Hi ya'll.?ÿ My son is very interested in working out in the field, but he is having a really hard time getting surveyors to show him the ropes to see if he is interested. We have talked to about 10 and they really only want to get their family involved so a bit disheartening...would the best option for him be to just start working on civil engineering courses and take some online classes. I bought some property and some used equipment so he can play around with, not sure what else I can do.
I suggest contacting companies that are large enough that their staffing needs can't be satisfied from within the family unit.
You don't say how old your son is. Is he old enough to legally work full time? That would make a difference in what sort of summer job, internship, etc. he could get. If he just wants to "shadow" surveyors to see what their career is like, his age wouldn't be as important.
There are several surveyors on this board who are licensed in Tennessee, and they may have some ideas.
Meanwhile, you could contact the state professional society, TAPS, and see if they could put him in touch with a retired or semi-retired surveyor who could give him some advice, mentoring, practice work,etc.
If you lived in Minnesota I'd get in touch myself, but the distance is too great. And I don't know anything about property lines in Tennessee, which will be essential knowledge for anyone who wants to survey there.
Isn't Samuel Clemmens in TN?
I have been personally involved with 2 people who worked for my dad, and eventually got licensed.?ÿ
How old is he, and where does he call home?
Surveying is like a new pair of boots. Ya hafta wear them a while to see if they fit.?ÿ
N
East Tennessee State has a surveying program that is producing well rounded Land Surveyors.?ÿ
disheartening...would the best option for him be to just start working on civil engineering courses and take some online classes.
Yes.
After the experience I've been living, and having to fight my way into my first job even having legitimate experience in adjacent Geospatial industry, go the school route. And see if there's a survey program for the win too.
if your local surveyor population is only hiring their family members it also shows the lack of market place and they seem to be on control of their own futures.
Take time to look at any programs for 100 percent of the courses are online.?ÿ I recently got walloped with a reality of my foundation class only being in person so I'm going to have to bail on my original plan and reapply to a school that will fit my needs.
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He needs a well rounded course in surveying. 2 days field. 2 days office. 1 day researching. For 3 to 6 weeks. Now he can see it somewhat.
N
disheartening...would the best option for him be to just start working on civil engineering courses and take some online classes.
Take time to look at any programs for 100 percent of the courses are online.?ÿ I recently got walloped with a reality of my foundation class only being in person so I'm going to have to bail on my original plan and reapply to a school that will fit my needs.
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Psst... https://umaine.edu/svt/
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I've been poking around the site.
My current program lauded the online part, and only after I moved from the city where the campus is actually located did they fail to mention that "Oh by the way this class is in-person only..."
You can't make the $#!T up....
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Thanks for providing a good option for the poster
What part of TN. I am from TN north MS outside of Memphis. I know several surveyors that we all went to high-school or college together. Send me a pm and i will get you some contacts that I am sure will be able to help point you to companies in their area.?ÿ
What part of TN. I am from TN north MS outside of Memphis. I know several surveyors that we all went to high-school or college together. Send me a pm and i will get you some contacts that I am sure will be able to help point you to companies in their area.?ÿ
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You're on the good side of Memphis.
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Outside.
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Have only passed through Memphis once.?ÿ On a tour bus headed to the casinos near Tunica and then on the return trip.?ÿ Did not stop.
It would be no big deal to work in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas from that location.?ÿ Missouri and Alabama are probably only around 100 miles away, too.
@holy-cow true. But the wife has a very good job with NGS so we are in Virginia. I still go back home to visit family and let the kids be with grandma and grandpa. ?ÿStill have good friend go all the way back to middle school. He surveys as well.
@holy-cow well if you we t to Tunica i did a lot of stake out and As-Built for all the casinos. Everything was continuously being done on that job. Literally 24/7 to get it all built.
Incredibly flat, so not too much topo variation, in general.
@holy-cow well the goof courses . I can??t remember who was the main contractor. But they truly had it together. ?ÿVery organized all the way through the process. Every thing every survey company all had identical way to mark stakes and color code them. This was before machine control. All survey equipment was stored in its own trailer. Rain or shine we worked. I personally was behind a sokkia set 3b2 I literally watched 3 fry from rain. You simply went back to trailer turned in broke one and grabbed the new one. If you saw a green stake it was fill. We laid out contours when they got certain contours to grade a new one was done. The casinos were actually not on land because that would be illegal. So the brought land in after casino was built. I worked on the grand and a couple other ones. I moved to colorado before it was all done be we ate good. The casinos were open before asphalt hit the parking lots literally. ?ÿBut all u can eat buffet free for us workers was golden for a young buck like me back then. Working on a Saturday and Sunday i ate like a king. We had one crew we all took turns relieving once in a while he worked 7 days a week 12 plus hours a day. I think if it were me I would have given up surveying. I always loved the boundary more and mapping. I did a lot of stake out and comps but always loved finding corners. I remember setting an instrument up on same nail all day. Never moving just staking and staking points. The as builts of the fiber optic lines was welcomed lol. It was worse than setting bluetops. At least with blue tops we could swap running the gun and pounding hubs. August in Mississippi with 100% humidity and mid to high 90??s and mayflies and mosquitoes. We too centranella candles and lit them. There were times on the river I would be in long sleeves with mosquitoes nets over a hard hat. I bathed in avon skin so soft ate garlic drank deet to try and keep those critters off of me ????
