Do I have a chance to enter profession? (40+)

Howdy lightrange,
Welcome and thank you for the interest
Do not think twice about entering this profession if it is in your best interest and wanting as a way of life.
I say that because this profession has a way of consuming you and becoming involved in most every part of your life as to become licensed it is a lifetime learning situation to keep up with current technology, rules and regulations and guidelines and to be open to what to expect around the next corner.
Apply at various surveying companies in your area and get the feel for what kind of working conditions are available.
good luck

Our profession is always in need of, and will always welcome focused individuals that are not afraid of applying themselves. And understanding everyday brings an opportunity to learn something new is in no way related to age or gender. If you don't learn something new each day you're doomed.

And working outdoors is one of the greatest benefits of the profession. 😉

Greetings lightrange,

If you have the determination to push through and get the Geomatics degree you may be setting yourself up to have a long and lucrative career in this industry.

1. Woman...check
2. Foreigner...check
3. Educated...check
4. Licensed...that will come

Hello Disadvantaged Business Enterprise. Hello 8a. Hello government contracts. Hello money. Hello BIG money.

I have some experience in these areas, having helped a female friend try to become DBE qualified. Her application was rejected, but the reasons for her rejection are items you would have no problem with. And, 8a? You would likely be welcomed with open arms...(say, you aren't married are you? lol)

My friend and I checked into 8a, and found she had even less chance for approval than for the DBE program. Unless things have changed in the last 2 years, being from another country was nearly a guarantee for acceptance. And, with the 8a program the government provides a mentor with something like a 10 year learning period to help find the work and to see that you are a success (say, you wouldn't happen to be single? lol).

If you have the desire to be self employed, either of these programs ought to be on your bucket list. And, once you become self employed you can continue to work as long as you enjoy what you are doing (good health of course). I do not see your age as being a limiting factor. POB magazine a few years ago had a feature article about a guy that had just celebrated 32 years in business, and he was 68 years old when he started it! Like him, I also have no desire to quit something I enjoy more every year. Technology has always been an attraction to me, and I am having even more fun now that I've gone to drone mapping. Others have said before, surveying is not a job (to many)...it's a way of life.

Briefly, the DBE program comes under the Federal Department of Transportation, and is administered locally by each of the state DOTs. You would need to own at least 51% of the business, and be able to demonstrate to the DOT's satisfaction that you were actually the one in charge of the business. Ever since the DBE program was instituted there have been many men who found a (female) ringer to "sell" 51% of his business to in the hopes of fooling the DOT into believing the girl was in charge. Quite often this female was the non-licensed spouse of the licensed man who essentially knew nothing about surveying. The money making potential was, of course, the goal. With DBE's you will not only be given state work, but many city/county governments also have their own "minority" lists of vendors too. Once you get the Geomatics degree I would think you would not have any problems finding some enterprising gentleman to offer (you) a 51% controlling interest in his firm just for the money making potential of DBE/8a qualified businesses. Not that you couldn't do a start up all by yourself, but perhaps going with a running business instead could be the easier route.

Well...get started girl! Good luck.
ubenhavin?

I think it would be worthwhile to begin attending the association meetings in your area.

If you find yourself interested in working construction many unions include hiring of women as a priority, as do some private firms in order to maintain or obtain some status or another.

I personally feel that the work is especially well suited for women and the female surveyors I have worked with have evidenced that.

Go for it, grab a hold of them dreams and don't let go!

With your current skills and especially you positive attitude you will succeed. My Vice President is a 46 year old female RPLS and has been with us for 28 years. I am currently in process of turning the business over to her. In my old eyes (66) you possess the same drive and attitude as her. 😎

lightrange, post: 435868, member: 12864 wrote: Do you think I might have a realistic chance of entering Land Surveyor profession, given I'm in my mid-40s and female, plus an immigrant (from Eastern Europe)?

If I went for it, I'd start from getting a certificate or AAS in Geomatics/Surveying, an internship through college, which would take about a year, but not sure if I'd have any job prospects....
I have a degree in Computer Science and several years of working as a software engineer. While I've been good at programming, working in the office, sitting and staring at the screen, while under high pressure, deadlines, etc, all day is not my thing and had been literally killing me. I ended up in this profession almost by accident (long story), while I wanted to go for a Civil Engineering degree instead. Math, geometry are easy subjects for me. Despite my age, I'm in very good athletic shape, and things like climbing fences, carrying and using heavy equipment wouldn't be an issue. I taught myself compass navigation and generally am good with maps. Just not sure if combination of age, gender and having an accent would prevent me from working. I'm not going to stay in software engineering, and would go for a major life change in any case.
I'd appreciate honest answers even though they might not be good news for me.

