>>1806619I think if you have a good head on your shoulders, are willing to listen, and you're not a complete loser (which doesn't seem to be the case), most surveying companies would take you on as a rod man/carry heavy shit guy. You can go from there. If you're lucky and end up with a chief who likes the work and likes to help out the underlings, you can do well. The type of work can depend on where you are. Ive been working out of Denver for 10 years now and ive done like three ALTA surveys and maybe a dozen construction staking jobs (not many). Luckily, I get to do a lot of boundary work, and most of it outside the city. So it just depends on the type of firm, as well as location. Definitely, if you have the means and the interest, try to do the work now towards getting licensed--or at least know what your state requires. Ive come across a lot of dumb fuck PLS, but theyre always working somewhere and getting paid more than us field grunts. Surveying is also good for the solitary types--at my place it's entirely one man crews. So if you can work independently and people can count on you, you'll do just fine. Pic is most recent surveying pic I could find on my phone--setting control points at about 11,000ft around Del Norte, CO. Not a bad gig...
