Land Surveyor Forum

Replies

• 

  Matt Harnett December 20, 2011 at 1:42pm

  I won't be needing any neckties.  I have field boots and office boots.
• Land Surveyor

  Scott D. Warner, PLS December 14, 2011 at 10:17pm

  Keep your boots on and your necktie handy.:-)
• 

  Matt Harnett December 14, 2011 at 10:55am

  LSIT....it does have a nice ring to it.  Congrats.  I suppose when you work for a large company they can afford to keep you at a desk.  When you own and operate your own company, get your feet on the ground and eventually become the surveyor you were meant to be.  You will have plenty of office time crunching numbers and reviewing deeds but sometimes you need to go out there and see the project and touch the points...get your boots dirty.

  Matthew L. Harnett, LSIT
• 

  Kevin Gaunt, L.S.I.T. July 5, 2011 at 11:32pm

  @Scott & Keith:  I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to listen and offer advice to a "total stranger."

  Update: I was called back for a second interview to "see if they could get me closer to their company (ie. more field responsibilities etc., I'm glad that I was completely honest about my desire to continue to work in the field).  Also, somehow the cat got out of the bag (the survey community is pretty small) and my survey manager found out that "they're going to hire some guy named Kevin Gaunt."  We'll see.

  Thanks again for your input!
  • Land Surveyor

    Scott D. Warner, PLS > Kevin Gaunt, L.S.I.T. July 6, 2011 at 7:21pm

    Kevin,

    As a hiring manager I can say that a  second interview usually means that you are hired!  It is usually conducted to work out the details of employment such as salary, benefits, etc.  Don't sell yourself short on either one.  Ask for top dollar and negotiate from there.  It does not matter that your current employer knows about this.  In all reality, I am sure he was contacted to verify your employment, etc., just to verify your resume.  I would not do this as a hiring manager unless I already had made up my mind that I was going to hire you.  This is because, in all fairness, by making that phone call, I would be subjecting you to some sort of retribution at your current employer, which I would consider unethical.  So now your boss knows....don't expect a counter-offer.  I will venture to guess that he knows that things are slow and that you have 3 children, etc.  He will probably (if he hasn't done so already) give you a good recommendation to your prospective employer, knowing that he can't provide for you in the current market the way your prospective employer can.  In fact, if I were your prospective employer's hiring manager, I would ask your current employer straight up....would you hire him back?  Conversely, and as far as I can read into this, I would be willing to bet that your current employer actually would do so and also that he will miss you, yet knowing this is an offer you can't refuse.  When you give your notice, by all means, thank your current employer for the valuable experience and make sure that he knows it's nothing personal.  Perhaps the tables will turn some time in the future and your prospective employer may be in the situation that your current employer is in now, and visa-versa.  You never know how circular the dynamics of the world can be until you have actually seen it for yourself.  I am glad to see that you were honest about working in the field.  This could be exactly the right employer to gradually work you into a management role.

    Best Regards and Good Luck!

    -Scott D. Warner, R.L.S.
• Land Surveyor

  Scott D. Warner, PLS July 1, 2011 at 7:18pm

  Kevin, I am going to have to go with Keith on this one.  I spent 10 years outdoors, then took another job that was 90% office and 10% outdoors, then took another position that was 50% office and 50% outdoors, then took another position that was 100% office, then took another position that was 75% office and 25% outdoors, then took another position that I currently hold that is 66% office and 33% outdoors and 1% patting myself on the back for the 100% well-rounded professional that I consider myself today because of the last 20 years of crossroads and winding paths.  Feel free to wander around the profession.  It does not mean you are lost.

  -Scott D. Warner, R.L.S. 
• 

  Kevin Gaunt, L.S.I.T. July 1, 2011 at 3:35am

  My appologies for the long post.  Thank you in advance for reading/replying.  I could really use some advice!

  I told myself that getting my LSIT wouldn't put me on the fast track to a desk job...perhaps I was mistaken. 

  I've been with the same company for the last 3 years since I graduated, and I feel like I am a valued employee and that I have a future with the company.  However, I am still the last one in line to get hours behind 3 others who have more experience and time with the company (2-4 years), but fewer credentials (LSIT, 2-year survey education, office skills, a drive to improve and succeed etc...).  This has led to a 5-month layoff this winter followed by a month of work, then a 4-week layoff, then 2 weeks of work...

  During the time off I have canvassed the city, in person, with my resume and I received a call this morning requesting an immediate interview, which I accepted and went to after I finished my curb staking.

  The position is primarily in the office, bidding, managing, coordinating etc..construction projects.  This is an area in which I have NO experience, but they feel confident after speaking with me that I can handle the job.  I haven't officially been offered the position, but I am 99% sure that I will be (at somewhere between $1-2 an hour more than I make now).

  Pro's, con's, unknows and questions:

  Pro's:

  1.) Higher pay.  I have 3 children, house payments, car payments, debt...and my unemployment is dwindling.

