I have had some projects come up, opportunities, and other items of such that has planted some seeds of thoughts...I can apply for my RPLS through reciprocity and leave my winter coat behind...What are the job prospects in the Austin, San Antonio or Fredericksburg area? Cost of living, realistic salary expectations, etc. Do they teach German in High Schools in Texas (Mrs. StLSurveyor occupation)?
If you do this, make sure to take a route via Missouri and Arkansas to Texas rather than any route that would take you through Oklahoma. Even that brief of an exposure will immediately disqualify you as any kind of expert on surveying............................or so I have learned on this site.
Holy Cow, post: 424915, member: 50 wrote: If you do this, make sure to take a route via Missouri and Arkansas to Texas rather than any route that would take you through Oklahoma. Even that brief of an exposure will immediately disqualify you as any kind of expert on surveying............................or so I have learned on this site.
I try to avoid driving through Oklahoma whenever possible, but not for those reasons, only because I never carry 60$ worth of quarters for tolls.
That makes me think of the mid 1970's and Chicago toll roads. You had to stock up on dimes before you headed that way.
Holy Cow, post: 424915, member: 50 wrote: If you do this, make sure to take a route via Missouri and Arkansas to Texas rather than any route that would take you through Oklahoma. Even that brief of an exposure will immediately disqualify you as any kind of expert on surveying............................or so I have learned on this site.
HC FTW!
StLSurveyor, post: 424914, member: 7070 wrote: I have had some projects come up, opportunities, and other items of such that has planted some seeds of thoughts...I can apply for my RPLS through reciprocity and leave my winter coat behind...What are the job prospects in the Austin, San Antonio or Fredericksburg area? Cost of living, realistic salary expectations, etc. Do they teach German in High Schools in Texas (Mrs. StLSurveyor occupation)?
Austin has a fairly diverse bunch of surveying firms ranging from large entities specializing in government contract work to mass-production fixed-price sausage factories that would not look good on a resume. Austin and San Antonio are probably dominated by surveying related to land development and real estate sales which will most likely translate into volatility as demand inevitably slackens.
Fredericksburg would be a different market entirely with probably more rural work, both in Gillespie and the surrounding counties, than in the city proper. There are a couple of old-time firms in Fredericksburg that I suspect dominate the surveying market.
As for teaching German, if Austin ISD is any indication, German is offered at only two high schools in Austin, the same number that have classes in Japanese. The languages taught are Spanish (14 different HS), French (8), Latin (6), ASL (6), Chinese (4), Arabic (4), German (2), Japanese (2), and Korean (1).
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One prospect to consider would be Boerne in Kendall County. Boerne is in the Hill Country and is pretty much a bedroom community of San Antonio with a decidedly German past. I see that there are more HS German classes in Boerne ISD than in Austin ISD.
New Braunfels would also be one to look into.
Holy Cow, post: 424915, member: 50 wrote: If you do this, make sure to take a route via Missouri and Arkansas to Texas rather than any route that would take you through Oklahoma. Even that brief of an exposure will immediately disqualify you as any kind of expert on surveying............................or so I have learned on this site.
I've actually known a few Okie surveyors that migrated south of Red River during times of economic despair, became licensed in Texas and permanently relocated down there. In doing so they collectively raised the average IQ in both states..;)
One thing to consider is what brand of surveying that you want to be involved with and how much you want to travel.
NE Texas does not have much new blood and many will retire in the next 10yrs.
It is also 99.9% land surveying and all is metes and bounds.
I never heard that Texas reciprocates for licensure. I thought they had their own thang going out on. Licensure may get you considered for TX license but doesn't provide comity.
I maybe wrong.
paden cash, post: 424928, member: 20 wrote: I've actually known a few Okie surveyors that migrated south of Red River during times of economic despair, became licensed in Texas and permanently relocated down there.
