I posted an ad looking for Office Survey Technician on April 7, 2016 on the CLSA (California Land Surveyor's Association) Forum.
As of this morning, there have been 863 views (329 in the last week), with zero resumes submitted! Not a one!
I just don't understand. Was it a bad ad? Is the CLSA Forum a bad place to place ads? Is everyone working and happy where they are? Have we got a bad reputation as a place to work? I don't think so - five of us have been here for over 25 years.
Discussion item: Where are all the younger people to take surveying into the future?
@Ruel
I have been asking that question since 1974 when it became a part of my responsibility to hire crew members.
Too many are only interested in the EASY BUTTON way of work for their pay and to assume no responsibility and as little oversight as possible.
With surveying, none of that is in play, being accountable is always apart of the job.
Ruel del Castillo, post: 376400, member: 137 wrote: Discussion item: Where are all the younger people to take surveying into the future?
We find a lot of them https://engineering.uprm.edu/inci/?page_id=1386&apos ;">here; found a couple http://www.stuba.sk/english/ects/ects-information-package/information-on-degree-programmes/all-programmes.html?page_id=5552&apos ;">here; and one who starts Monday from http://www.stuba.sk/english/ects/ects-information-package/information-on-degree-programmes/all-programmes.html?page_id=5552&apos ;">here.
Actually I've never really been happy with an experienced office tech I've hired. I listen to them drone on and on about how much better the software they used at the last company was...and how we really need to change our procedures...yadda yadda.
What it usually boils down to is they've only used ONE kind of software and worked at ONE place...I always tell them an ascii is an ascii and doesn't care what software it runs through. My best help has always been those that got their learnin' here in my office.
Maybe if you crafted the ad (I have not read your ad) to appeal to a more entry level you might generate some interest.
Ruel del Castillo, post: 376400, member: 137 wrote: I posted an ad looking for Office Survey Technician on April 7, 2016 on the CLSA (California Land Surveyor's Association) Forum.
As of this morning, there have been 863 views (329 in the last week), with zero resumes submitted! Not a one!
I just don't understand. Was it a bad ad? Is the CLSA Forum a bad place to place ads? Is everyone working and happy where they are? Have we got a bad reputation as a place to work? I don't think so - five of us have been here for over 25 years.
Discussion item: Where are all the younger people to take surveying into the future?
Not to be simplistic, but if you don't have resumes, either your marketing is not wide enough, or your salary offered is too low. The first one (marketing) is the hardest, actually, and why placement agencies and recruiters make a lot of money placing people.
While still in surveying, I really tried not to be "one of those guys" who did the "it was better at...."...... mainly because, if it Was better at, why wasn't I still there?
From time to time I still get inquiries from recruiters reaching out to me about surveying jobs. Most of them (the recruiters) seem to be clueless about what the words on my resume mean and what the company is looking for..... so recruiters never hear back from me any more.
Put me in a more temperate climate and take 20 years off my age, and I would consider getting back into surveying. After my feeble attempt at becoming an office technician, I found myself outside working on a regular basis still. Like when it was 90+ or 15 and below. I Hate that kind of heat with a passion after working out in it for a few years. The cold is easier to deal with, but bothers me more as I get older.
dmyhill, post: 376445, member: 1137 wrote: your marketing is not wide enough
The CSLA forum - or any survey forum - is likely to be a better source for professional level people than it is for technicians. All those views you got were other PLSs who are looking to see who might be trying to spirit away their staff.
Craigslist is pretty much the go-to job listing these days.
Hi Ruel,
I don't think there is anything wrong with your ad. We have trouble finding people too.
As a "mostly office guy" these days, I live in Ventura County and commute to LA County for better pay. I still spend nearly half my income on housing. I'm not sure what you pay an office technician, but I can't imagine it would lure anyone to Orange County if they had to rent or buy a place. Just my thoughts. If I am able to someday retire from this business, I'll most likely have to move somewhere cheap.
Mark Mayer, post: 376453, member: 424 wrote: The CSLA forum - or any survey forum - is likely to be a better source for professional level people than it is for technicians. All those views you got were other PLSs who are looking to see who might be trying to spirit away their staff.
Craigslist is pretty much the go-to job listing these days.
