Apply for a land survey technician position now or wait till I complete a few classes geomatics courses first?

Both approa hes have merit, but I would say dive in.

You have already done undergrad. The certificate is probably another 30 hours. You may want to find out if you love surveying versus the idea of surveying before the additional school.

Another factor is the path to licensure. Surveying experience usually counts both before and after school is complete. Start clocking time now if you can..

You don't need a certificate to work for a surveyor. Can you swing a hammer? Can you swing a machete? Can you show up to work sober and on time?

Trust me...you'd be surprised.

I would visit your local surveyor in person with a resume of sorts and talk to him/her and say, "Hey I really want to be a surveyor, I have saved up money to take classes and I would love to gain some experience and work for you, I am willing to start at the bottom and learn the entire process".?ÿ

I had a recent graduate in Soils Sciences from Cal Poly apply for a Technician 2 1/2 years ago.?ÿ He had done some GPS work with the BLM over the summer and enjoyed it and wanted to be a surveyor.?ÿ I hired him and I am paying for his school classes to obtain a degree in Land Surveying from Great Basin.?ÿ He takes the classes at night after work at the office and should have a 4 year degree in surveying after this semester.?ÿ He passed his Land Surveyor in Training the first year working with us.?ÿ?ÿ

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I was in the same boat as you about 43 years ago.?ÿ I had a BA degree in Speech (thought I wanted to be a trial lawyer) but I didn't want to go to law school; I got introduced to Land Surveying taking Geography courses (my minor) and that's what I wanted to do.?ÿ So I wanted to go into surveying but didn't know how, so I just started calling around to different survey offices and that's how I got my first job.?ÿ Took some courses at night in math and land surveying and here I'm with registration in two (used to be three) states and my own business.?ÿ I would work in surveying first before spending money on education, afterall you may not like it.?ÿ

I did things backwards from most people- I went through my local community college survey program before ever working a day in the field in my life.

When I began, I felt like I was cheated by my curriculum - you need to learn SO many basics before you become remotely useful. How to set a tripod, flag stakes and nails (and which direction to point those things!), how to read a tape in hundredths, etc etc etc. My party chief laughed at me because I knew how to calculate the velocity of open channel storm drains but didnƒ??t know how to drop a rod down in it and measure to the top of the manhole rim!?ÿ

Eventually, my field/practical knowledge started to catch up to my book knowledge and it can give you a big advantage over other field guys who never learned the ropes mathematically or boundary law-wise.

But when it comes to waiting, either approach will work. If you wait like I did (although it wasnƒ??t by choice, I just couldnƒ??t find entry level work) you might be frustrated at first or at the least, surprised. If you want to take classes AFTER work, bring a change of clothes! 🙂 You might find yourself rushing to class with muddy clothes, smelling like a hog and covered in ticks!

@ARMichael has a great description of how I see things happening.

It takes a lot of skills to be a productive entry level surveyor - some you can't get in the classroom and some you can't get at the job.

While I consider formal survey education essential for anyone who intends to have professional survey career, one of the saddest tings to see is a graduate of a survey program who really doesn't like surveying. I've hired a couple of folks with bachelors degrees in surveying/geomatics who seemed to have little to no spatial acumen. There may be some element of the surveying/geomatics field that is a good fit but sometimes it's just not going to work well. One of those individuals changed careers within 6 months of graduating and the other is still among us. Of the two, I suspect that the one that changed careers made the better decision. If you have the opportunity to work with a surveyor before going to school: do it but don't put off going to school.

Yes, get a job. What you learn on the job will help you immensely to understand the surveying course work. In my freshman Plane Surveying course, the Civil and Forestry majors had a surprisingly difficult time compared to the Survey students, who all had field experience. More than once, a little light bulb went off in my head chiming, "this is why you did that in the field."

I don't think it would hurt to try to work at least part time while going.?ÿ I stumbled into a survey job and did it for 2 years, and then quit and moved states with the intention of going to school for it.?ÿ I tried looking for work in my new state-- either full-time to save money to make the eventual school leap or part-time while in school, but it seemed like survey companies in my area wanted absolutely nothing to do with a guy who's only experience was as a second man.?ÿ Maybe that was just bad luck, I dunno.?ÿ So I ended up going to school full-time instead but once I got out the demand has been huge.?ÿ So anyway, feel free to poke around and see what you can find.?ÿ Maybe a place will accommodate your class schedule.

There have been a few job postings lately on the local Craigslist for "entry level survey helper". Why not go for such a job? Probably doesn't pay a lot more than Subway, but the experience will be invaluable.?ÿ

Once I'd made up my mind to get into surveying I just called every surveyor in the phone book and asked if they needed any help. Did land a job or two that way, but the first advertisement for a 'survey' job I showed up and they handed me a clipboard and a list of questions to ask random strangers. Not quite what I had in mind.?ÿ

Get out there and get your hands dirty! Later when you go on to further your education, the experience will put you in a better position to connect the dots.?ÿ?ÿ

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