In short, Fake it 'till you make it!?ÿ Just don't burn any bridges and do the best you can for any employer.?ÿ Or, at some point, your own clients.?ÿ I've worked for 8 or 9 different land surveying organizations in the last 30 years and walked away from each of them with a wealth of knowledge and experiences on how to do it right and how to do it wrong.?ÿ No regrets.?ÿ I still like my chosen profession and my past employers (large and small companies) miss me as I do them.
Good luck with the decision you will make.?ÿ Remember what is important to you.
SD
I wanted to add one other thing and it's something that has been on my mind lately.?ÿ Company culture.?ÿ I've heard this term used plenty of times in the past and I've usually dismissed it as some sort of meaningless buzzwords.?ÿ But the more experience I gain the more I've come to realize how important it is.?ÿ Read reviews about the company if you can find them and ask questions during the interview that are designed to reveal what the company culture is like.
It doesn't really matter if the pay, tools, projects, hours, and so on are top notch if the place is being run in such a way that doesn't bring out the best in each employee.
Watch your back and company culture.?ÿ Where do you want to be in so many years?...............all that and more have come along so far.
The answer is in your gut.?ÿ I went for an interview right out of college.?ÿ High paying job in a field I thought I wanted to explore.?ÿ Drove up to the crumbling parking lot with the rusty building.?ÿ Middle of the most toxic air in the big city.?ÿ Thought sure I was at the wrong place.?ÿ Went through the front door hoping I was at the wrong place.?ÿ Nope.?ÿ It was the "dream" employer's home for dead end jobs with little chance of advancement that would get you to the shining corporate office building on the hill with the fresh air.?ÿ Thanks, but no thanks.?ÿ Never looked back.
Another interview was at a vastly improved setting but I could "feel" the hopelessness in the air as I was taken around to meet various employees.?ÿ They, too, had been put in little cages with little hope of ever doing anything but what hit their inbox.?ÿ Creativity was not necessarily viewed as a positive thing.?ÿ Just do as the hierarchy dictates.?ÿ Thanks, but no thanks.?ÿ Never looked back.
Third interview was a winner.?ÿ Nice building in nice surroundings with fellow employees who smiled, laughed and enjoyed working at their various jobs.?ÿ Creativity was rewarded.?ÿ Advancement was somewhat limited, yet attainable if you proved yourself worthy.?ÿ Pay was adequate but not stellar.?ÿ Benefits were adequate but not stellar.?ÿ Being able to work with and get to know recognized leaders at the national and international level was fantastic.?ÿ Learning how they had gone from new hire to an essential employee of their place of employment provided great assistance to a young buck who knew little other than how to correctly answer test problems to get the magic sheepskin.?ÿ Learned early on that captains of industry and those in lofty towers at major universities were generally really good, ethical, smart people who had proven themselves to other really good, ethical, smart people who had been a step or two higher on the ladder at the time.?ÿ Know what you know and know what you don't know.?ÿ Make the right contacts.?ÿ Let your gut guide you.
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