Hello all,
I wanted to say thank you for all of your encouragement in the last year as my surveying studies continued, and for providing a forum where I could immerse myself in the profession.
Anyway, I got a couple of job offers, and I start as an entry level instrument man on Monday; I can't wait to get stuck in!
My question is: any advice for my first day/week/month?
Ask questions. Don't act like you know more than you do just to impress. Ask questions when in doubt. Again always better safe than sorry, ask questions and don't be afraid to look like your "stupid". Im my book "stupid" is the guy that is too smart for his own good and messes up more than he helps. Best of luck!
TXSurveyor, post: 425603, member: 6719 wrote: Ask questions. Don't act like you know more than you do just to impress. Ask questions when in doubt. Again always better safe than sorry, ask questions and don't be afraid to look like your "stupid". Im my book "stupid" is the guy that is too smart for his own good and messes up more than he helps. Best of luck!
Good advice ^
Keep your eyes and ears open and your head down and your mouth shut while you're working for at least the first year. The time to ask questions and discuss is in the truck in the morning and the afternoon, not in the middle of the project.
LISTEN.
Smile often, you're extremely fortunate to have found a wonderful career path and you have an abundance of profitable work to look forward to.
Spend as much time with the old timers as you can, be appreciative of the time you have with them, document everything methodically and be discrete and selective with who you trust.
Most importantly, have fun!!
Find out what instruments you will operate and Google up some manuals to familiarize yourself.
Also dress for a construction site. Boots, sleeves and grown- up pants.
Basically be humble. Learn who you are working with & how they do things BEFORE you offer your .02$. Once you have a feel for the way they do things, slowly start pointing out things that might be more productive. In short be receptive before proactive, you have to learn before teaching. Best of luck!
Nothing gets old quicker than hearing "Well, back when I was doing suchandsuch we always did it thataway instead of how we are doing it here."
Be an instrument man until you are ask something else.
Be prepared for any situation
Follow the chief, if he don't go there, don't go there until he sends you there.
Take care of your instrument like it is your baby.
good luck
Listen and ask questions. Stay busy. There is always something to on a survey crew. Organize the truck. Write notes. Prepare your staking bags with flagging, paint, stakes ect. Study the plans or maps for the survey. Nothing is worse than looking up from the data collector after figuring grades and seeing the rodman on his damn phone and unprepared to set the next point.
Pull up your pants and stay off your phone. Don't make the party chief wait for you. Pay attention to what the party chief is figuring. Most good I-men don't stay I-men very long. You will be a party chief soon, so learn how to be one..... learn to draft your topos. It will make you better in the field. Sounds like you have a good start with your education, good luck with the new job!!
Listen.
Ask the right question.
Listen.
Do not ask too many questions.
Always take something home. A book. A manual. The company handbook. Their field code list.
If they do not have a complete manual of their practices, start one. If they have one, make sure it is complete. Revise it as you need it.
Track the missing codes, provide a list at the start or end of the day. Never during the middle of the day unless requested.
Know all the codes in the first week (I dare you).
Pay attention. Avoid the phone.
Don't argue no matter how right you think you are.
I think that the best first day advice is to appear to want to fit into the existing organization of which you will be a part. That most immediately means fitting into the group of individuals you will be riding around with in a truck.
Your longer-term goal should be to identify what set of skills you can acquire in order not to have to put up with the same folks you'll be riding around with in that truck. That's the long game.
Long game, short game, just have a good attitude and pay attention. I've run into guys who think they're the cat's meow of surveying, but can't run the gun for their life because they didn't have time to master the basics. Build your castle on rock. Good luck!
Awesome, some good points here that will help me get prepared. Thank you!
Show up on time!
