Experienced Survey Technician for Hire

bryanmundia · Post by **bryanmundia** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:21 am

I am a survey tech in the Southern California area who has been affected by the economy. I am currently looking for a position either full time or part time. I look forward to hearing from you all and if you have any questions in regards to my experience or resume please feel free to ask and I will answer them immediately. Please see below for a revised cover letter and resume as I am now a Land Surveyor in Training.

bryanmundia · Post by **bryanmundia** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 7:51 am

Yeah I sent my resume to Ruel at Coast but have not received a reply. I also posted my resume in the classified post which Ruel had listed. You wouldn't happen to have anyone else at Coast who I could talk with?

pls7809 · Post by **pls7809** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 9:33 am

I don't know if it means anything or if Ruel's settings are off, but the date of Ruel's post on his listing was 2002. You should try calling him to see if the add is still valid.

http://www.coastsurvey.com/

bryanmundia · Post by **bryanmundia** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 8:53 pm

Well I am now a Experienced Survey Technician who is also an LSIT. Anyone with an employment opportunity? I would really enjoy hearing from you.

bryanmundia · Post by **bryanmundia** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 7:37 am

I can't believe 350 people have looked at this and not a single reply with interest. Can anyone tell me what is making me look like I have the plague? Do I need more experience, do I need to post salary requirement? What do I need so I can spark a little interest and prove to whomever that I would be a valuable asset to their company?

Berk Blake, PLS CA · Post by **Berk Blake, PLS CA** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 8:56 am

You don't have the plague, this country does. I am not hiring because there isn't enough work to put anyone on for any length of time.

I presume that you are not as desperate as you indicate, because if I was desperate, I would be on my way to Eureka for a job interview.

bryanmundia · Post by **bryanmundia** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 9:27 am

Although I do currently have a 1 day a week job, I am beginning to worry as things do not seem to be turning around and my unemployment checks won't last forever. As for my desperation in moving to Eureka, well I am recently married and live close to my family and my wife has a very good job luckily. I feel that moving away at this very moment for work and leaving everything behind which I love and which my wife loves, is desperate and extremely selfish. I would like to get a job locally, even if it is part time, just to supplement a little of what I have lost from my other employer and if it works into a full time job that would be amazing. Like everyone else, I am just hurting a little and need to bring something to the table to provide for my family.

pls7809 · Post by **pls7809** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 9:43 am

Unfortunately, no one is hiring right now, unless you're willing to relocate to someplace where there are jobs. Temporarily, if the market stays dry and unemployment dries up, you might have to find any job with a pay check to stay in OC or So Cal.

Don't take it personal that no one has replied with interest. The fact is that there's nothing there and most places are down to their bare bones already. Plus the places that are way down right now, if there is an opening, might offer it to someone that they had laid off because of the downturn.

You might try cold calling on some companies, or set an appointment to go to lunch with some of the survey managers out there. Tell them you'll buy and that you would like to just start a line of conversation with them and maybe they'll remember you when business picks up again.

bruce hall · Post by **bruce hall** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:03 am

younger I'd take Bert's advice and check out Eureka.

E_Page · Post by **E_Page** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:34 am

Your resume looks fine. Berk is right. it's not you, it's the economy and the current lack of a job market.

Putting family first is important. Only you and your wife can make those decisions about moving or staying. Do what's best, as a team for your family.

You may need to look at other lines of work if no surveying is available. That and hope for a change from the change we've been getting.

land butcher · Post by **land butcher** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:34 am

Civil engrg and surveying took a huge hit the end of 2008. My rough guess is about 1000 engineers lost their jobs in OC alone.
And I heard from developers and read that there wont be any construction loans until 2011.
Worst part is, cant even get a job pumping gas anymore.

bryanmundia · Post by **bryanmundia** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 11:19 am

I appreciate all the input. This is my first time in the job market and having to actually put a resume together and I was just curious if there was some blacklist on a word or phrase I used. I know what you mean about a job pumping gas. I have applied just about everywhere for any job available and anything which a high school student can do (i.e. Target, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes) has told me that I am over qualified for the position and that is why they didn't hire me. So I take that as, once the economy turns around, I will leave the company and get work in my primary field. I just don't know of other lines of work which I may be qualified for with my experience. Anyone with suggestions or success stories, please let me know the secret.

