Excellent point, Mr. Fleming.?ÿ If one has a clue as to where they want to be with that last job.?ÿ Most don't.?ÿ They have vague goals such as make a lot of money and control my own destiny. bBut the guy starting out doesn't really understand whether or not any given position will suit them.
For some, the grunt life is fulfilling and helps with achieving other life goals at the same time.?ÿ For others, becoming a wheeler dealer and traveling all over to meet with all sorts of people is fulfilling.?ÿ Either extreme can be profitable and exciting...........or not.
How many today are doing precisely what they thought they wanted to do back when they took that first survey-related job??ÿ Little things like family situations, divorces, foreclosures, etc. come along that can divert one away from the track they believe they should be following.
door #1, monty.
i got started in the business working for my neighbor.?ÿ actually started after the sign shop where i worked went under, and i was crying in my beer one night at the picnic table.?ÿ anyways, 90% of his work load has been residential titles, but in the 5 years i worked for him i got NOT only, obviously, intensive personal guidance on how to do myriad things, from sharpening a machete to reading the subtext in all kinds of stuff (deeds, old tree lines), to learning how to run (and maintain) a gun and draft and whatever else at an undboubtedly accelerated rate.?ÿ and after 5 years of that kind of work (read: reps), when i jumped out of the frying pan an into the fire of being an anonymous cad tech on a huge highway project, i was MILES beyond just about all of my work peers- some of whom had been playing connect-the-dots with autocad for longer than i'd been an adult.?ÿ that was really eye opening in terms of what kind of experience many people DON'T have or ever get in this industry.?ÿ yes, i had to catch up on techie-type stuff, but that was nothing.?ÿ and now, when i could use a good tech in the worst way, it still holds true.?ÿ good... upper level, unregistered surveyors (whether field or office) are incredibly hard to find these days, at least around here.?ÿ and when you do find one, you hold onto them for dear life.
The job I had that I learned the most on had 2 LS's and 1 crew.?ÿ One LS pretty much ran the business end and the other LS acted as a crew chief who alternated with me as the crew chief on particular jobs.?ÿ He would perform the research, take the crew out, bring back and reduce the notes, and draft the plat.?ÿ Then I would research, take the crew and repeat the process.?ÿ I wasn't and LS (yet) and I learned a LOT from both LS's.?ÿ We got a lot of work done, but I don't know about twice as much.
Andy
Size doesn't matter - not here anyway. I've worked for at least 13 companies that I can remember, sometimes more than once, from 1 to about 50 employees. I like to think I learned something from them all, though some were great, some were not so much. It's the people that count. Now I'm down to just me, at least until the vaccine, maybe for good.?ÿ
