Early planning

[a-harris]

My most recent probee is just out of our armed service.
He talked his cousin into takin classes with him at college on the GI Bill.
I’m not sure which is gonna take longer, learning the job or getting used to civilian life……

[Steve Amos]

Smart Farm Boys, Eagle Scouts, and Forward Observers all get interviews from me.

Indentured servanthood is working for me on occasion, lol. Half of a GPS pole and a peanut prism was the ticket, you’d a thought he was 16 and been given a Vette.

Hope you are well, Mr. Ott!

Attached files

[brad-ott]

Steve Amos, post: 352138, member: 10953 wrote: Smart Farm Boys, Eagle Scouts, and Forward Observers all get interviews from me.

Indentured servanthood is working for me on occasion, lol. Half of a GPS pole and a peanut prism was the ticket, you’d a thought he was 16 and been given a Vette.

Hope you are well, Mr. Ott!

Steve flippan Amos! How the hell are ya? It is great to hear from you my old friend. Still down south?

[jason-graves]

I too would like to find the right person to train. Not necessarily to handle the company in the future, but because I am concerned about the lack of people entering the profession. I would like to think that I can hand over some knowledge at some point. I am still young(ish) at 36 and just started my company 3 years ago. I have a helper now, but I don’t think that it’s “the person” that is gonna pick it up and run.

What are people paying good help these days? People with NO surveying experience? and people with surveying experience?

[brad-ott]

Jason Graves, post: 352244, member: 9531 wrote: I too would like to find the right person to train. Not necessarily to handle the company in the future, but because I am concerned about the lack of people entering the profession. I would like to think that I can hand over some knowledge at some point. I am still young(ish) at 36 and just started my company 3 years ago. I have a helper now, but I don’t think that it’s “the person” that is gonna pick it up and run.

What are people paying good help these days? People with NO surveying experience? and people with surveying experience?

I pay my children $10/hour when they tag along with me and help carry my shovel, etc.

I have heard tell that some experienced (non-licensed) folks might make $20 to $30 per hour.

[foggyidea]

You could always do the TrigStar at your local high school and include a demonstration with your exam. I have had students (2) call me afterwards and offer to help out in the field to get an idea of what it’s like.

Dtp

[Bill Davies]

Brad Ott, post: 347343, member: 197 wrote: Starting to daydream about sometime maybe in the next 10 years of adding a young person to join this solo operation. I am thinking that ideally they might start part time but I can also imagine that I might need to start them full time right away too. In case none of my kids ever express any interest (which would be a okay ~ either way) I have no idea where I would go to find someone that I could bring along and mentor etc. Besides college kids, where else will I find this person? Otherwise I will just sit back and continue to wait for the ying yang to drop them in my path.

Hey Brad, did we work together in Indiana for Schneider Engineering?
I’m in the same boat, I don’t think my son is very interested in learning the family business, todays kids are so lazy…

[a-harris]

Just as quickly as the clouds parted and the young man came to work, they closed and he could not adapt to life out of the Air Force.
He spent every day the same as he had while in the service, waiting for orders to come down the chain of command and to be delivered in writing before he made a move.
He just stopped showing up and keeping in contact and did not begin his Survey classes.
Bottom line, his wife was too tired of him not being at home and gone on missions all the time and she demanded him to be home taking care of the children and find some way to make a living from home like she has been doing. She is an online middleman between real estate buyers and banks.
I have come to the conclusion that there are way too many “divas” out there that expect to be using the latest greatest surveying tools new out of the box on their first day of work and be schooled on the job day after day and overpaid until they are competent and educated before being turned loose on the public to do any billable work.
That is the expense we are expected to incur when we want to add a positive member to our workforce.
Good candidates are going to business that use our tools and methods for their own purposes and want more than most solo and private survey offices can afford.
0.02

[wgd]

Bill Davies, post: 358647, member: 11285 wrote: Hey Brad, did we work together in Indiana for Schneider Engineering?
I’m in the same boat, I don’t think my son is very interested in learning the family business, todays kids are so lazy…

Pretty sure I know a guy that currently works for Schneider.

[Jon Collins]

Jason Graves, post: 352244, member: 9531 wrote: I too would like to find the right person to train. Not necessarily to handle the company in the future, but because I am concerned about the lack of people entering the profession. I would like to think that I can hand over some knowledge at some point. I am still young(ish) at 36 and just started my company 3 years ago. I have a helper now, but I don’t think that it’s “the person” that is gonna pick it up and run.

What are people paying good help these days? People with NO surveying experience? and people with surveying experience?

In our region slightly experienced hands make 15 at small firms, new eng grads surveying and doing other stuff at 18 to 20, plus killer benefits, experienced chiefs 20 to 23, LS 27 to 40.

[holy-cow]

Have a high school senior working with me from time to time. He will be starting his mechanical engineering classes this fall on what is pretty much a full ride scholarship renewable for each year. He is picking up the mechanics fairly quickly. Even though he will be gone in a few months I have been sharing a lot of life knowledge with him that should help him survive once he’s not living at home anymore. A lot of it is business oriented that would apply to all sorts of businesses. Some is tied to handling oneself at a large university. Some is just the nuts and bolts of life in general.

Sometimes the teaching takes the form of asking questions. Being able to think is far more important than being able to answer the standard classroom and standardized testing questions.