| omes a property surveyor and is it a good | | | | contractors rely on property surveys for urban |
| career? Those may be the questions you ask | | | | development and planned communities like |
| yourself when thinking about your career path. | | | | shopping malls, schools and even highways and |
| You know those men and women in the | | | | roads. Other areas needed property surveyors: |
| fluorescent vests, surrounded by construction | | | | Architecture |
| cones looking through what appears to be an old | | | | Construction- housing and roads |
| style camera? Those could soon be your people! | | | | Disaster and emergency planning |
| People with a love for geometry, trigonometry | | | | Anyone wanting to build on their property, |
| and engineering are often drawn to property | | | | (like a pool or adding onto their home) will need to |
| surveying careers. If you find planning | | | | know their property line |
| communities, architecture and urban development | | | | Overall |
| exciting, look to property surveying as an exciting | | | | Being a property surveyor doesn’t mean |
| career option. | | | | you are constantly out in the field. It often entails |
| Education | | | | computer work, mapping, drawing, taking images |
| High school, college students and people looking to | | | | and analyzing them. It’s likely you will need |
| change careers should take classes in algebra, | | | | solid writing skills, as you will be writing up reports, |
| geometry, drafting, CAD or computer aided | | | | estimates and invoices. It is also a business and |
| drafting, computer science and geography. Other | | | | like any business, you have to be profitable in |
| helpful classes include astrology, geology, forestry, | | | | order to survive. Learning good business practices |
| business and even astronomy. | | | | and customer service is hugely important. |
| Experience | | | | What’s exciting about going into the |
| To get started, many property surveying | | | | property surveying field is all the new technology |
| companies offer summer internships. During your | | | | that is available to you. Getting a degree in |
| internship, you will be able to go out with a work | | | | property surveying also means getting a degree |
| crew and not just gain hands on experience, you | | | | in technology in some ways. Land surveyors need |
| will be able to ask pertinent information from | | | | to be current with emerging technologies such as |
| professional property surveyors. It is advised to | | | | GPS (Global Positioning System) and 3D laser |
| volunteer or take on an apprenticeship/internship | | | | scanning and digital photography. GPS is used for |
| over a summer to make sure that property | | | | precise positioning of points anywhere on the |
| surveying is the right job for you. | | | | earth that are used in a wide variety of mapping |
| Career Options | | | | procedures. Property surveyors, in general need |
| Because property surveying is a specialized | | | | to be able to measure and map the earth's |
| profession, there is job security in most cities. | | | | surface through the use of current technologies |
| Property surveyors will often work for the | | | | and software. |
| government and private sector. Builders and | | | | |