There are a growing number of careers that are connected to the ag industry ? including careers in land surveying. Eric Meeks, President of the Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors, said the average of age of land surveyors is 57, so there is a huge need for more students to enter this career field as more surveyors decide to retire.
?Outreach is also part of our work development mission. We?ve made headway, but we’re nowhere near where we need to be.?
Meeks said students who have an ag background may already be well positioned to working in land surveying due to their experience with GPS.
?The equipment may be a little bit different, and the idea and the application may be a little bit different, but at the same time, there’s a lot of shared connections there. We?ve seen people working in agriculture who have been a good candidate. Having that knowledge or that exposure to that technology is somebody that we can bring in and fast-track to work alongside us and do what we do.?
Meeks also provided some advice for students who may be thinking about a career in land surveying.
?Reach out to a local land surveyor. Reach out to job shadow or find summer employment. We’ve had 17 high school-aged students work for our company through the summers and sometimes even over breaks. We’ve even had a couple go on to pursue careers in land surveying. I don’t know that there’s a surveying company out there that would not grab a hold of you and try to show you the benefits of a career land surveying.?
The U.S. Department of Labor?s projections over the next decade show the need for land surveyors and technicians will outpace the average growth for all occupations.
