaries and other benefits. Also, it looks for the most relevant education and knowledge of the tech industry.
Autodesk, Inc. was founded in 1982 by John Walker with the help of a team of programmers. It is an American multinational software corporation with offices across the globe. Its Canada offices are located in the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, and Quebec. The company was founded after acquiring Interact, a computer-aided design program. The program was developed in 1979 by Michael Riddle. Riddle agreed to sell the program to Walker in exchange for royalties. The same program was further developed and named AutoCAD.
AutoCAD was the flagship computer-aided design (CAD) software of the company. AutoCAD and Revit software are primarily used by structural designers, architects, and engineers. The company became popular for AutoCAD, but now develops a broad range of software for a variety of applications.
In 1985, Autodesk became a public company and in 1986, it released 2.1 of AutoCAD along with AutoLISP, a built-in Lisp programming language interpreter that was initially based on XLISP. In no time, Autodesk became the most widely used CAD program for 2D non-specialized applications.
Autodesk is home to creators, innovators, and designers where everyone is encouraged to think out of the box. The company has an inclusive culture and promotes sustainability, an equitable workforce, and resilient communities. It cultivates a culture of belonging and diversity so that talented people from different parts of the world can contribute.
Though the work culture at Autodesk is quite friendly, the employees are expected to follow certain principles. Also, they are encouraged to learn new technologies so that improved and technologically advanced products can be developed.
Here’s what to expect from Autodesk Canada’s selection process:
Autodesk provides opportunities to individuals from different backgrounds. Interested candidates can look for jobs in departments like Technology, Sales, Business, and other departments. It also offers immense opportunities to students and new graduates.
The internships are available for students and they are provided with meaningful projects to work on. Moreover, they get to work with the best in the industry and are mentored by industry leaders. The duration for internships may vary by global region but most of them last at least 12 weeks. In Canada, the duration for internships is 16 weeks (summer, fall, and winter).
The estimated annual average salary of Autodesk employees in Canada is CA$ 82,000. The salaries for entry-level positions at the company range from CA$ 56,000 to CA$ 113,000.
The Autodesk Foundation supports nonprofits and startups by providing them with funds. It also works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, fight climate change, and prepare a workforce that can work in an era of automation.
In 2020, the Autodesk Revit controversy became the talk of the town as thousands of leading architects signed open letters to the company. These letters complained about expensive software and a lack of open platforms.