We all have started from somewhere to become the skillful geodesists. I have been surveyor for 4 years which is not that much I guess. I have done many different works from the topographical plans to higher level surveying in construction, but I haven't "specialised" to any of them. One-two short works from here and there. Now I've been to sewage system construction for a year, so that's something I am good at 😀 But at the moment I am trying to get into more responsible works as building constructions, bridges etc. I'll have experienced engineer by my side for some time luckily, so I am not jumping straight in to the fire.
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I wanted to ask, how was your transition whenever it was. Did you make any silly mistakes when looking back to those times? Were you nervous to screw up? How to overcome the insecurity at the start? What are the main differences between usual topographic survey and construction/ high level responsible job? And what to keep in mind? :)?ÿ
Were you nervous to screw up?
You should always be a little nervous about screwing up. If you stop being nervous about screwing up, that's when you will really screw up. The ways of the blunder are many, and varied. One guy I worked with early on said that there should always be a little bird on your shoulder that says "are you really sure about that?" for everything you do. Learn to live with it and make it your friend.?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿ
It's not a mistake until you leave the site.?ÿ
FWIW, I spend a lot more time and effort on site control than most. Monumenting it with more substantial monuments, placing it where it will be safe, tying it with redundancy, adjusting it, documenting it, and rehabilitating it when it gets destroyed. It took me more than 4 years to realize just how worth the effort that is.?ÿ ?ÿ?ÿ
It's been my experience to not place oneself on too high a pedestal by being over confident and making promises not grounded in realistic expectations. Experience and confidence take time and the more varieties of experience you have, the more you will have to draw on. Think of it as building a brick wall. The foundation must be solid and well grounded and each brick in the wall is supported by the bricks beneath it. Without that solid foundation, a strong wind may blow it over. It's good to push yourself to take on more responsibility. That's how you build confidence. One brick at a time.?ÿ
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
Well stated.?ÿ
I'll add...I've been "doing it" for 20 years, I still second guess all the work. I still double check everything. If you or someone else discovers a mistake, own it! Right away, then fix it.
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N10,000, E7,000, Z100.00 PLS - MO, KS, CO, MN, KY
Experience and confidence take time and the more varieties of experience you have, the more you will have to draw on. Think of it as building a brick wall. The foundation must be solid and well grounded and each brick in the wall is supported by the bricks beneath it. Without that solid foundation, a strong wind may blow it over. It's good to push yourself to take on more responsibility. That's how you build confidence. One brick at a time.
Agreed. And if you are doing the same thing over and over, you're not building a foundation, you're just occasionally replacing that one brick with a nicer-looking one.
Oh, it looks fancy, you may have the sharpest-looking brick around, but it's just a single brick and won't support much of anything.
@norman-oklahoma?ÿ It's not a mistake until you leave the site.?ÿ
It's not even a mistake if you collect enough additional data to fix the mistake in the office.
Transitioning from one area of surveying to another is something I genuinely don't think about.
I wake up. I go to site. I survey.
I don't want to sound like I'm criticising you for noticing the difference - I'm not - I've just never thought about it.