If you could do it all againƒ??

My only regret is not finding surveying sooner.?ÿ I sort of fell into it in my mid thirties after a previous career went sour. I started working for my father-in-law because he was short handed and I needed something while looking for a job.?ÿ I fell in love with it and can't imagine being happier doing anything else

@david3038?ÿ

I started geophysics at 34 and land surveying at 43 but was aiming at it from 36 onward and picked up GIS along the way.

great job futures for the foreseeable future?ÿ

If I could do it all again, I might chose to be a trust fund baby and just hang out doing next to nothing, travel around, and never break a sweat working again.?ÿ There's probably downsides to that career as well, but I wouldn't mind trying it out for a bit to see if it's a path I might want to follow.

I started working for my dad at 14, until about a year after graduation, then the 1970's recession hit, I wanted to try my hand at being an auto mechanic, only place for a job at that time seemed to be the Army, after my 3 yrs (sometimes still kick myself for not doing at least 20) I discovered that mechanics was not really for me, so back I went for about 10 years or so, then got tired of it again and tried to put my interest in photography to good use (and work through the mid 80's recession), eventually got back into surveying/engineering and haven't looked back.

And at least my photography interest rubbed off on my daughter who is now a professional photographer, and doing OK at it.

Been doing it for 45 years, since before I graduated HS in May, 1977. Started as a draftsman, which was a handy skill that found me part time work when in college in a couple different places. Worked in the private sector for about 14 years, the last 6 after getting licensed. Went to work for the state and now have 31 years in.

I wouldn't really change anything or make a different choice of a career. It has exceeded all of my expectations (although I never really sat down and set them) professionally and financially. Haven't gotten a bonus in 31 years, but never worried during down times or worldwide pandemics, which I can't put a price on that.

I have been fortunate, because of the private/public path, to have worked in most areas of land surveying, or managed folks working in those areas. The exceptions would be high rise structures and mining surveying. I focused the last 10 years on geodetic surveying, which has been very rewarding and interesting, especially in a state moving as much as California.?ÿ

I have been fortunate to present at local and national conferences, serve as the State Geodetic Coordinator since 2016, and now sit on the Board of Directors for the American Association for Geodetic Surveying (AAGS). I wrote articles for xyHt for 6 years along the way. Oh, and was part of the state specific exam grading and development team for several years.

All that with only a AA degree in partying. Never got bit by a dog or shot at. I call that a success.

Fascinating question.

In my case, if my first wife and I could have been more content in our marriage I probably would have never entered the world of surveying.

In my case, I had the chance to jump into hard core corporate America with a desk job somewhere in a large city with tons of benefits.?ÿ Would probably be dead by now. See first paragraph.

In my case, I could have gone into Government service in D.C. working close to the upper echelon.?ÿ See first paragraph.

In my case, I could have returned to the university world and would qualify as one of the old fuddyduddy profs who knows a lot about stuff that's not done that way anymore.?ÿ See first paragraph.

Instead, I leapt, mainly on my own, into consulting engineer and land surveying.?ÿ This was something that allowed my interest in other things besides the primary job to be maximized while raising my family in a world similar to the one in which I grew up.?ÿ I am very thankful that I made that choice.

So, land surveying has, to quote Chico Escuela (Garrett Morris), been "berry, berry good to me."

I doubt I would have been a success as a surveyor but many aspects of it interest me.

My early interests were in how things mechanical and especially electrical worked. I did like math and used trig to estimate where smoke on the horizon was as I rode the school bus. I led our trig class outside to measure the height of the town water tower using trig.

So I got a degree in EE and kept a job with the same company and its successors for 34 years. I doubt I could be as financially secure if I had gone into surveying. Though it's hard to look back and see that I made much of a mark on?ÿthe world.

And I'm a wimp who wouldn't have made it through years of driving hubs. I don't do well in high temperatures. I attract chiggers in droves and suffer from them.

But surveying has interested me. I learned a lot about PLSS as an offshoot of local history, along with the fact that deed summaries were published in the hometown newspaper and Dad always looked up what changed hands.?ÿ

Later, I kept Davis, Foote, and Kelly by my bedside and studied most chapters. I acquired outdated equipment and played with it. I found that bench mark hunting was much more satisfying than geocaching, although both have the treasure hunting aspect that goes along with finding parcel monuments. This and predesessor forums have been a daily addiction.

I still have a twinge of regret that when I retired I didn't look up some local surveyor and see if I could meet their expectations on a part time basis.

I would pick the same path and I haven't considered changing.?ÿ I've only got about 7 total years of experience though, so maybe my answer would be different in 20 years.

Moi, je ne regrette rien

Stumbled into survey totally by accident. Worked as a Heavy equipment operator (scraper operator), and during the off season, went to work as a survey helper for a firm my brother in law worked for in the off season in Rawlins Wyoming. Spent a lot of time working around that area, and the early spring of the next season where we worked in the mountains in Montana staking claims for some client (unkown to we peons) above Roscoe Mt. Worked in heavy snow conditions, where we had to be heicoptered into our work area, and camped in tents for two or three weeks at a time. Loved the work, but more because of difference with the brother in law went back to the construction crew working in Wheatland Wyo., that spring, and then went with them to North Dakota and worked on various sites. The last near Washburn, ND. At that time I noticed and ad for a coal company in Bismarck looking for a survey helper. Spent 8 years working for them, during which time they transferred me to Billings, Mt, and was working sites in Wyo. Utah, ND, Colorado, New Mexico?ÿ and other places. Loved the work, but then they shut the Billings office and wanted us all to move to Denver. I liked Billings and said no (1978). Worked for a solo surveyor for a couple years, then 1980 came along and that job went away. Started with a Geotech firm for 4 years, until a client left them holding the bag on a large goldmine project putting an end to that firm. Then in 1982 went to work for and enginering survey firm where I stayed for thirty years, and getting licensed in 1987. Now as an old retired guy (74) I still am doing projects on my own. So yes I guess you could say I really like surveying, and can't think of any other line of work I would enjoy as much!

