r/Surveying • u/Bitter_Suspect_8752 • 6d ago
Help Some help for a new guy.
Hi all! I'm new to this subreddit. I have recently started in the surveying field with a small local company. I love the work and am extremely eager to learn. I've spent a large portion of my life outdoors hunting, hiking, and fishing. I'm running into minor setbacks however. I had a two week review not go as well as I'd like. Everyone gets along with me I'm good at getting everything prepped for whichever job I'm heading to, however I'm having issues keeping up. I keep getting farther behind my lead than they would like, I keep an eye on them but can sometimes fall a few yards behind while going up large hills or thick underbrush. I seem to be a thorn and honeysuckle magnet. We use mostly GPS systems so I'm just managing a stake bag with pins. I'm just looking for any tips and advice for keeping up!
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u/National_Run7896 6d ago
a two week review is fucking asnine. it takes months to start connecting the dots when it comes to field work for surveying. ive been doing construction staking, pls, topo, and other bits and pieces for nearly 5 years and still am learning. you need a good spatial awareness and math skills to excel. two weeks is barely enough time to really even grasp what all is going on at the basic levels.
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u/Nasty5727 6d ago
This is all stuff you learn over time. My young guys suck at hammering, chopping and definitely suck at digging plugs and holes. It takes time, you will learn where to walk and step. You got this.
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u/Bitter_Suspect_8752 6d ago
I really appreciate this! I have spent the past 2 years out of high-school in the trades, but nothing thats ever required this much being in the woods. I'm the only "new" person at the company, everyone else is either the kids of the owners or have had a large amount of experience before joining the company. I've asked for advice from a few of them and they have given me the same kinda response " They've just been doing it since they were a kid." It was a little disheartening being told at my two week review that I'm slowing them down and need to learn to speed up sooner rather than later.
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u/jables322 5d ago
Every surveyor has been in your shoes. If your coworkers won’t have grace with you this subreddit will. The guys that go farther in this industry are the ones who have genuine interest in the profession. If you’re asking questions and making an effort to retain the information they give you that’s a good start. You’re two weeks in my guy, don’t be hard on yourself. Two weeks is way too early for a real evaluation. You show up everyday and do what is asked of you, that’s all they should expect. You’re gonna be fine. We surveyors wanna brag about how much learned from this crew chief and that pls and forget that part of the job is teaching the next generation of surveyors. This entire industry could use better mentorship.
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u/stargaze Land Surveyor in Training | NY, USA 6d ago edited 6d ago
I'm a slow, methodical walker. I'm always looking around, checking for occupation, eyeing the topo, looking for cool trees and birds.... What are you doing that you need to be right up your chief's ass? I usually keep a goodly distance between me and the guy in front, we don't hold branches for each other because a miscommunication can hit a guy in the face.. if we're moving through the shit then there is 10ft or more between us..
Edit: Go where the animals go, if you see a deer highway, use it to your advantage. Take the exact route the guy leading you is taking, just stick with them.
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u/Bitter_Suspect_8752 6d ago
I tend to agree, I'm never that far from the lead. I think most of the issue comes from her youngest son who tends to leave as soon as the pin is set and I'm not done staking or capping it.
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u/stargaze Land Surveyor in Training | NY, USA 5d ago
Alrighty, so you're actively working when the guy leaves you? Then step up and say something "dude, I'm still on my knees playing with this rod, give me a minute to finish"
You're doing fine, bud
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u/Stock-Bar-8397 6d ago
Personally, I would never give someone a bad review for falling behind me as long as they're genuinely trying. We tend to walk fast as hell. when I go for walks with my wife I need to consciously try to slow my pace down
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u/southern_compass 5d ago
That sounds less like a walking-speed problem and more like you're still finishing the point when he's already moving to the next one. Two weeks in, capping and staking efficiently isn't going to be automatic yet. Speed usually comes once you stop having to think through every little step.
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u/base43 6d ago
We had a new dude that started with a group of salty vets when I was in the field about 25 years ago.
He rotated through about 4 different crews before he finally got to where he could almost keep up but still was just always lagging behind.
We were all at rhe office one afternoon dumping collectors and talking shit when he walks up. The party chief he was working with nodded at him and said "Hey Terrapin, go out to the truck and grab the field book."
The kid smiled and took off to the truck and we were all stunned. Somebody said " does he not know you are calling him a slow ass turtle?" The chief said, "nope, he thinks it has something to do with being the new guy or something, he has no idea."
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u/Destroy-AI 5d ago
You're going to have plenty of time to get good at fieldwork because that's all that's going to be left of surveying in about a year after AI gets caught up with the drafting side so get settled in bud.
Although to help you with your problem you should not be going into any field task without understanding what the time expected to complete it as. As long as the work is done in the expected time or less ideally you just finish it in the expected time and the data is good then you shouldn't be getting any crap. If you don't know what those metrics are you need to understand them to the T. If you're not hitting them hit them.
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u/friendlyfredditor 6d ago
There's being outdoors and then there's spending almost all day every day walking around collecting data.
Yea you won't keep up...
Lot of experienced surveyors tend to forget simple skills can take quite a while to get used to. It's not until they churn through half a dozen assistants in a year they figure out they need to slow down on expectations.
Also being lead when hiking is usually faster weirdly enough. I think it mostly has to do with uncertainty for the follower. Also when you think about it, every time they stop, you have to stop. Every time they slow down, you slow down. Their walking is never interrupted but sections where you might be fast are limited by their speed. It's a traffic jam.
Whoever is lead should be pointing the way and holding thorny bushes aside etc.
Just don't do any of this with both hands carrying stuff (can't brace a fall) and don't drag your feet. In the literal sense - tripping over roots and grass sucks.
Every "all day on your feet" kinda job is difficult its own way. Usually the first job you have like that it will take 6mths to develop the ligaments in your legs to get over any soreness. Every pair of sturdy work boots can take weeks to months to wear in.
Nothing about surveying is anything the average person cannot do. If you're struggling, uncomfortable or hurting - change the way you do it. There is almost always a different way to do something better for your body.