I have gone from employee to a primarily solo shop for 20 years to an employee, although the new gig is as a part owner/employee in a bigger organization. They all have their pluses, I have even had a couple breaks over the last 37 years of surveying, once as a customer service engineer for Canon servicing photo copiers and more recently driving a truck requiring a CDL nationwide, actually enjoyed both gigs. Point of the alternate gigs is there is a whole world outside of surveying and if you can do something else it is good mentally (or was for me) and you do realize you are not necessarily trapped doing the same thing. Now I am back in surveying since May 2015, albeit as the sole surveyor at an aerial mapping firm, I suspect once the appropriate time has run it's course I will semi retire and do something once again outside the surveying realm or maybe part time consulting.
Life on this earth is too short to continue doing something you dislike, nothing bugs me more than to hear folks talk about counting down the last 10 year years until they can finally retire and be rid of a job they very much dislike, that attitude can't be good for you or your employer!
SHG
Cup is half full bud. Pull the trigger and move in ANY direction. Be smart, balanced and unafraid.
Shelby H. Griggs PLS, post: 389054, member: 335 wrote: I have gone from employee to a primarily solo shop for 20 years to an employee, although the new gig is as a part owner/employee in a bigger organization. They all have their pluses, I have even had a couple breaks over the last 37 years of surveying, once as a customer service engineer for Canon servicing photo copiers and more recently driving a truck requiring a CDL nationwide, actually enjoyed both gigs. Point of the alternate gigs is there is a whole world outside of surveying and if you can do something else it is good mentally (or was for me) and you do realize you are not necessarily trapped doing the same thing. Now I am back in surveying since May 2015, albeit as the sole surveyor at an aerial mapping firm, I suspect once the appropriate time has run it's course I will semi retire and do something once again outside the surveying realm or maybe part time consulting.
Life on this earth is too short to continue doing something you dislike, nothing bugs me more than to hear folks talk about counting down the last 10 year years until they can finally retire and be rid of a job they very much dislike, that attitude can't be good for you or your employer!
SHG
I hope to become permanently unemployed in about 6 years. I like my job but don't want to do it forever. The private around here is heavily skewed to land development which I have zero interest in reentering that job market. Forestry work is fun.
Dave Karoly, post: 389123, member: 94 wrote: I hope to become permanently unemployed in about 6 years. I like my job but don't want to do it forever. The private around here is heavily skewed to land development which I have zero interest in reentering that job market. Forestry work is fun.
Nothing wrong with retiring, I am referring to folks that seemingly hate every minute of their job and stick around the last 10 years or more marking time just to get to retirement, my point is enjoy ALL of life not just retirement. BTW, most folks I have meet doing this are government employees, others may have have different experience in that regard.
SHG
@Karoly
Being in the forest and mostly offroad is why I've kept with strictly land surveying the last 25+yr.
Yesterday I was picking up some extra fence lines by post processing in mobile mapper and searching for a missing monument (knocked out by a fire lane).
Loaded up my ATV in the back yard and drove the 5mi thru backroads and pipeline r/w passing thru a hunting camp getting caught on a couple of their game cameras and got er done.
A Harris, post: 389134, member: 81 wrote: @Karoly
Being in the forest and mostly offroad is why I've kept with strictly land surveying the last 25+yr.
Yesterday I was picking up some extra fence lines by post processing in mobile mapper and searching for a missing monument (knocked out by a fire lane).
Loaded up my ATV in the back yard and drove the 5mi thru backroads and pipeline r/w passing thru a hunting camp getting caught on a couple of their game cameras and got er done.
I'm a bit of a maverick and can relate A Harris, There is no better feeling than walking around in nature alone. I've noticed that these types of individual's are often surveyors. [USER=11913]@Monte[/USER] fit's this character judging from a few of his posts. I'm glad I'm not the only one, some could say I'm unsocial. Not really, I have to talk to folks a good bit, but it sure is nice to be out there where nobody is.
Adam, post: 389145, member: 8900 wrote: There is no better feeling than walking around in nature alone. I've noticed that these types of individual's are often surveyors.
I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion. I would rather ride on earth in an ox cart, with a free circulation, than go to heaven in the fancy car of an excursion train and breathe a malaria all the way.
-Henry David Thoreau
James Fleming, post: 389150, member: 136 wrote: I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion. I would rather ride on earth in an ox cart, with a free circulation, than go to heaven in the fancy car of an excursion train and breathe a malaria all the way.
-Henry David Thoreau
And that right there is the lure to many for the solo truck driver lifestyle, me included...
SHG
Solo is probably more dangerous, but it's liberating.
I find that i have less desire to work in a crew setting. I worked solo in the field for many years and prefer it. I can slack and feel my age when its appropriate or work my tail off and get'er done. No hurt feelings or bad attitudes to deal with!
