So the boss and owner of our little company has taken off to Guatemala for 10 days for a holiday adventure, leaving the woman of many hats, the drafting lady, and me in charge for the time being. Prior to the trip, I spent a relatively short amount of time in the office learning the indoor side of things, however during the 10 days I was given the duty of basically running the whole survey show, field and office. There are 2 days to go and I am loving it! Although I do not have the power to sign the product, I have found this holiday season to be a time of invaluable experience. One of our clients is working on a very "modern" residential project and is very particular. On this project I had to the opportunity to lay out the whole thing a few months ago, and today had to the opportunity to see just how well the whole thing has come together before it is poured. Snapping the lines and calc'ing the ties was very rewarding. It's one of those, that if you put to much stucco on it it's over the line type deals so it was great to see things come together in the acceptable tolerance. Just one of several examples of last week, and this weeks happenings that has proven to be a great time of growth. I encourage those of you who employ folks like me to give a guy a chance, and I hope that guy surprises you when he or she steps up to the plate. :stakeout::clink:
80 gazillion attaboys are duly awarded.
Love it! Great post.
Seeing a project come together is very rewarding. My first party chief job was for a company that was developing land outside the city limits. Watching subdivisions develop from one year to another and into a new city was an experience that developed into a career.
many years ago i worked up from being a barback to club manager at a night club in my college town. after becoming club manager the club owner gave me one of the best pieces of business advice that i ever received. i asked him some question and his reply was "run it like you own it". if you keep that in mind while you are dealing with other folks business, aka their lively hood as well as your own, you will make much better decisions.
"Drive it like you stole it"
My dad used to tell his buddy, (pete), "dont treat my tools like your own, youll bteak em. Theat em like somebody elses, an take care on em"
Anyway, this is the "other end of the spectrum"
Frank's advice is very good.
Don't listen to what i said....its just there to say what Frank said was right.
N
Nate The Surveyor, post: 406760, member: 291 wrote: "Drive it like you stole it"
My dad used to tell his buddy, (pete), "dont treat my tools like your own, youll bteak em. Theat em like somebody elses, an take care on em"
Anyway, this is the "other end of the spectrum"
Frank's advice is very good.
Don't listen to what i said....its just there to say what Frank said was right.
N
You got have the right tool for the job! There's a few words in here not for the kiddies Nate [MEDIA=youtube]CwGrC0KicSo[/MEDIA]
My first real construction project, relatively new to the company, was a railroad bridge/grade separation/tunnel. (9 months of overtime.) The design was by the RRD, so the plans were a construction nightmare. The office had prepared the COGO for every detail and missing dimension. Everyone on site visited my truck for guidance. The road design was atypical to civil engineering; odd curve definition, bizarre vertical curves, and asymmetric. The low point was 15' below sea level and the high point was 60' above. And RRD grade is always tight.
No data collectors. Just HP41, T2, AGA and hard copy point listings. When the steel arrived and slipped onto the bents without 0.01' of argument, it was the best thing ever. Months after it was complete I would drive by during heavy rain. The drainage was so complicated, and no bird baths. I figure it was a 5 year experience in one long summer.
Job satisfaction is hard to find. And when it's working, it's a great way to make a living.
Adam, that was so very descriptive~! Thanks!
Great advice here. Boss is back and we are back to the ol' grind today. It was fun though!
Those opportunities are how you learn to fly. Good on you for your enthusiasm. It's what leads to transforming a job into a career and a hand into a professional.
Keep at it.
Brian McEachern, post: 406350, member: 9299 wrote: So the boss and owner of our little company has taken off to Guatemala for 10 days for a holiday adventure, leaving the woman of many hats, the drafting lady, and me in charge for the time being. Prior to the trip, I spent a relatively short amount of time in the office learning the indoor side of things, however during the 10 days I was given the duty of basically running the whole survey show, field and office. There are 2 days to go and I am loving it! Although I do not have the power to sign the product, I have found this holiday season to be a time of invaluable experience. One of our clients is working on a very "modern" residential project and is very particular. On this project I had to the opportunity to lay out the whole thing a few months ago, and today had to the opportunity to see just how well the whole thing has come together before it is poured. Snapping the lines and calc'ing the ties was very rewarding. It's one of those, that if you put to much stucco on it it's over the line type deals so it was great to see things come together in the acceptable tolerance. Just one of several examples of last week, and this weeks happenings that has proven to be a great time of growth. I encourage those of you who employ folks like me to give a guy a chance, and I hope that guy surprises you when he or she steps up to the plate. :stakeout::clink:
Give it a few years. It turns into work just like anything else. 🙂
I will say I prefer the office to the field. I enjoy putting the projects together and analyzing the boundary a lot. I get some enjoyment from drafting and writing metes and bounds. I absolutely abhor folding my own maps and running a gun.
There are times where I end up in the field on a large boundary for several days and I feel like I had a vacation at the end of it when I go back into the office.