“I liked the idea of working outside, using my body and my mind together. I haven't been disappointed! Land surveying can be very physical work, but there is a strong intellectual and technological component as well.” MindWellsIdeasBodyTogetherStrongLandHavensIntellectualWork OutDisappointedTechnologicalComponents Author:Mark Mason
“I was attracted to the direct connection with history that land surveyors experience in the form of plans, field notes, and from surveying monuments from decades or even centuries in the past.” PastFormPlansLandCenturyFieldsDirectConnectionsNotesDecadesMonumentSurveyorsLand Surveyor Author:Mark Mason
“A lot of people don't think much about what land surveyors do. In a nutshell, we are the interpreters and providers of landmarks and records that directly impact real property.” PeopleThinkingRealRecordsLandImpactPropertyProvidersInterpreterLandmarksReal PropertySurveyorsLand Surveyor Author:Mark Mason
“There's a popular misconception that property boundaries are based on coordinates that surveyors can simply "walk to" with our instruments. The reality is that, while physical coordination of monuments is easier than it's ever been, property boundaries often need to be determined based on evidence and plans that are old, decrepit, and done with different technology and expectations than we have today.” NeedsDifferentDoneRealityTodayWalksTechnologyPlansEasierExpectationsEvidenceInstrumentsPropertyDeterminedBoundariesMonumentMisconceptionCoordinationCoordinatesDecrepitSurveyors Author:Mark Mason
“Learning how to weigh evidence and fairly re-establish a boundary can be as much an art as a science.” ArtEvidenceBoundaries Author:Mark Mason
“Land surveyors can spend as much time reading legislation, bylaws, and engineering documents as we spend in front of an instrument in the field or calculating coordinates for a subdivision. We are mathematicians, historians, project managers, advocates, engineers, and even chainsaw operators!” ReadingLandFrontsFieldsProjectsInstrumentsManagersHistorianEngineeringEngineersMathematicianDocumentsLegislationCalculatingOperatorsCoordinatesChainsawSurveyorsLand SurveyorBylaws Author:Mark Mason
“I'm lucky enough to split my time between the field and the office. Some land surveyors in larger outfits can work mostly from behind a desk, managing many field crews at once.” EnoughBehindsLandFieldsLuckyOfficeMy TimeSplitsDesksCrewOutfitsSurveyorsLand Surveyor Author:Mark Mason
“I think that people can get caught up in the "gee-whiz" technology of surveying, which is constantly changing, and forget about the legal aspects and the professional responsibility that surveyors bear - something that hasn't changed much at all in hundreds of years.” PeopleThinkingYearsForgetResponsibilityTechnologyChangedBearsAspectCaughtCaught UpSurveyors Author:Mark Mason
“It's important to know that, unlike lawyers, land surveyors put the public interest first. That means we're not biased by our client - this means that the property line will be drawn in the most equitable position, regardless of which neighbor is paying the bill.” KnowsFirstsMeanImportantInterestLinesLandPositionBillsPropertyNeighborLawyerClientsBiasedPublic InterestEquitableSurveyorsLand Surveyor Author:Mark Mason
“Some surveyors live for the work, putting in weeks or months at a time in remote locations. With a young family and hobbies that I'm passionate about, that isn't the path I've chosen. Like in many careers, you need to make your own decisions and follow your own path.” NeedsYoungDecisionCareersPathWeekMonthsPassionateChosenHobbiesLocationSurveyors Author:Mark Mason