Hi, my name is Alex I'm 22 and have just recently have discovered the career of being a land surveyor. I find a high interest in following the career particuarly in land surveying in the forestry areas of Oregon. I never knew there would be a job that would combine some of my highest interests(hiking and math) I love the great outdoors and I love to go hiking rain, shine, or even in the snow, so I've come here to hopefully find some answers on the begining of this journey, I'm trying to find out; if I need to do 2 years of full time schooling or are there small courses I can take to achieve a certafication, added to that is there differnt classes or courses to take for urban surveying versus forestry surveying. I'm also trying to find out things about in the career of forestry surveying, like what are the biggest chalanges other than hiking and geomatics, how much time of the job is spent out doors, and what kinda pay is average pay? If any one can help with any information it will sure help to drive into a career of land surveying
Welcome, Alex.. Great career choice. Look into both schooling and on the job experience, the two work best hand-in-hand.
Bruce
TRY THIS LINK
Welcome. You will find that there are many of us that love our chosen profession.
Try this link for some general information: http://www.beasurveyor.com/
Also find a surveyor who will let you "shadow" them and/or their employes for a day/week.
By "discovered", do you mean that you have just found out about the profession of surveying, or have you started working for a surveyor?
The best thing, in my opinion, is to start working for one (if you aren't now), and you will find out all that you need to know, especially whether you really do want to go into this honorable yet uncelebrated and mostly thankless profession.
Many of your immediate questions can be answered by checking out this link, especially at the far bottom on the left where links are provided describing what it takes to eventually become licensed in Oregon.
Just a story
Once upon a time, there was a big city. The city was beseiged by a much larger enemy army. The food and water was all cut off.
In the city, was a poor, hard working old man. In his gravely old voice, he sat a number of the town leaders down, and taught them to build engines to throw stones, and how to dig a well much deeper than they had ever dug one. Now they had water, and an ability to defend themselves. This allowed them to win against the beseiging army.
After a long time, the beseiging army gave up, and left for easier targets, and the city was saved.
The old man was a hero, in the mind of a few who knew that it was his wisdom that had saved the city.
But, they all promptly forgot about the poor old man, and he continued to plod along, at his work, until the day he died. And, everyone forgot about the poor old wise man.
The office of a surveyor can be alot like the role the poor old wise man played.
Nate
Alex, I am in Portland and am willing to carry on a dialog with you. I got the Forestry education and am a surveyor. Although I have never been licensed in Oregon, I have several other states covered. If you are not in Portland, maybe we will have to email the conversations.
Just a story
I thought that P&R were banned??
Educational Opportunities In Oregon
Oregon Institute of Technology, ABET accredited BS in Geomatics
http://www.oit.edu/programs/klamath-falls/geomatics/overview
Umpqua Community College, AS in Surveying, which you can transfer to Oregon Tech
http://www.umpqua.edu/a-z-index/47-engineering-tech-surveying
Oregon State University, Certificate program in Surveying
http://www.geo.oregonstate.edu/gcert/
OSU also has a Forest Engineering, Resources & Management program.
Check them all out and take your pick.
Paul in PA
Just a story
> Once upon a time, there was a big city. The city was beseiged by a much larger enemy army. The food and water was all cut off.
> In the city, was a poor, hard working old man. In his gravely old voice, he sat a number of the town leaders down, and taught them to build engines to throw stones, and how to dig a well much deeper than they had ever dug one. Now they had water, and an ability to defend themselves. This allowed them to win against the beseiging army.
>
> After a long time, the beseiging army gave up, and left for easier targets, and the city was saved.
>
> The old man was a hero, in the mind of a few who knew that it was his wisdom that had saved the city.
>
> But, they all promptly forgot about the poor old man, and he continued to plod along, at his work, until the day he died. And, everyone forgot about the poor old wise man.
>
> The office of a surveyor can be alot like the role the poor old wise man played.
>
> Nate
that's overly dramatics Nate.
my advise is not to select surveying because you like hiking & math.
if these are the main criteria for selecting a career path then you can also be a door to door insurance adjuster or census data logger. both needs to hike & must know decent math.
hiking & math as you say are your interests. i remember when i was a kid, my interests were stamp collecting & fishing. good thing I did not work for the post office near a river.
what is my point? interests changes, you will get a new interest every year.
i would ask myself the following:
1. Can I work in a profession that demands a lot of physical labor when working in the field
2. Can I leave my family for long stretches of time when I get assigned to a far site
3. Can I make a living in a profession that has a regular on/off peak season
4. Can I get by days on end without taking a bath or using a normal toilet
