Surveying sounds pretty interesting, but I'm not entirely sure what it involves. Can someone explain what surveyors do day-to-day? Are there specific high school classes or college majors that would be helpful for this job?
Surveyors play a critical role in the planning and execution of various construction or civil projects. Equipped with specialized tools and technologies, their primary work involves measuring properties and pieces of land to determine boundaries. To break it down, let's take a closer look at what a day in the life of a surveyor might look like.
Typically, a surveyor's tasks can include:
- Conducting field studies or surveys to obtain data about a specific site
- Developing maps and plots based on the data collected
- Verifying the accuracy of survey data
- Calculating site measurements, areas, volumes, or elevations
- Writing descriptions of property boundary surveys for deeds, leases, or other legal documents.
On a day-to-day level, surveyors not only work outdoors in the field but also spend time indoors to analyze data, consult with clients and colleagues, and prepare reports.
As for high school classes that could be beneficial, Math, physics, geography, and computer science classes can provide a good foundation. Drafting and design courses would also be beneficial if your high school offers them.
As for college, students interested in a career in surveying generally pursue a Bachelor's degree in surveying, surveying engineering, or geomatics. Some schools offer 2-year associate degrees in surveying or related fields which can be a starting point, although a four-year degree is often preferred for professional roles.
Beyond classroom learning, an internship or on-the-job training in a related field (like civil engineering, construction, or architecture) can provide beneficial hands-on experiences and a better understanding of real-world applications of surveying.
Becoming professionally certified can also enhance your career prospects. For instance, the National Society of Professional Surveyors offers a Certified Survey Technician program with various levels of certification depending on experience and knowledge.
In all, surveying is a versatile and dynamic field that combines outdoor and indoor work with analytical and practical skills, with a heavy emphasis on accuracy and attention to detail since their work forms the basis for legal property boundaries and construction projects.
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