A case of the Mondays.

Just one. Could be they have plenty of Chiefs and not enough Indians. Pass the SIT and then talk to your boss. In the mean time try and be the best Indian in the tribe and be grateful and eager to learn all you can. Good luck.

Hang in there. If you pass the SIT and they've still got you as an I-man, it's time to go. At that point you'd be well over qualified for your job.

Maybe there's just not a slot for a PC right now.

If (or when) they hire a new PC over you it might be time to seek greener pastures. With your experience and level of comprehension I'll bet you'll do good wherever you are at. Good luck.

Williwaw, post: 415247, member: 7066 wrote: Just one. Could be they have plenty of Chiefs and not enough Indians. Pass the SIT and then talk to your boss. In the mean time try and be the best Indian in the tribe and be grateful and eager to learn all you can. Good luck.

I agree with this, and add, learn everything you can during that time period. Hit the books, the forums, everything, if something you come across is unfamiliar, research. Those remedial tasks I just mentioned are the role of the LS.

voidintheabyss, post: 415242, member: 11972 wrote: Any thoughts?

You owe it to yourself to make the best deal for yourself that you can. I'd probably give things longer than 4 months but if things don't change I'd be looking around for a better fit. Meanwhile, you moved there to learn new things. Do you have to be in charge to learn?

do not be discouraged. surveying never goes as planned. rather, do the best you can with what you need to do right here, right now, one task at a time. Most of your advances in this profession come in the form of UNPLANNED opportunities. What you do today is preparation for the next unexpected advance. Then, you'll be working day by day also.

They created the conditions, you just work under them.

voidintheabyss, post: 415242, member: 11972 wrote: My PC also tells me that my boss never asks about me. I also never talk to my boss because he is always busy in the mornings lining out the other PCs.

If you're working at a larger firm doing commercial land development type work with multiple crews it's doubtful that the survey manager is going to have time to talk with you "on the fly" before the crews go out or when they get back in. I know I don't, in fact I generally let my party chefs and junior office staff manage the instrument men.

Go to your boss one afternoon and tell him you'd like to schedule 30 minutes or so around your six month anniversary to sit down and discuss your role with the firm and where you both see your career with the firm heading for the next year. Give him time to prepare and think about it.

I am in the same boat. Left a company I was with at for ten years because I wasn't happy. Started at this place six months ago. Hired as an I-man was told I would be moved up to chief. Here i am six months later pounding hubs. At least we are working. I plan on looking around once spring comes.

A couple of years ago I hired a fellow that had extensive experience as an I-man. I told him that I would soon move him up to a party chief.

Well, soon never got here because that fellow was dumber than a sack of hammers. He was fine as long as someone was there to give him constant directions, but as soon as he was expected to make any decisions on his own, he'd make the wrong one every time.

Tommy Young, post: 415329, member: 703 wrote: A couple of years ago I hired a fellow that had extensive experience as an I-man. I told him that I would soon move him up to a party chief.

Well, soon never got here because that fellow was dumber than a sack of hammers. He was fine as long as someone was there to give him constant directions, but as soon as he was expected to make any decisions on his own, he'd make the wrong one every time.

I'm not that bad.

Assuming you like where you work...I would approach your boss when it's appropriate and express your interest to take on more responsibility in the company. Let him know what you have been doing and what your goals are. Then flat out ask if he anticipates any opportunity for you to take on more responsibility in the near future. You may not advance by hope and good will alone.

If the boss is always already gone when when you get to work....show up early and start having coffee with him/her in the mornings...build some relationship with the owner before asking for advancement.

Mark Mayer, post: 415274, member: 424 wrote: You owe it to yourself to make the best deal for yourself that you can. I'd probably give things longer than 4 months but if things don't change I'd be looking around for a better fit. Meanwhile, you moved there to learn new things. Do you have to be in charge to learn?

Agreed. The same goes for the company too though. Right now, I am one of the most expensive I-Men. I can't see how that's good for either party.

I don't have to be in charge to learn. From what I've gathered from my experience and from what others have told me, the learning never ends.

Tommy Young, post: 415329, member: 703 wrote: that fellow was dumber than a sack of hammers.

Depending on the brand of the hammer, I could give any sack a run for its money.

James Fleming, post: 415305, member: 136 wrote: If you're working at a larger firm doing commercial land development type work with multiple crews it's doubtful that the survey manager is going to have time to talk with you "on the fly" before the crews go out or when they get back in. I know I don't, in fact I generally let my party chefs and junior office staff manage the instrument men.

Go to your boss one afternoon and tell him you'd like to schedule 30 minutes or so around your six month anniversary to sit down and discuss your role with the firm and where you both see your career with the firm heading for the next year. Give him time to prepare and think about it.

It's actually a small company running four crews. My previous companies were 15, 15, and 30 crews, approximately.

With what you said about the management hierarchy in mind, I guess my question to you becomes - what is your baseline assumption about the performance of I-Men and Rodmen? Is it a "if I don't hear about any problems from my chiefs, I assume everything is good" sort of deal?

Whenever I've been a chief in the past, my boss has always asked about my helpers, and I've always been an advocate (or a charitable voice of concern if they sucked) for them.

voidintheabyss, post: 415364, member: 11972 wrote: Depending on the brand of the hammer, I could give any sack a run for its money.

After working for a differing variety of employers, I have come to appreciate any place that will pay according to your knowledge and capability and performance of the duties ensued and to extend the respect that you are due.
I like to work with experienced people that have no problem with who does what as long as they do their best and fill in wherever they are needed without supervision.
There are plenty of company owners and operators and managers that can not survey their way out of the parking lot.
Out in the middle of nowhere or on any project, gettin the job done and done right matters and hierarchy has its limits.
I can easily work with newbies as long as they are willing to keep their minds on their job during working hours with the understanding that they will get paid according to how helpful they are.
Bottom line, if you are not satisfied and a better place wants you, go there.
Until the time you are able to become licensed and find your ideal situation, you must endure what come your way.
good luck

voidintheabyss, post: 415363, member: 11972 wrote: I don't have to be in charge to learn...

If you are Party Chiefing the chances are that you would be assigned, mostly, only those jobs that are within your current skill set.

My experience is, watch your back - nobody else is.