7702 · Post by **7702** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 2:29 pm

Bryan,

I'm temporarily unemployed right now since my small-scale logging operation was shut down due to elevated risk of wildfire. Yeah, I'm an LS with my own equipment and I'm logging to pay the bills. Not easy work compared to most survey work that I've done, but sometimes desperate times call for desperate actions. Two weeks ago I was staking for road construction in the middle of the desert, four hundred miles from home. That was not easy money either, but at least it was money.

You might consider applying for the Eureka job. You can always decline the position, if offered, if something closer to home surfaces. The life of a surveyor is often filled with difficult choices, especially if the work is far from home and family. But there's the chance that you like SHN and Eureka so much that you and family decide to relocate to the beautiful north coast.

Anyway, I had a few extra minutes to kill, so I looked over your info. Something that caught my bloodshot eyes (due to tanoak pollen and poison oak) is that your cover letter describes your current position as a "Senior Survey Technician" yet your resume' says "Senior Project Engineer". Which is it? You should probably revise your info to indicate that you are now an LSIT (Congratulations!). Also, you could probably go into a little more detail, if applicable, as to your boundary resolution abilities/experience and your data reduction/cogo skills. If you are able to process/plan GPS surveys and produce valid state plane coordinates, (CCS) that would be an asset as well.

It looks like you have a lot of CAD experience. Have you tried looking for CAD related positions that don't involve surveying or engineering? I see them advertised from time to time.

You also have a degree in Business Management which should open a lot of doors for you. I've seen some attractive postions with Govt. agencies and/or special districts this year where a degree such as yours would have been desirable. How about management positions at other companies in the private sector?

I wish you the best in your employment search. Hang in there because eventually things will get better.

bryanmundia · Post by **bryanmundia** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 2:58 pm

Mark:

Thank you so much for your reply. I will be changing the items you mentioned and would like to know, what exactly is someone looking for in the details for things such as boundary resolutions and cogo? I mean do I need to get into the appropriate programs which I use more? Again, as a first timer in the unemployment line when it comes to surveying and engineering, I am having a hard time understanding what it is that employers are looking for. By the way Mark, I don't know exactly where you are located but I can point you in the direction at a local job which I do not qualify for with the County of Orange in California. They are continuously looking for senior land surveyors and the pay isn't bad and of course the benefits are always a good thing. If I have my license, trust me, I would be applying.

As for other industries, I have reached out in regards to my strong area of drafting with little success as most companies which are hiring right now want someone who is experienced in the type of work they are producing. They don't want to spend the time or money to train someone like me to do what they need. I really hope the industry gets out of this slump for everyone here who is unemployed. I really feel that this profession is necessary and people don't realize the need for good quality surveyors. I mean who else do you know that would have pounded 2" brass caps in the ground on the back of a donkey through the uncharted wilderness and fight of Indians for poor pay?

Although not licensed yet, I take pride in this profession and what I am. I think that inevitably we as a whole need to speak out and let people know how important we are sometimes. I think all of us can think of a time when a client has belittled us by asking why things cost so much since all we do is measure (which really boils my blood). Or the best I have gotten yet which is can you cut the costs by just laying the boundary over the google earth image of the property.

Anyways, a little tangent, and a whole other discussion. Thank you again Mark and let me know if you are interested in the County Position.

bryanmundia · Post by **bryanmundia** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 2:58 pm

pls7809 wrote:Unfortunately, no one is hiring right now, unless you're willing to relocate to someplace where there are jobs. Temporarily, if the market stays dry and unemployment dries up, you might have to find any job with a pay check to stay in OC or So Cal.

Don't take it personal that no one has replied with interest. The fact is that there's nothing there and most places are down to their bare bones already. Plus the places that are way down right now, if there is an opening, might offer it to someone that they had laid off because of the downturn.

You might try cold calling on some companies, or set an appointment to go to lunch with some of the survey managers out there. Tell them you'll buy and that you would like to just start a line of conversation with them and maybe they'll remember you when business picks up again.

Ryan,

You want to go to lunch sometime. My treat. =)

7702 · Post by **7702** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 8:18 pm

What do employers look for?

Here is a list of some qualities that I look for when I'm in the hiring mode (no particular order of importance):

Dependable/reliable, able to work independently as much as possible but with enough sense to recognize when to ask for assistance. A valid driver's license with an insurable DMV record is a must. Being drug free is best and is usually directly related to being dependable and reliable, etc. Self-starter/motivated, willing to learn on the job and willing to expend some effort off the clock in order to improve. Good organization skills, able to prioritize. Not afraid to make a decision (with assistance if needed). A good sense of humor and the ability to laugh at one's foibles helps one get through the rough times. Leadership skills are always a plus along with good people skills. A professional attitude is always desirable. Enough sense to be in a profession that is suited for a particular skill set or ability. (not everyone is suited to be a land surveyor). Attention to detail is critical in my book, especially with engineering and surveying. Good work ethics will always impress the boss, and will often offset other less than desirable qualities.

