I believe that the initial hurdle that surveying has in the career choice world of the younger generation is that it is not only a 'hard work' physically demanding profession, but it's also complex mental work at the same time; the dual combination takes a special type of individual to want to spend their working days using their mind and body to its fullest extent. There's plenty of candidates out job searching for the path of least resistance with their labor, and I only hope those that want to go against that grain knock on my door with a resume. Hope you find what you are looking for soon...
I think your assessment is spot on. It's definitely not for everyone and does require somebody that thrives on being challenged and has the right attitude and aptitude. One of the things I've learned to look for in people is a certain fearlessness to ask questions and being willing to admit that they don't know something, without feeling like they'd lose face and a drive to learn, curiosity in a word. I worked on a survey crew at 15 as a helper and went on to do every other job under the sun, but was drawn back by the freedom of always going new places and facing fresh problems, getting out of my comfort zone. That's what I thrive on. It's a big investment training someone in just the basics and I have to feel like the odds are stacked in favor of it being a success, for everyone. Feels like I'm swimming against the current.
a certain fearlessness to ask questions and being willing to admit that they don't know something, without feeling like they'd lose face and a drive to learn, curiosity in a word
...I am this '10 yearold'.
My late mentor that fostered this attitude in me and anyone he was teaching was a tremendous leap forward.?ÿ?ÿ
Dave imbued, hell, insisted we ask questions and get comfortable knowing what we didn't know. It is the only way you can go through the crucible of real learning and builds to a point of endless curiosity and joy in discovery of unknown and challenging things.
Damn I love this friggin site!!
Hey, guys.?ÿ Listen up.?ÿ This is precisely why Wendell pays us to be here.?ÿ It's our JOB to provide education and leadership to those who need it.?ÿ This is a wonderful system.?ÿ And, the checks come in real handy every month.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
?ÿ@wendell
??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????ÿ
We haven't been able to find any young up and comers through the standard job posting sites so we changed things up and just tried word of mouth internally to all.?ÿ As a result, i currently have 2 up and comers, 1 is 3 years into their career with aspirations of achieving a PLS and the other will be graduating college with an immediate job here (currently an intern over the summer).
Hey, guys.?ÿ Listen up.?ÿ This is precisely why Wendell pays us to be here.?ÿ It's our JOB to provide education and leadership to those who need it.?ÿ This is a wonderful system.?ÿ And, the checks come in real handy every month.
I think you might have that backward. LOL ?????ÿ
?ÿ
This girl told me she'd be willing to move to Alaska:
?ÿ
Do you want me to send you her email?
?ÿ
So many good points have already been made in this post.
There are potential surveyors and survey techs out there.?ÿ As has been mentioned, it is just difficult to draw people into a profession when they don't even know anything about it (sometimes that it even exists at all).
When the old guy in the neighborhood comes out and starts telling you about how he used to be a surveyor back in the summer of 1925 holding the stick, ask if he has a kid, grand kid, great-grand kid, great-great-grand kid etc...who would like to get into surveying.?ÿ Seriously - how many opportunities do we pass up on telling the general public about the great profession we're in when we have the opportunity??ÿ Anyone could be the lead to a new talented employee.
If your state organizations are not already doing so, think about going to career days to let young people know about surveying as an option.?ÿ There have been several Kentucky Assoc. members who have advocated for and done this (Jason Graves was very instrumental in getting this started for us).?ÿ Here is an initiative from New York State Association of Land Surveyors from several years ago - https://www.nsps.us.com/resource/resmgr/2020_awards_/pr_campaign_-_get_kids_into_.pdf ?ÿ I. remember it being discussed on the board, but I haven't really seen anything further after the initial development.
If your state requires a degree, make sure that the faculty teaching in those programs are connecting with high schools (especially some of the tech type high schools that have been coming back into vogue).?ÿ From experience - those kids are sharp and there will be several interested in pursuing surveying.
@holy-cow From Mike Brady to Ted Mosby, TV portrays the architect frequently.?ÿ Kids watch TV and decide they are going to be an architect.?ÿ We just need one the creative folks on the website to move to Hollywood and get a TV sit-com about a surveyor produced.
We just need one the creative folks on the website to move to Hollywood and get a TV sit-com about a surveyor produced.