Where in eastern Europe are you from? Where do you live now?

Go for it.

lightrange, post: 435878, member: 12864 wrote: So, just contact a surveyor and say I want to try it out for few days,

weeks, months, years.

Yes. Do that, and keep trying. You might get shot down a few times at first. Stay with it. Surveying is calling you.

I would say that you have all the right qualities to get started, being in the 40's is a good thing

lightrange, post: 435868, member: 12864 wrote: ....working in the office, sitting and staring at the screen, while under high pressure, deadlines, etc, all day is not my thing and had been literally killing me.....

As a person with computer skills you will have to be very careful not to end up working in a survey office, sitting and staring at the screen, while under high pressure, deadlines, etc. It is a fight I am engaged in myself.... But as far as being 40ish, and so on...no problem. In fact, if you happen to be in the Portland area I'm looking for a person just like you.

Maybe a tad young?

warren ward PLS CO OK, post: 435980, member: 12536 wrote: I would say that you have all the right qualities to get started, being in the 40's is a good thing

I worked at a lot of different jobs before I stumbled into Land Surveying, I knew within a week that Surveying was what I was meant to do. Check around for a Continuing Education class on Field Procedures and Corner Recovery, if you can find one close by attend and you should get an idea of what to expect

Hello Lightrange,
I made a career change to surveying at the age of 55. My previous career was in building construction so I had some familiarity with the instruments.
I decided to work a few years before going to school.

There are a few states that still allow you to take the exams with experience only or with any 4 year degree plus 4 or more years of experience. It would also be useful to know whether you wanted to survey in metes and bounds states or the PLSS states.

Which ever route you take I highly encourage you to seek out a position in your area before making a decision. With that said do not be discouraged. This is a great profession and your age and gender should not deter you.

If you are willing to travel, I believe there are many opportunities now, for rodmen doing pipeline work.

Welcome, Lightrange! I would say that just on your skills and history, you'd probably be able to get a job right away as long as the area you are in isn't an economic and/or social backwater. I would rather do that then go for training first. Make sure it's for you. If you spend a lot of time in school (and money) most places will want you behind a computer pretty fast . It's the nature of the biz.

Would you wish to locate to Ontario Canada ?

Please do look to this AOLS link : http://www.aols.org/join/membership

Any way I can help you, do not be afraid of asking.

Cheers,

Derek

I was in my 40's when I started taking surveying courses (paid for by the surveying company I was then drawing for). I have a four-year degree in math and CS and a two-year degree in surveying (which took more than two years, because of other courses like anthropology which one has to take, and because I was also drawing surveys). North Carolina did not then require a four-year degree, but there is talk in or with the legislature about it; some other states do require a four-year degree.

I'm a native trilingual, my website is bilingual, and my card is trilingual (the third language is a Hebrew Bible verse). If you advertise as a zemlemerka (sp and apologies if you're not a Slav), and there are others in your area who speak your language, you may get customers that other surveyors won't access.

As the underground rodent said, gopher it!

lightrange, post: 435878, member: 12864 wrote: Woods is where I'm usually found (without computers and GPS), in my free time.....
So, just contact a surveyor and say I want to try it out for few days, before I decide to go to school for it? I can sure try, just not sure they'd just take someone from the street, who's not an employee or intern ....(with all the fear of injury liability that is out there)

I have had many people "puppy dog" me for a day to see what it's like. Admittedly, most of them were younger. I think a lot of surveyors would be happy to show you what it's all about. Your age, gender and accent are non-issues in my mind.

It sounds like you have many of the right ingredients for the occupation. Nate's advice is good, test the waters and make sure.

Good luck

To quite Jobo Glidden and Joseph Campbell
"Follow your Bliss"

What else are you gonna do?
As for accents? Everyone has one.
People that have issues with anyone's accent are close minded xenophobic cretins. Stay away from them.

40 something isn't old.