Learning about a Career in Surveying

One can be professionally qualified surveyor and be self-employed or even a chartered accountant or financial consultant. A chartered accountant is someone who works for a company on behalf of the company. He has to carry out any function that would benefit the company and is paid a certain amount of money as remuneration. There are various courses and educational qualifications that can lead to an entry level professionally qualified surveyor in this field.

In today's market a person with knowledge of geographic information, statistics as well as accounting can also be doing a surveying job. Geographical information refers to the knowledge of the physical things like roads, boundaries, railway stations, airport terminals, buildings, etc. This type of surveyor's work is normally carried out over long distances. They survey certain sites on behalf of a client and take the required measurements. This job requires the knowledge of computers along with computer software as well. Usually the surveyors work independently or are employed by large organizations.

Another surveying career path is Quantity Surveying. To be able to do a quality quantity surveying, a person needs to have a master's degree in civil engineering or in any other field that requires scientific knowledge. Quantity surveying is usually of two types: one that is usually carried out by government bodies and the other one is of private origin where the product belongs to the private individual or structure.

One of the interesting surveying field positions is land surveying. In land surveying, it is very important to have accurate measurements for various purposes. The main job of land surveying is to study the topography, the soil and the surrounding areas so that the surveyor is able to provide the information needed. In order to do a good land survey, one must be experienced enough and should also be wellversed with the drafting instruments for such surveys. Land surveyors usually start off as surveyors before moving on to other specialized assignments. There are different course sequences available for Hydrographic Surveyors. In order to obtain the best grades, a student needs to undertake the core courses first. These include theory-based courses like mathematical fundamentals, geometry and surveying instruments. Next, the student has to undergo the core surveying course which mainly consists of lectures, laboratory work and practical sessions. Last, but not the least; the student needs to secure a certificate from the recognized surveying board. “Although it is hard to generalize as there are many different jobs, in general a hydrographic surveyor needs to be ‘hard’ skilled in applied mathematics, physics, computer science and a fair dose of electronics. As everything is applied, a future surveyor shouldn’t be an ‘armchair’ Surveyor but be able to apply all knowledge directly into practice,” says Johan Stam, of Skilltrade BV.

In addition, there are some important skills that every Surveyor needs to have. A good surveyor needs to be detail-oriented, physically fit, good at problem solving, good with statistical methods and very skilled in writing a convincing narrative in the field of surveying. All these are the prerequisites for a successful career as a professional surveying surveyor. Additionally, according to Johan, besides the hard skills a number of soft skills are required. Surveying is often done in a small team, far away and problems need to be solved in the here and now. “Amongst the soft skills required are being a team player, being capable of trouble shooting, thinking outside the box, working under pressure, being able to convince but also work on your own part of a project (but still as a member of a larger team) etc. A good overall surveyor is one that combines the hard skills and the soft skills,” he adds.

Now that you know all these important things about surveying, you should be in a position to look for a suitable course sequence. It would be a great help if you can find a chartered or certified surveying consultant who can guide you through your education and prepare you for a rewarding and fulfilling career in the field of surveying.

Skilltrade Hydrographic

Survey Training

Skilltrade has been providing hydrographic education and expertise to the marine offshore sector since 2001. Starting with a two-day Introduction to Hydrography ccourse we have gone on to develop a number of specialised courses such as Multibeam Echosounder, DGPS, RTK, Side Scan Sonar, Sub-bottom Profiler and Tides. Several hundred participants have been trained to date and courses continue to be popular.

Since 2008 we also offer a full Hydrographic Survey Category B curriculum (Cat B) as defined and certified by the FIG/IHO/ICA International Board on Standards of Competence for Hydrographic Surveyors (IBSC). Our Cat B training is normally an intensive 30 week course (a 13 weeks e-learning programme, 1 week safety training, 12 weeks of practical training in the Netherlands, followed by a 4 week Field Training Project). However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made changes to the curriculum which allows us to offer the course in a way which respects the health and safety of students and staff while still adhering to the educational integrity of the course. With approval of the IBSC all lessons and exams that can be provided online will therefore be taught using digital formats for the upcoming 26th class. A 3-week practical and workshop training period will be held in the Netherlands, in line with IBSC regulations, in April 2022.

We are able to offer this modified program at a substantially lower price than our standard on-site program. Until such time as it is safe to resume the on-site programme we can offer the modified IBSC certified course for €8950.- excl VAT.

Handbook of

Offshore Surveying

Skilltrade has also developed a comprehensive compendium on offshore surveying. The Handbook of Offshore Surveying is comprised of three volumes: Volume I ( Projects, Preparation & Processing) , Volume II (Positioning & Tides) and Volume III (Acquisition Sensors). This three-volume series is an essential reference for the modern day hydrographer and should be on the desks of every hydrographic survey department and the professionals working for them.

Please visit www.skilltrade.nl/bookstore for further information and to purchase them online.

Price: € 194,- per 3 volume set

(excluding VAT and Shipping).