Priorities

So here's a question from someone just starting their surveying career: if your starting out on a blank slate as a surveyor, what's the first and most important thing your going to need?

I'm working on the license, so besides that would it be a network of fellow professionals, or a GNSS unit, or good software solutions? Things along those lines.

I'd say that the first and most-important thing you need to be a Surveyor is common sense...

After that, you need good math skills, at least up to Geometry.  Then you need experience.  Initially, that just means working with other experienced Surveyors.  As time goes on, you hopefully develop a professional network, so that by the time you get your license, you have people you trust that you can call when you get into confusing situations.  And we all get into confusing situations eventually, no matter how much experience we have.  When you do so, it's nice to be able to "bang heads" with some other experienced Surveyors.  Boards like this can help, but sometimes you need to actually talk to another Surveyor, preferably one who's local and understands your concerns, and preferably one you've worked with in the past, and built up a good shared base with.  And the more of these you have, the better.

It's also important to learn the tools of the trade, and keep up on technology.  But really, the technology is secondary to everything else.  Better technology helps you work faster and to higher degrees of accuracy, but really, you should be able to do a fair bit with the proverbial one-eyed goat and a rope.  Or so to speak.  I'd actually be lost around a goat...  :)

A piece of chalk to write on the blank slate......PRIORITIES


RADU

Cuz  Richard beat me to it.  I was going to say carry an extra field book to keep your personal notes in.. Don't trust your memory!

After 32 successful years in the business, I can honestly say the 3 skills that have served me the most are:

Know how to talk on an eye level with the customer, irregardless of their social standing.

Related to that same subject is my other 2 well honed skills:

holding my liquor
creative cursing.

You'd be surprised how well those have served me with a large portion of my clientele ;-)

From following your posts over the past few months, I think you're going to have a good foundation in the aspects of surveying that can be gained in a formal education setting and you have the curiosity and attitute to become adept with the hardware and software that you'll need to operate as a surveyor.  The number one priority that I don't see high on your list (maybe I'm wrong) is experience.  There's no way you can take every course and get every available degree with honors and buy the latest, greatest equipment and have any chance of success without hooking up with a company that is involved day-to-day in practical applications and problem-solving.  The field of surveying is so wide that at some point, you will have to narrow your scope to the aspects that there is a steady market for, and that hopefully you are good at and enjoy. 

I am admittedly biased to the experience v. education side of things since that's how I've learned most of what I know.  When I hire people, those with experience are far easier to work into the daily flow of work than those with formal education but ultimately may not progress as far in the profession (at least nowadays). 

Another thing is that much of what I do as a surveyor has a lot more to do with dealing with local agencies and their requirements for permitting and such while the pure surveying aspects of the jobs are actually an important but secondary aspect.  I would not expect that formal education courses could or should really try to get into much detail on that stuff but that's where working with an established firm to see how things are actually accomplished is really valuable.

You are going to need an insatiable curiosity and desire to learn. Also, A thick skin. A willingness to ask questions right up to the point where you are annoying people and a little beyond.

Because, frankly, you aren't likely to get as much support in your career as you wish for.  Most of your employers will expect you to keep your nose to the grindstone and produce. Just do the job the way they told you to and don't ask so many fool questions, they will say.

Your interpersonal and communication skills will take you farther in this business than your technical skills.

Build your  library. Include books on surveying, on technology, on business management,  on people.

It's really easy to get in a comfort zone, then look up, and realize that another decade has passed.    

I like that advice, and your right that experiance isn't something I place very highly in my writing because I don't have it. Speaking from ignorance, or out of one's ass, is the fastest way I've found to get into trouble so I try not to write like I do. 

Networking seems the way to go, and along those lines I'm actually organising a thing with the local survey group. Guess I need to go re-read my book on conversation skills.

I have a twitter, Linken, and Facebook accounts that I post to when I have thoughts and issues. Those are usually the best because I don't think too long about what I'm saying and can't edit out the ignorance.