being part of a lager group.
I hear that most surveyors like lager. ?????ÿ
I doubt I would have been a success as a surveyor but many aspects of it interest me.
Just from your posts, I have no doubt that you would have been successful and made a darn fine surveyor.?ÿ Because of the quality of your posts, it wasn't until reading your reply that I even remembered that surveying was not your background!
Fell into surveying by way of doing drafting for a local engineering firm back in 2000.
I know many folks who found their way to surveying by being the draftsman that got drafted to help out in the field.
Would you choose the same career path?
Regrets? I've had a few. But then again, too few to mention....
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Let's just say that I'm at age where people talk about their retirement plans.?ÿ Two years ago, at age 60, I took a city job that is 40 hrs per week, no more, no less, and 4 weeks per year vacation - plus 10 holiday days. That's all the retiring I'll be doing for the next ten years. After that I get 8 weeks a year off. That will probably keep me for another 10 years. Then, we will see what happens. I'll still have 22 years to go to match that guy in Indiana. And I don't regret that at all.?ÿ
For the record, I didn't really choose surveying, surveying chose me.?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿ
The only regret I have is not staying in college and getting my bachelor's after getting my associate's in surveying.?ÿ The thing is that I would have moved to StL two years later (maybe not at all) and I wouldn't have met my wife and have my boys and live this great life that I do have.?ÿ It's wild to think back at certain decisions you've made and what path it put you down.?ÿ I wouldn't change a thing.
Fell into surveying by way of doing drafting for a local engineering firm back in 2000.
I know many folks who found their way to surveying by being the draftsman that got drafted to help out in the field.
I was working for a hydraulic hose company, 12 hour "swing" shifts and needed something to do on my days off because you can only mow the yard and wash clothes so much. Plus, I was a young parent and needed the money.
Applied at a local engineering firm because I had AutoCAD exposure in high school. Worked for the engineering firm for 3 months and they offered me a full time position. I accepted and was exposed to drafting and photogrammetry. One day our guy who did all of our surveying had a stroke in the office. He forgot everything he knew. So sad and scary. They put him on blood thinners so he could no longer work in the field.
Another kid my age had some construction experience. I had ZERO surveying knowledge. He and I became the survey crew. Basically, we were staking what we were given. Neither of us really knew what any of it meant.
20 years later...here we are
T. Nelson - SAM
I would have sucked it up, kept my government job and retired twenty years ago.?ÿ Today I would be doing the same thing, but with an extra check in the mailbox every week.?ÿ
@squirl?ÿ
Gates
Kenny
Justin
You made wise choices and learned quickly.?ÿ Go job.
Two of my grade school classmates stayed with Gates until they could retire.?ÿ One is missing part of a finger and says "What?" too frequently.?ÿ The other can't hear diddly.
Saw Kenny a couple of years ago.?ÿ His memory is like Swiss cheese with big holes in it.
Justin is still at it last I knew but on the engineering side of things with Danny and Riebel.
Good job, too ???? ...You had some to do with that as well and I'm very appreciative of what you showed me and tell those stories often here in Texas.?ÿ
Yessir...I reached out to Danny, Justin and Riebel a couple months ago hoping to team up on a potential project but got no response for whatever reason. Turned out to be a good thing once we learned more about the project history/expectations.
I haven't seen Ken in a very long time. Hope he's doing well overall.
Gates was good to me but I'm glad I left when I did and found surveying.?ÿ
Hope you and your family are well!
T. Nelson - SAM
I certainly would have. I strayed into electronic engineering right out of high school, but it was at an institution whose instructors had no business teaching. They were simply electronic-educated folks who were between jobs in the industry, so I left. I got a job as a chainman a few months later, then went back to school and did a dual major in aquatic biology and chemistry. I worked as a surveyor all the way through school, advancing to crew chief with a half-day crew. Upon graduation I had a job offer as a field biologist, but had discovered the fascination of surveying, so I stayed in the surveying field and never looked back. I loved every minute of it (almost). I was born to do it, and very fortunate to have been able to.
I can't imagine doing anything else, but also know that if a few things had fallen differently when I was 18-22, I'd never have gotten into surveying, and would be.
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Nigel Tufnel:
Well, I suppose I could work in a shop of some kind or... or do um... freelance... selling of some sort of... um... product, you know...
Marty DiBergi:
A salesman, you think you...
Nigel Tufnel:
A salesman, like, mabye in a haberdasher, or maybe like a... um, a chapeau shop, or something... you know, like: "Would you... what size do you wear, sir?" and then you answer me.
Marty DiBergi:
Uh... seven and a quarter.
Nigel Tufnel:
"I think we have that...", you see, something like that I could do.
Marty DiBergi:
Yeah... you think you'd be happy doing something like-...
Nigel Tufnel:
"No! We're all out, do you wear black?", see, that sort of thing, I think I could probably muster up.
Marty DiBergi:
Yeah, do you think you'd be happy doing that?
Nigel Tufnel:
Well, I don't know, wh-wh-what are the hours?
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My degree is in civil engineering but I would have had to leave Illinois to get my license as a PE, which was my long term plan. ?ÿI did a lot of surveying off and on and do to various circumstances I ended up doing that for 30 some years. ?ÿI retired about 3 years ago and can??t say I really miss working although I do work part time but not often. ?ÿI think it was April the last time I worked.
Another accidental surveyor here.?ÿ I can't say what I'd do differently because my career was pretty random until I hung out my own shingle.?ÿ Even then, there were a number of "right place, right time" events that significantly shaped the direction I ended up going.?ÿ
I haven't identified a retirement target yet, but it's probably only a couple years away.?ÿ Despite the perchance nature of much of it, it's been a great ride, and has left me financially secure.?ÿ Maybe not exactly rich, but quite comfortable nevertheless.
I did work experience with a surveyor early in high school years as family knew I was good at math (and good enough at English for professional communication it turns out) and I have been on that track ever since, except for a short detour as an assistant engineer over the GFC with a Council, graduating (surveying degree) start of the GFC was not ideal timing! Picked up a post grad diploma in town planning while working at Council as didn't pay as well as private but would pay for study.
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Now licenced and solo/part contacting to a firm I've worked for in past so I'm still on tools not stuck at a desk managing ten staff and signing off their work. Since the work experience never seen myself doing anything else.?ÿ Unless body fails or I lose the spark intend to keep at it as long as I can.