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Shoulda gone out on my own earlier. Hindsight is amazing, isn't it. I had no idea owning my own company would be so much fun, profitable, stress reducing, healthy, you name it. The American dream.

What a question...

Of course I'd do it all again, but i's been such a twisted and unpredictable route I hardly think one could.?ÿ I wouldn't trade a thing for all my experiences (good and bad) and my life as it has evolved.

I was having lunch the other day with another old semi-retired surveyor.?ÿ We laughed about still not knowing what we wanted to do "when we grow up".

My buddy asked me if I could, would I like to do anything else besides surveying.?ÿ I thought for a minute and then replied, "I can't think of anything else I could be doing where I do so little and make so much money".?ÿ

...'bout sums it up...?ÿ 😉

Around 2010 I seriously considered pursuing my Masters in Education to teach earth science and to have summers off :)?ÿ

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After graduating HS in 1973 I worked for a brick and block mason in Pa. My brother had been in the army as a artillery surveyor. He got out in 1971 and moved to NC and got a job surveying. April of 1975 I was laid off and he had an opening where he was working at the time. I could not even?ÿ spell surveying! I took the job. First day I was given a bush axe and a plumb bob and told to keep them both sharp. I got my license in 1990. First try. Must have been a hell of a curve! I was in the field full time until 3 years ago when a heart attack and bypass snuck up on me! Now I'm in the office most of the time. After 47 years I have thought more of retiring in the last 3 years than all the previous 44 years combined! I miss the field.?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿ But in looking back I can't imagine any job where I could have met so many good people, clients and coworkers, and seen so many amazing things! If I can just sneek out of the office a few times each week I might hit that 50yr mark!

I would not expect you will see many negative responses to this question from this group. It's kind of inherent that those seeking to discuss surveying are on their chosen path. I retired after 47 years over a year ago and I find myself doing a survey currently in the PLSS section in which I reside, so I suppose I'm not. The neighbors are getting quite a comprehensive survey that includes a cemetery established in 1887. I'm finding three curves marked on a local gravel road where there should be one. Quite a puzzle. Got into the woods and briars and had bloody arms to prove it. Just me and the hoot owls. Smiling every step of the way.?ÿ

Fell into surveying by way of doing drafting for a local engineering firm back in 2000. Not sure what I would do if I wasn't surveying. Being honest though, I've thought many times about doing something else, just don't know what that would be.

Lots of life changing events these days so I'm questioning almost everything.

not sure I would want to change careers but would have liked to been a recipient of some of those lawyer jokes from time to time to supplement my surveying.

If I could do it all over I would have started surveying at least a decade sooner, but I'm not sure it would have worked out as well as it has. One of my first jobs as a teenager was as a helper on a survey crew that my Dad lined up after I started getting into trouble. Not too long afterward I found myself on my own at ripe age of sixteen (long story), at which point any job was seen as a blessing. Went on into sales, worked for a securities brokerage for a number of years, commercial fishing, framing house. Nothing really felt like a good fit and then in my early thirties a friend mentioned he'd gone through a surveying program at our university and the light bulb went on. Out of all the work I'd tried, none compared to that first gig on a survey crew, going somewhere new regularly, the mystique of the numbers black magic, it scratched my wonder lust itch and challenge crave. So this high school drop out applied to community college and steadily worked his way through the program. The reason I don't think I could've skipped all those early step jobs is I simply would not have appreciated what surveying offered me. Once somebody asked me what I learned while commercial fishing in the Bering Sea in winter. Thought about it for a second and the answer was glaringly obvious to me, the value of an education. Something I didn't start out with an appreciation for, but that changed and as long as I'm learning something new, which this profession has to offer in abundance, I certainly made the right call.?ÿ

I have never been a big picture planner. Usually went in the direction that felt right. After taking "drafting" and Architecture courses in high school I took a test, as a lark, for an opening with the City of L.A. as a C.E. draftsman. I was offered a job within a couple of days and stuck with that and college courses in the evening, until I got drafted a couple of years later.

Didn't go to Nam, but I developed a pretty sorry attitude towards what was happening in my country. Bummed around after ETS and outlived my welcome where I was. Found a drafting job for an Engineering firm that had survey crews. Got to know the office PLS and he nudged me to get out of the office after a few months and onto one of the survey crews. Joined the union and never had another job that wasn't on a crew, as a party chief, survey manager or sole proprietor ever since. Licensed in 1984.?ÿ

There were firms for which I worked that made parts of my 50+ years living hell. Used to hate going to work. Others were the complete opposite. Nurturing, caring and good surveyors. In either setting I learned?ÿa lot about people and gained the perspective and confidence that allowed me to start my own business, twice. First time during the late 80's to early 90's. Second time from 2009 until the present. Javad user.

I can say without equivocation that the times I have spent as business owner fit my style and personality better than being part of a larger group. There are difficult times and pressures that a business owner must navigate but I am healthier and happier running my own business. I did not become a billionaire.

There were a couple of times, when the industry was flat and work was scarce, that I considered another vocation. I never found anything that I had knowledge of that checked all of the boxes that surveying did.

So, yeah, I would do it all again more because of the way I always follow the path where things feel good and come easily, as opposed to planning in school to become a Land Surveyor. I did not know what a Land Surveyor was until 1972.

JA, PLS, SoCal

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