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woman surveyors?

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(@belle)
Posts: 22
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Is the # of women surveying slim to none? And how likely is it for a women to hired?

 
Posted : 02/02/2013 9:41 pm
(@deleted-user)
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Not too many out there, I know 3-4 in Oregon, there are probably others too, not sure about your other questions.

SHG

 
Posted : 02/02/2013 10:38 pm
(@Anonymous)
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I know only one here in Tasmania (population <500,000).
She had a full time job with a firm. Not sure whether she is still employed.

I guess it would depend on the person wanting a surveyor, but sadly I could imagine some would say something like ' Oh, didn't know I was getting a woman'.

I have had a couple of female chainmen as they are called here and couldn't fault them.
One smoked and she would stand there, (Oh it doesn't like that word -f ag for some reason. It means cigarette here) in hand and her hand would shake that much the movement would just about keep her cigarette(f ag) lit up and puffing.
I wondered how on earth she would keep the prism pole steady.
Once her hand clamped around the pole she was rock solid, and I have never seen a
pole kept so plumb and steady ever or since.

Why do you ask? I imagine it is predominantly a male domain that has taken some breaking into.

Maybe someone can enlighten me on the prohibited use of the word please. No offences meant.
A very common phrase here is 'I'm dieing for a f ag'.

 
Posted : 02/02/2013 10:56 pm
(@party-chef)
Posts: 966
 

The origin of the word is f@ggot as in bundle of sticks, as in kindling, the type of small bit of wood used to start a fire.

Back in the day when they burned witches at the stake and whatnot they also burned homosexuals, hence the slur f@ggot for gay men.

Looking at the derivation of the term exposes the true hate behind it more than any other slur that I can think of.

In regards to censored words, I feel that my post is in the spirit of putting down the bigotry associated with hate speech and should get a pass.

I live with a woman surveyor, have met maybe 5 others and know of one woman owned shop in the area.

 
Posted : 02/02/2013 11:17 pm
(@a-harris)
Posts: 8761
 

Welcome to the site Belle, you are not alone.

There are women on here, somewhere.

Hired a lady in the mid 80's. She was a good helper and liked the work, except she left because she had to drive over an hour to get to work.

As far as I know there are ladies in the survey classes at TJC every year.

B-)

 
Posted : 02/02/2013 11:38 pm
(@dmyhill)
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There is no part of my job that a woman can't do.

Why so few women? That is a different thread.

 
Posted : 03/02/2013 1:24 am
(@dmyhill)
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> Hired a lady in the mid 80's.

Smile
That's even older than my senior PLS

 
Posted : 03/02/2013 1:26 am
(@noodles)
Posts: 5912
 

> In regards to censored words, I feel that my post is in the spirit of putting down the bigotry associated with hate speech and should get a pass.

No problem.... Carry on. :-$

 
Posted : 03/02/2013 1:33 am
(@Anonymous)
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thanks
I don't think the word is seen in that light here.

Australia is fully aware of the bigotry etc about peoples views and their expression of.
Many words or expressions are not to be used these days, but as mentioned its still used freely as a term for a cigarette. 'Got a ... mate?' is often a way strangers greet others.
So when DownUnder and someone asks you if you have a ... then please don't take offense.
Mind you, smoking is even under intense scrutiny here and the tobacco companies are in a fight with the Government.

So come on Women Surveyors.
Do what you do best and if its surveying then well and very good.
We can only be better for it.

 
Posted : 03/02/2013 1:50 am
(@ken-salzmann)
Posts: 625
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There have been 2 women presidents of the New York State Association of Professional Land Surveyors (NYSAPLS) - both are principals of respected firms; there have been a few more at the NYSAPLS Board of Directors' meetings. I know of a successful local firm that has been run by a woman for years; several local firms have female surveyors working there. While still not common, there is no reason a woman cannot be a land surveyor.

 
Posted : 03/02/2013 1:56 am
(@brucerupar)
Posts: 108
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The Surveying program at TJC is run by a woman, Ms. Williams.

 
Posted : 03/02/2013 3:43 am
(@r-michael-shepp)
Posts: 571
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My business partner is a woman. I hired her in about 1984 and now she owns half of the business. She has been licensed for about 20 years.

The first survey crew I worked on in 1972 had a woman on it.

In my opinion the fact that we haven't been able to attract more women has hurt the profession.

 
Posted : 03/02/2013 4:10 am
(@bob-h)
Posts: 153
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Worked one time with a gal who was good, worked as hard any guy I've worked with. The only awkward moment was at the end of the day when she asked me to feel around the inside of her bra straps, cause that's where the ticks like to go. I obliged, and expected my wife to pop up at that moment.:-O

 
Posted : 03/02/2013 6:45 am
(@deleted-user)
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I think women have an excellent chance of being hired. My last party chief was a woman and she was a valuable employee. The vast majority of women though would not like the field work here. Ticks, spiders, snakes, chiggers and gators are not things most women want to see on a daily basis. It takes a unique woman to like this profession but I think their prospects are very good.

 
Posted : 03/02/2013 6:49 am
(@paul-in-pa)
Posts: 6044
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I Can Name 4 Female Surveyors

Not counting the few posters on this and other boards.

Two I know are very active, one of whom teaches seminars.

One I know is an PE that went back for a BS Surveying, but is not active.

The fourth I know from PSLS, works for a DOT, so her active survey work is unknown to me.

Guesstimate is 1-2%.

I know only one female PE active doing soil testing and septics and another one doing wetlands.

So let us search for where surveyors come from. At the experience end are field crew; rodwomen, instrumentwoman, party chief (what's that) or one woman robotic crews. If they are or were there it is in considerably lower numbers than at the licenced level. Few women would tolerate being one on one, responsible to or responsible for, some of the characters I have seen in that field.

The other source is education, women are under represented at the college level in technical/math programs. Women are under represented at the college level in outdoor programs. Surveying is a convergence of both under represented levels. A small amount of a small amount is a very small amount. College surveying classes are small and given the overall statistics a female could be the only female in the program. That is a pressure outside the realm of surveying but it may be sufficient to alter the final decision, stay or go.

Some people get into professions based on role models, give me one female role model in surveying. Not on Mount Rushmore to be sure. I have seen very very few on the faculty level at college survey programs and have never researched what courses they might be teaching. NJIT had one female faculty member that handled geology, photogrammetry and GIS. She was also doing some oceanographic research. But are there any women on the front line of combat at colleges?

Paul in PA

 
Posted : 03/02/2013 7:06 am
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