Page 13 - 2022_49.2

Adult Outreach Initiatives
Students in the K-12 range aren’t our only target audience when it comes to recruiting new surveyors. In fact, there are many qualified
adults seeking career changes and who may already possess some of the building blocks of survey knowledge.

Ex-Military
Every day, individuals phase-out of a career in the military and find themselves ready for a new profession. There are existing programs
like Helmets to Hardhats and Hiring Our Heroes that seek to do this very thing.
We should look to create our own such program for the land surveying profession (one
attendee mentioned the same “Service to Surveying.”)
Since the end of the conference, the California Land Surveyors Associations (CLSA) has
already started working on this program and the Nevada Association of Land Surveyors
(NALS) will be joining in on this initiative. Both CLSA and NALS are looking for members
who are willing to mentor military personnel and provide them with guidance to a
successful future. If you are able to help, please reach out to either info@californiasurveyors.org or nals@nvlandsurveyors.org.
The key to attracting military hires is by working with the recruiting firms and transitional career counselors that servicemen and
women meet with when they separate from the military.
That is the stage where we need to make land surveying awareness happen. We need to establish a liaison between army bases and
surveying professionals so that interested candidates can get information and transition quickly.

The best person one attendee hired last year was an ex-army serviceman. A former major, he was extremely disciplined and had a
background in geospatial work.

The army reserve is another untapped market, with workers who are eager to fill in empty time and gain access to the gear and
equipment they need.

The only caveat with military hires is that often, they can make more money in other fields rather than start from “zero” in the surveying
profession. The more we can help them capitalize on making a career in survey quicker, the better.
General Adults

What are the characteristics that make up a good surveyor? It’s a question we posed at the Outreach Roundtable event. Here are some
of the answers:

• Serious
• Engaged

• Inspired
• Hardworking
• Disciplined

• Accountable
• Humble
• Confident

• Honest
• Curious
• Inquisitive

• Team player
• Strong communicator

• Critical thinking skills
Surveying is often portrayed as a physical job based on literal manpower. Yet many adults, including many women, are extremely well-
suited to the life of being a surveyor.

We need to start thinking about not just how we advertise the profession, but how we make it a welcoming one for women
and minorities.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE u
The Nevada Traverse Vol.49, No.2, 2022 11