Ward Cleaver was said to be an "Engineer", but I very much suspect that he was, in fact, a surveyor.?ÿ There is at least one episode where he shows Theodore his old transit.?ÿ
Yeah, I heard that Al Bundy was originally going to be a land surveyor.?ÿ?ÿ
But, they didn't want to make him that low on the social order, so they raised him up to shoe salesman?ÿ
?ÿ
@rover83 when a young person can have no work experience and start out at a gas station or Target in a nice air condition or heated environment making more than a seasoned crew chief or cad tech . This makes attracting the younger generation even tougher. Because when they have to fight tics briars hills swamps ?ÿand dodge cars for a lot less money even more difficult. We are in trying times. I see some young people get excited like a new car smell excited seeing all the cool technology we now have. Robots, drones, GPS etc. ?ÿpretty colors on the computer screen. ?ÿBut thats just it its a shiny object and the new car smell eventually fades. ?ÿWhat keeps me coming back to surveying and I do love technology. But what keeps me coming back is the History, the science, and seeing what those that came before us accomplished with mere basic equipment compared to today??s. The mentoring that a person put into his personal to teach and train and educate. I see less and less of that today vs when I first started. ?ÿI interviewed today and well the bottom line all they wanted was a tool. There words a body to gather data. I said thank you but I am not a good fit. The manager said i can pay you X. I said its not the money. The owner called me asked how it went. I was honest. He said somewhere he had lost the ability to attract those with a teacher??s heart and now he is paying dearly. ?ÿWe must get the profession back to basic leadership and not just good management somehow. There are a lot of natural leaders on this forum. You can tell by their passion and desire to help total strangers for the profession and its just in them. I have faith that they will rise to the top and draw some of the best to the profession. I just hope its soon.
Six months now I've been looking for a field assistant, someone with a genuine interest in surveying, hungry to learn and work hard and show up every day. At times it feels like I'm looking for a unicorn. Only resumes I've gotten have been from felons, equipment operators and a girl currently working at an ice cream shop. None have even the slightest experience or even know what surveying is and I just don't have time to show someone how to set up a tripod a dozen times.?ÿ
Take a chance. Hire someone with no experience and the desire. Get an old tripod and a old tribrach. Show them once how to just set it up and level it. Don??t worry about it being over a point just to be able to level it. Send it home with them. Give them a week. Then ask them to do it in front of you. ?ÿIf they are quicker and look smoother show them the next step. Maybe setting up over a quarter and be level. Repeat send it home and a week later see how far they have come. Tell them as they progress if they continue working on their own time learning and such you will continue to teach You will soon find that person who wants to learn. And then you will have to teach. I use to practice on our lunch time. Sandwich in one hand and kept practicing until my crew chief met me one morning and said you are running the instrument today. He invested a little and saw i was as well. Win win.?ÿ
The system is broken.
When I was young it was possible to afford apartment and transportation on an entry level job. Now mid level people have a hard time achieving that. It is an unsustainable situation.
Young people just don??t see a future in an extremely difficult job with an insufferable boss. ?ÿMaybe the boss is a good guy but still, are they expected to live in Mom??s basement forever?
@bstrand I love it. Great write up. However the 2nd PLS I worked for was the biggest a$$ hole he would cuss you like a dog make grown men cry. I was warned as a young buck if I could last only 1 year working for him I would learn more in that year than probably from anyone else. He came from the plane table days and he was almost 70 when I went to work for him. I was hired as an I-man. I was issued a milk crate with a large bottle of rubbing alcohol 2 boxes of q-tips large box of handkerchiefs windex armor all old t shirts and paper towels. And my instrument. And data collector. He said see how clean everything is . I said yes sir. He said it better stay that way. He would show up on the hottest driest dusty jobs ?ÿand inspect the equipment. Inside and outside the case . Crew chiefs feared him. But i did as i was told and slowly rose to a crew chief as he saw i cared for his equipment so he taught and mentored me. Often times after work he would say are you in a hurry to get home. I would say no sir. He would bring me to his office and set me at the drafting table and start showing me manual drafting and reading deeds etc. 4 years later he helped my first wife and I find a job in Colorado so I could go to college. Now besides my drill instructor in the USMC he was the meanest and biggest a$$ hole but also the biggest influence for me desiring to learn all I could about surveying. ?ÿBoot camp was easy for me because of him ?????ÿ
There isn't the path to mentor anymore. It's all one man crews and office work. The days of I-man, R-man, Crew chief are loooonnnnnggggggg gone.?ÿ
