Introducing our latest ambassador Mike Stewart who is from Utah area in the USA:
Where did you study? Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah
What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? To be a surveyor in Utah, you need a combined 8 years worth of schooling and work experience. The good news is you can obtain them simultaneously. You also need to pass 2 national exams and the Utah state specific exam. For me, I obtained my bachelors degree in Geomatics and then had 4 years of work experience
How did you get into surveying? I was introduced to the idea of becoming a surveyor at age 20 by a future employer who was working as a civil engineer. I was exploring civil engineering at the time and when I met with this engineer he told me that if he could go back and do it all over again he’d be a surveyor. I asked him why, and he said that surveyors get to work inside and outside and are always working on different projects and are not confined to a desk every day. That peaked my interest and the more I looked into surveying the more I liked it and it didn’t take me long to fall in love with the profession.
How long have you been in the industry? I have been in the surveying industry since 2015.
Are you part of any associations or organizations you would like us to mention? I am a member of the Utah Council of Land Surveyors.
Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? Kids love technology and as a surveyor I get to use some the latest cutting-edge technologies in my work. Weather it’s a drone, a GPS, a LiDAR system, or a new computer program I get to combine state of the art technology with centuries old methodologies to do something I love. Beyond surveying, there are great careers in other related fields such as GIS (geographical information systems), Geodesy (the study of the shape of the earth and the math and science behind coordinate systems), Photogrammetry (creating high accuracy 3D models from images), and Remote Sensing (3D scanning via LiDAR, multispectral scanning, and raster image analyzation).
On top of all this cool tech, surveyors play a vital role in our society’s infrastructure. When a new road, building, house, etc… is going to be built, surveyors are called. When a property owner wants to know their property boundary, a surveyor is called. When land is going to be subdivide, combined, or adjusted, a surveyor is called.
What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? What are your hobbies? As an ambassador for GKiS, I will be working with the local schools to help promote the great industry of surveying. I will be attending and helping with STEM fairs and Career Nights. My biggest hobbies and passions involve the outdoors. Weather that is hunting, fishing, backpacking, rock climbing, hiking, or exploring, I just love seeing the beaty of the land. I also enjoy playing sports and being active.
Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in? In conclusion, surveying is a very old and well-respected industry. Traditionally, it may not have paid as much as its neighboring field of engineering. However, that is not the case anymore. Surveying has become a very well paid profession and for me is very satisfying and rewarding.