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Surveying

Surveyors calculate the height, depth, relative position, and property lines of pieces of land. They use theodolites, transits, levels, and satellite technology -known as the Global Positioning System (GPS)-to determine locations and boundaries. They work outdoors most of the time and often have assistants. Surveyors work with many other people and often act as team leaders, in charge of projects for civil engineers, architects, or local authorities.
 
Surveying is a career that requires an eye for detail, a careful touch, an analytical mind, strong organizational and communication skills, and leadership ability. Surveyors work in a variety of areas. Some delineate property boundaries for legal deeds and titles. Others work on civil-engineering projects, such as airports, highways and waste-treatment plants. Nearly every construction job requires a surveyor (over 60 percent of surveyors were employed by architects in the 1990s). Surveyors also work with cartographers (map makers), oceanographers, geophysicists (exploring for oil), and miners (to ensure the proper positioning of underground shafts). The variety of the job is one of its most interesting features.