I recently passed the Southern California Joint Apprenticeship Committee's Qualified Applicant (QA) test. I now have QA status and am actively seeking employment from various surveying firms in the Southern CA region. I do not have much experience in the surveying field but I am willing to start at any position.
Any advice any of you can give me? How should I reach out to the employers that are looking for survey apprentices?
CA appears to have a very strong surveyor's association group. Attend meetings!
(How do you do that sarcasm button thingy)
First you get a dirty, ripped Greatful Dead tee shirt, threadbare jeans and flipflops. Then hang out idly around a 7-11 or McDonalds around lunch time. Sooner or later some desperate survey crew will stop in to grab a bite, see you, and offer you the opportunity of a lifetime, because they are one, grunt-level guy short that day.
Don't believe that? Just wait. Someone will admit to that being how they got their start before the day is out.
OK I won't make you wait.
Small differences, I was working at said 7-11, renting a room from said surveyor, and was wearing a PPL t-shirt.
How many years, now, Vern? (PPL= Pure Prairie League?)
...and good luck to you, job seeker.
Do you have ?any? field/ office experience? This qualification exam is unfamiliar to me, but sounds interesting.
> How many years, now, Vern? (PPL= Pure Prairie League?)
> 38 years, Yes, the shirt with the cactus in the orange sun.
> ...and good luck to you, job seeker.
>
> Do you have ?any? field/ office experience? This qualification exam is unfamiliar to me, but sounds interesting.
> > 38 years, Yes, the shirt with the cactus in the orange sun.
Another life ruined...er/ um... career made.
This could happen to you. B-)
Go to the local CLSA Chapter meetings and meet the people that run the signatory company's survey teams. Not sure what area of SoCal you are in. The various chapters in So Cal are:
San Diego Chapter (covers San Diego County)
Orange County Chapter
Riverside/San Bernardino Chapter (Covers western Riverside & San Bernardino Counties)
Desert Chapter (covers Coachella Valley - Palm Springs to Blythe to Imperial County)
Los Angeles Chapter (covers LA County)
Channel Islands Chapter (covers Ventura County)
Bakersfield Chapter (Kern County)
The chapters all pretty much have their own websites to find meeting locations.
Email the Riverside/San Bernardino chapter at [email protected] to get added to their email list and find out about meetings. I'm the Immediate Past President of that Chapter.
Other things you can do is look up the signatory company's on the web and send your resume out. Find out who runs those companies and set up appointments to visit them or meet them for lunch.
You are in the Union now.
Just put your name on the list and they will assign you somewhere.
Then all you have to do is get the job done.
The company will ask you back.
The Union will take care of you.
Move up the line through Apprenticeship.
The Union will take care of you.
You have it way better than most of America.
The Union will take care of you.
Just hang in there and you will be OK.
Thank you for this. It's very reassuring.
Thanks for the advice. I will make sure to start attending these meetings.
Hi how was the exam?
How similar to the study guide?
In my area, being on a first name basis with all of the local law enforcement agents seems to be a big PLUS. :-X