It sounds as if Okieland may be running out of surveyors faster than PK nails. A surveyor from St. Louis might consider doing a trial run there. It's true that English is considered a foreign language there and a German teacher could probably tell the folks at a high school that she was qualified to teach Martian and they'd never know. The curriculum is unlikely to be all that rigorous, with high school math focused on the basics such as whether 3.1 or 3.14 is an adequate approximation of ìÛ for anything an Okie might ever need to figger.
Move to Austin.
Start "AAA Super Duper Quick Precision Surveys, Inc."
Only contract on a fixed fee basis.
Don't worry about a license, they don't file anything anyway.
Robert Hill, post: 424936, member: 378 wrote: I never heard that Texas reciprocates for licensure. I thought they had their own thang going out on. Licensure may get you considered for TX license but doesn't provide comity.
I maybe wrong.
Perhaps reciprocity was the wrong term and comity would be better...Regardless, I have looked into the application and I have received a lot of good study material from headywest a fellow member who shares the same office building as my company, three floors down. The material I have received and looked over would frighten any decent surveyor that has the ability to know - what they don't know.
Shall this happen, the Texas State Specific will be, hands down be the most difficult exam I will ever face.
A Harris, post: 424935, member: 81 wrote: One thing to consider is what brand of surveying that you want to be involved with and how much you want to travel.
NE Texas does not have much new blood and many will retire in the next 10yrs.
It is also 99.9% land surveying and all is metes and bounds.
That is good information to know. Just a quick glance amazes me - there are so many towns with a population over 100k..That's crazy
Kent McMillan, post: 424924, member: 3 wrote: One prospect to consider would be Boerne in Kendall County. Boerne is in the Hill Country and is pretty much a bedroom community of San Antonio with a decidedly German past. I see that there are more HS German classes in Boerne ISD than in Austin ISD.
New Braunfels would also be one to look into.
Boerne looks like a really nice town. Close to the Big City, but only if you want to go there. I quick search reveals three surveyors in town. I really do like the idea of Texas Hill Country....Anyone hiring?
paden cash, post: 424928, member: 20 wrote: I've actually known a few Okie surveyors that migrated south of Red River during times of economic despair, became licensed in Texas and permanently relocated down there.
Just as a footnote, I should mention that one of the more competent Texas surveyors I've known was the late Malcolm Bamburg who retired from the Texas GLO after surveying for City Services in god knows where. Malcolm moved back to somewhere near Lake Tex(oma) in retirement, as I recall, and I don't know where in Okieland his family was camping when he was born, but he was someone who knew quite a bit and had an unusual amount of common sense about matters that tend to get swallowed up in technical discussions.
Malcolm is the wit who one day laid this pearl of wisdom on me. He said," I've come to the conclusion from studying the records of the General Land Office that a vacancy is any freaking thing that the Commissioner of the GLO says is a vacancy." He may not have used the word "freaking" and he may have kept at least one distillery in operation full-time, but he was the real deal.
[Edit: the Google informs me that Malcolm was technically a Cajun, born in Ouachita Parish, date unknown, That explains quite a bit.]
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=43499318
paden cash, post: 424928, member: 20 wrote: I've actually known a few Okie surveyors that migrated south of Red River during times of economic despair, became licensed in Texas and permanently relocated down there. In doing so they collectively raised the average IQ in both states..;)
I somewhat resemble that remark. Though I got my Texas License 1st and my Oklahoma License was No. 3 on the acquisition list. However I have maintained an Oklahoma residence since 2002.
StLSurveyor, post: 424948, member: 7070 wrote: Perhaps reciprocity was the wrong term and comity would be better...Regardless, I have looked into the application and I have received a lot of good study material from headywest a fellow member who shares the same office building as my company, three floors down. The material I have received and looked over would frighten any decent surveyor that has the ability to know - what they don't know.
Shall this happen, the Texas State Specific will be, hands down be the most difficult exam I will ever face.
It is easier now than it used to be.
Austin is a great city BUT living here can be quite expensive. San Antonio is cheaper living expenses. New Braunfels is between Austin and SA and has (from what I know) a rather large German community.
If you end up making the move, welcome to Texas!
T
