I've met very few professional land surveyors who regret their career path, and even fewer, who are out of work, even during economic slowdowns.

There's a popular misconception that property boundaries are based on coordinates that surveyors can simply "walk to" with our instruments. The reality is that, while physical coordination of monuments is easier than it's ever been, property boundaries often need to be determined based on evidence and plans that are old, decrepit, and done with different technology and expectations than we have today.

This is the worst thing about waiting for someone. You have to look good all the time because they could turn up at any minute and see you before you've seen them

Some surveyors live for the work, putting in weeks or months at a time in remote locations. With a young family and hobbies that I'm passionate about, that isn't the path I've chosen. Like in many careers, you need to make your own decisions and follow your own path.

Building smart processes to streamline the workflow can make the work easier and the results more reliable, which keeps my head above water and my clients happy.

Legal land surveyors are few and far between and can find themselves in demand.

When I got my commission, other land surveyors told me to ask for advice from my peers when I was struggling with something.