Many potential employees see Craigslist as spammer heaven and they have a point. It can be very, very hard to tell the difference between the spam and the legit jobs, though that is where I found my present job.
indeed.com you can search and browse peoples resumes and contact them through the site. Doesn't cost a dime.
Roadhand, post: 376469, member: 61 wrote: indeed.com you can search and browse peoples resumes and contact them through the site. Doesn't cost a dime.
As an added benefit, you can sometimes find the resumes of your current staff who, unbeknownst to you, are looking for greener pastures. :-O
John, post: 376466, member: 791 wrote: Many potential employees see Craigslist as spammer heaven and they have a point. It can be very, very hard to tell the difference between the spam and the legit jobs, though that is where I found my present job.
About 1in a 100 real jobs on CL, I found a good one once, so unbelievable that I almost didn't believe it, LOL
SHG
What's the pay like in CA?
Jason Graves, post: 376676, member: 9531 wrote: What's the pay like in CA?
The pay is likely not quite in line with the cost of living.
Hi all, I haven't quite rea through the entire thread but I have been wondering a bit about how work gets done with you guys in the US. I am from South Africa and there seems to be a very different way of doing things. I started surveying in 2009 with no idea of what I got myself into. Eventually got the opportunity to go study in 2011 and then completed by Engineering Surveying. My first company where I started out was 2 principals and another student surveyor and 2 assistants. We did about 70% cadastral work and 30% engineering. But since we were small I had to quickly learn as much as I could and we all eventually could do whatever the other surveyor could do. I spent until end 2012 there then moved to my current employer. He was a solo guy and had a student working part time. Work scope was pretty similar but the boss was fairly older than me,so used to older tech and was used to a person doing only a single task(example draughting or surveying). But I'm a bit younfer,better eith new tech and always interested in the latest stuff so I kind of started doing whatever needed to be done. So if any survey work needs done I can do it, scanning, registering scans, 3D modelling, network reductions,draughting of topo plans, UAV flying,processing, volume calcs etc. The only thing we do that I can't do is model in Cyclone.
It seems as if in the US the point cloud is the product. To us the product is a model of a volume or something the client just prints out and gets an answer. I feel as a surveyor we sort of are expected to be a jack-of-all trades in regards to understanding what the alignment of a copper press means and how exactly it works to thr design procedures and therefor setting out of a power plant or how construction works,but then also specialised in terms of how well we do those tasks as best as possible.
So from start to finish a single employee can do the entire jon instead of it passing from guy in meeting,to field crew, to draughtsman to checker. I prefer doing a job myself from start to end as this is what I'm used to. BTW whats the average pay of a employee in pvt practise over there? Jusr curious as we are currently having some interesting discussions surrounding minimum rates etc.
Also our file system is horrible and our people don't like my methods so I've slightly given up on that but you guya seem to have a very big focus on how records and files are managed. Wish it was like that.
In this country it feels as if because of some previous wrongs we are forcing a lot of surveyors into an industry they dont understand. At a local varsity since 2002-now an average of 4 studrnt finished a degree in LS while about 30 completed engineering surveying. When I graduated my class we were about 35, of which about 90% still stuggled and mostly failed to set up a T2 over a point and orientate within 5mins,but then the land ip getting another bursary to do more studies,but never actually survey,just look and file records. So its all good to say were getting approx 60 new grads a year,but only 10 good ones while 10 older ones leave? Thats not solvong the problem
Anyway thats my rant of all thing survey. Hope I haven't hijacked this thread too much.
Dirk
Survey Technician ST1938
the add is here: http://clsaforum.californiasurveyors.org/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=6661
[USER=137]@Ruel del Castillo[/USER] I think it is fine.
the only suggestion I could make is to start, on the second line, with a brief description of minimum requirements, and then maybe maybe later the starting pay... (if a highly qualified person is out there, let them know that "highly qualified applicants could begin at $90k/year" or something like that.)
but leave all the rest.
as an old fart your company profile appeals to me a LOT.
I were looking you would see me on your doorstep.
PS: whenever I see the Vague "competitive pay" I think of this:
addendum: I had really good luck with the local community colleges. Those people are trying to learn, and want a Job.
my Best hire was immediately after our CLSA Scholarship applicant interviews.
I just sent one, not really serious unless the pay and benefits are extraordinary. You could critique my resume for me though.