  2.) Valuable experience.  The more I can do, the more valuable I am.

  3.) A quicker route to the top of the mountain?  This is not as important to me as gaining the proper experience.

  Con's:

  1.) Working in the office: if you've read my bio, my "plan" was to work in the field for 10-15 years or more (or until I get burnt-out) in order to gain the experience necessary, in my mind (though I could be wrong), to excel in the office.  Not to mention that I LOVE working in the field.  While I value and take advantage of any office experience that I can get, during the couple of month-long periods of time that I've spent working in the office, I couldn't wait to get back out in the field.  If I take an office job now, will I ever make it back into the field?

  2.) More stress and responsibility working outside my comfort zone in an area that I have no experience in:         (I gladly welcome this same trial-by-fire, sink-or-float type of opportunity in the field, despite the added stress and responsibility).  This could also be a "pro" (valuable experience, more tools in my toolbox, advancement).

  Unknown's:

  1.) Job stability (probably my highest priority at this point in time):  The new position has about a month or more of work backlogged, whereas my current employer can only guarantee work through next week, with a "fairly high probability" of work continuing beyond that.  I work in a somewhat "seasonal" evironment.  Usually there isn't much construction work during the winter due to the cold, but I was told that I "could" still be bidding jobs for the spring during the winter.  Could the fact that I now have my LSIT and I may have opportunities elsewhere lead to more stable and lasting empoyment with my current employer?  I have a feeling this could be the case.

  2.) Does my current employer value me enough to try to retain me if I were to be offered another position (higher pay, more hours)?  What is the best way to approach them?

  3.) Am I ready for/would I be happy in a full-time office position (I'm leaning towards "no," but I may not be able to afford to decline the opportunity)?  And where would this position lead me to in the future?

  I am extremely blessed to be in the position that I'm in, but this is something completely new to me.  I would greatly appreciate any insights or advice that anyone has to offer!  Thank you for reading!
  • 

    Keith Keppler, R.P.L.S. > Kevin Gaunt, L.S.I.T. July 1, 2011 at 5:32pm

    Kevin,

     

    Unfortunately I have never experienced having to survey in the northern states so I am unable to give you a proper opinion, but hopefully my career experiences will help you somewhat.

    First and foremost, never pass up the opportunity to learn new areas of the profession. I wouldn't worry about being able to handle it. In my opinion, if you were able to pass the Fundamentals test, then you should be qualified to handle anything that the construction field can throw at you. I agree that you have to look at job stability right now and having the opportunity to be in a management position "should" give you the opportunity to stay on with the company.

    With that being said, here in Texas, once you have have passed the Fundamentals test, it is required that you get at least 2 years of experience directly under the responsible charge of a licensed surveyor with at least 1 of those years being in the office doing research, writing property descriptions, etc. with all of those 2 years being logged on boundary surveys. The State Board has established a number of hours that you must eclipse before you can sit for the next exam, so 2 years may not be what it takes to get there. I would have to believe that WA is similar in requirements, maybe not. If that is the case, then being involved in the construction field will not count toward the required experience you will need, but I would think about stability for now, just saying.

    You also sound a lot like myself in that you love being in the field. Most of us wouldn't be in this profession if that wasn't the case. There isn't many surveyors I know that enjoy strictly being in the office. It is in the field where we feel at home. Management and/or ownership, wouldn't that be nice, is just something you need to do in order to keep advancing throughout your career. I wouldn't be too worried about being stuck in the office all the time, it usually doesn't work out that way. We all end up finding a way back out to the place we all feel most comfortable. For example....My mentor was the head P.L.S. at the company I worked for in New Orleans and for 11 of the 13 years I was there and for countless years before that, he was mostly in the office. He decided to leave that behind, go into business for himself, and get back to doing what he loved most.....being a land surveyor and getting his hands dirty. He decided to do this when he turned 50 and is doing quite well. Well enough that he was the first person to offer me a job once I became licensed, still contemplating that one!!! Never too old they say???

    "We all take different paths to get where we want to go, but usually it is the unforeseen opportunities that come about that shape us along the way. I can only suggest that you consider every opportunity that comes along even if your current situation is satisfactory. Usually what we are looking for or what we need most is staring us right in the face, but it is up to us to recognize it and act upon it."

    Just something my mentor used to say to me every once in a while.

    Good luck in whatever decision you make.

     

     

     
• Land Surveyor

  DEWARD BOWLES June 25, 2011 at 3:43pm

  Way to go!
• 

  Keith Keppler, R.P.L.S. June 24, 2011 at 6:36pm

  It will, Kevin. Just keep going. It took me a lot longer to get my LSIT, but that was due to regulations in place in Louisiana were I first started. Never the less, I now just got my RPLS here in Texas and haven't looked back. Once you get to your level, things should start opening up. Just remember, if you don't feel you're advancing or getting the experience you need where you are, do not hesitate to look elsewhere.