There's more of course, but you get the idea.

Notice that I didn't mention education or experience. The right education and experience is always desirable, but not necessary in my book. Sometimes it's better to have a clean slate to work with in order to help create a masterpiece.

bryanmundia · Post by **bryanmundia** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 6:27 am

Mark:

I am a dependable person who enjoys working independently, yet really values the opinions of my co-workers and superiors. I find that some of my greatest ideas and resolutions have come from the advice of my fellow surveyors. I carry a valid and insured driver's license and actually just had my first accident in 10 years of driving around christmas time when I backed into a parked car due to the fact that the back of my pick-up was packed with toys and such which I had collected to donate to CHOC hospital and Toys for Tots. I am the type of person that always feels more comfortable being early to events rather than late. With my current employer I pulled many all-nighters and early mornings in order to get projects out on time. My development as a survey tech would not be where it is today without those long hours of learning and progressing. Both at work and at home I find that laughter can possibly be the best thing to enjoying life and work. I enjoy joking around yet understand there is a line not to cross and believe me, I don't cross it. I am a person who learns from my mistakes and takes them as an opportunity to slow down and really improve on whatever skill is lacking and causing the error. Most people think I have OCD but I am a very detail oriented, organized, and systematic person at work and at home. I think the most important thing to me is that I am extremely loyal to my employer. I am very much like my father in that he has worked for the same company for over 30 years and has moved up the ladder from sales and now is the president of the company. I have the same mentality and really am not just looking for a job, I am looking for a place that I can call home, a place that I can look forward going to everyday, a place that I am proud to say I belong to.

I think that one of the most frustrating things is that I can't even get an interview. I know that if someone was to give me a chance, they could see these qualities in me. I am not in this profession for the paycheck, I am in this profession because over the 10 years which I have been in the surveying industry, there has never been a time where I didn't enjoy my work and finish the day with a smile and a laugh.

To all of those looking for employment, I wish you the best of luck and really hope that things turn around. Most of us are family men and it saddens me to think that there are guys and girls out there willing to work and provide for their families but cannot because their particular industry is in a slump.

bryanmundia · Post by **bryanmundia** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 6:33 am

I wanted to post my revised resume and cover letter adding that I am now an LSIT.

pls7809 · Post by **pls7809** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:12 am

Bryan,

Thanks for the offer, but I'm am not in a position where I can hire you. My supervisors would be the one's to speak to. Send me an email (see below) and I'll send you their contact info. I know we are not hiring right now, but it doesn't hurt to talk yourself up to someone.

Good luck,

Ryan.

bryanmundia · Post by **bryanmundia** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:57 am

Thanks Ryan. I sent you an email, hopefully I will hear from you soon. I also applied for a project coordinator position at your companies office in Ontario.

pls7809 · Post by **pls7809** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 8:55 am

When I said we weren't hiring, I meant in survey we weren't hiring.

The project coordinator position is an admin position (handling billing/invoicing, group leader's assistant, project tracking, overnight deliveries, answering phones, etc.) and I think they have filled it or will fill it very soon. It was for the engineering group.

I think out of all the resumes they received they narrowed it down to 6 from about 400 and interviewed and chose someone already.

bryanmundia · Post by **bryanmundia** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 8:23 pm

wow that is way too many applicants for one job.

7702 · Post by **7702** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:47 pm

Some of the State job announcements are receiving several thousand applications for a single position.

With that much competition, your application/resume' needs to really stand out above the pack because it's only going to get a glance, at best, during the initial screening process.

Rob_LS · Post by **Rob_LS** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 11:36 pm

Go to http://www.SPB.ca.gov and apply for Transportation Surveyor exam now that you have the LSIT - Team Orange isn't hiring at the moment, as far as I know, but you need to be on the list to be hired... Good luck... Also, other agencies hire off of that list... how you do on the exam determines if you are "reachable" for hiring after the interview... read the job specification and exam announcement, and refer to the steps to getting a job on the website

bryanmundia · Post by **bryanmundia** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 8:00 pm

Rob:

Thanks so much for the information. I will be doing that in the next day or so as it does take some time to figure out the state's website and procedures for filling out the information. In the mean time, if anyone else has something available, either part time or full time, would be glad to entertain offers.

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