I decided to post ten things I really enjoy about being a land surveyor, mainly because I am bored today, and it's kind of crappy outside, but it also reminds me that the day to day grind and minutia of a career does have many highlights. So here goes.
10: You get to spend every day outdoors, enjoying fresh air and ever changing scenery. I don't know if I could sit in office cubicle all day playing the office politics game. Just my opinion.
9: Every job is a unique experience. Not every job I do is fun or cool, but, they are all different for varying reasons. Some look super easy and turn out to be a pain in the backside, and some seem incredibly daunting and turn out to be a slam-dunk.
8: Surveying is a profession practiced not only nationally, but everywhere on the planet. I have not had the experience of working in other countries, however, I have worked in many different regions of the country. It's very nice being able to live wherever you like, and being able to stay in the same career field.
7: Some of the most famous figures in American history were also land surveyors. The list includes President George Washington, President Abraham Lincoln, President Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Boone, and acclaimed author Henry David Thoreau. This list could literally go on and on.
6: You can advance your career for a lifetime. Surveying is a such a dynamic and ever changing career that you can spend a lifetime surveying and never get to do it all. New techniques and equipment are being developed every day. This creates an ever changing work environment that keeps things interesting.
5: Land surveyors are one of the most important links in the construction industry. In general it is the surveyors responsibility to interpret engineering plans into staking that contractors can build from. The surveyor makes sure all buildings, pipelines, concrete, and infrastructure are put in the right place. Without surveyors builders wouldn't no where to start.
4: Boundary surveying can literally transform into a history lesson. Sometimes when surveyors are doing deed research to establish the boundary of a certain parcel of land, it can lead to some very interesting finds. I have traced parcels of land on the east coast back to revolutionary times. I have seen paperwork drawn up by Civil War generals. I have found physical monuments that are well over one-hundred years old. It's pretty cool to stumble on these real life relics of the past.
3: Land surveying is one of the oldest professions known to human civilization. Since time began, there have always been disputes between people about the boundaries of their land. It has always been the surveyors responsibility to accurately define the true boundary lines. Surveyors were also instrumental in the building of the Pyramids in Egypt, the Roads of Rome, and the Roman Aqueduct. Without surveyors we might just be living in a cave still. I doubt it!
2: I have been able to see places that I would never get to see if I were not performing some kind of survey work. I have seen places at several international airports that the general population does not have access to. I have been on several military bases, and seen some of the awesome hardware our men and women serving rely on to their job. I have seen the inner workings of power plants, damns, buildings, landfills, bridges, refineries, and much more. Had I not been a surveyor I would have never been able to see these places.
1: The number one reason I enjoy being a land surveyor is my father taught me the profession. Ever since I was a boy my father would take me to job sites and show me little things here and there. Now that he has passed on I am so proud to carry on in his footsteps. I had the privilege of working under his guidance for many years, and the lessons he taught me have been invaluable. My father was a great surveyor, and I can only hope that he would be proud of my accomplishments so far. It is truly humbling to stand at some of the projects he accomplished. At the end of the day, as much as I miss my father, it is nice to know that I am carrying on his work. Our last name has spanned decades of work and thousands of projects all over the country. Thank you so much Dad!! Someday I will show my son how to pull chains.
No comments:
Post a Comment