The journey into land surveying
At The Survey School we receive email and phone enquiries from across the globe from those eager to get into surveying. We are always happy to advise on surveying careers. The people who contact us range in age, from school leavers to those who have been working for several decades in a related field and are keen to make a sideways move.
Land surveying is a profession that can be overlooked and often operates “behind the scenes”, yet its impact is felt in every new building, road and public project, and the demand for qualified professionals continues to grow.
Many people start their surveying journey with a passion for the outdoors and a keen interest in maths and geography or technology. Some may have found inspiration from friends or family who already work in the industry – or simply by accident!
We’ve started to ask our course attendees how they discovered their current jobs in and what led them to surveying as a career. Here are just a few of their responses:
“I enjoy the outdoors and wanted a job that was a mixture of site work and office based”
“I got into it by pure chance. I saw an advert in the local newspaper for a Trainee Land Surveyor. The idea of working outdoors was what appealed to me initially.”
“It was a happy accident. My mum spotted a job advert in the local paper for something called an Assistant Land Surveyor.”
“I just spotted something on LinkedIn.”
Many surveyors can recount memorable moments in the field—the thrill of hiking to a remote location and setting up equipment under a clear blue sky – or in the pouring rain! The variety is the thing that appeals.
“As my tolerance to the wind and rain developed, so did my interest in surveying!”
“It’s fun, it’s complex, it gets my brain going. I enjoy being outside and in new places every day.”
“I needed a challenge as I was working inside a lab prior to this and that was very monotonous.”
While the technical aspects of surveying are significant, so too is the camaraderie developed among professionals. Many surveyors also recount experiences of teamwork, that cement a love for a profession that’s not desk-bound.
For those that stay with it, there’s also the potential for career progression – moving into managerial positions, specialising in niche areas or setting up your own business.
With the support of The Survey School, aspiring surveyors can find a pathway that suits them, whether starting from scratch or advancing their careers. Our short courses are designed to lay a solid foundation for those new to surveying. We recommend starting with five essential courses—Levelling, Total Stations, 5-Day Surveying, 2-Day GNSS, and 2-Day AutoCAD.
For those who have gained several months of experience, there is the more in-depth TSA Surveying Course, which also leads to a ProQual Level 3 Diploma in Engineering Surveying. Successful graduates not only receive a diploma, but also become eligible for various professional memberships, enhancing their career prospects significantly.
You might take a look at The Survey Association’s jobs page for any trainee surveying jobs in your area. There are also apprentice opportunities available. Apprenticeships are for people of all ages – not just for school or college leavers. There are opportunities for those looking to change careers or progress, such as this one, https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/reference/1000323052
To find out more about our TSA Surveying Course, go to https://www.surveyschool.org.uk/the-course/#book-now
I always enjoyed Geography at school but had never heard of surveying until a friend of mine at Jacobs gave me an introduction. Following a summer placement, I then started full time at Jacobs as a Survey Assistant. The combination of outdoor working, technology and computer processing got me hooked on surveying.
I’m a big advocate for learning by doing. I’m not a particularly academic person, so the chance to learn from classroom and practical lessons was invaluable. The Survey School played such a pivotal role in my career, taking someone who was ‘switched off’ to education after a bad experience at school and giving me a subject to get passionate about in a style which suited me down to the ground. I’m forever grateful for that grounding that Mr Crumpler and others provided.
Redundancy. It’s the message I drum into all my staff, you need to be able to prove something is right.
I’m currently in the role of Solutions Lead in our Reality Capture business at Jacobs. This gives me a national focus on marrying our varied projects with the right technology, to ensure data is captured to support an entire project lifecycle. I enjoy showcasing the latest technology to clients and opening their eyes to how geospatial data can add value in many different ways.
Progressive, evolving, enjoyable.
I have a real passion for the survey profession and it has enabled me to do so many different things. As a line manager, I’ve supported a number of my staff through The Surveying Association course and I drive a recruitment strategy which looks to build from the bottom up. I want to give young people the same opportunity I had.
Say ‘yes’ to everything. Too often in life you say no and miss opportunities. It’s better to try and fail than never try at all.
I worked on the M25 Junction 30 upgrade project which saw me managing a range of survey activities over a nine month period. The project involved many sub-contractors and was by far the most complex project I’d been involved in. I had to learn fast and was faced with several situations for the first time.
This project taught me valuable lessons in project management which have helped shape my career. I drive through the junction regularly now the project is complete and am proud of the small contribution I had. Doesn’t every surveyor drive past an old project and say ‘ I surveyed that’? I guess that comes from a place of pride and enjoyment for what we do.
Gaining membership to the CICES.
After studying at university, I decided that I would like to pursue a career that involved my love of the outdoors, properties and potentially even travelling. I just knew I didn’t want to sit in an office all day. I had never heard of land surveying until I saw a job advert and the description appealed to me with the added benefit of training. I had no idea what I was getting myself into and a career in land surveying has delivered much more than I ever expected!
Being in it together with my peers! We had a really good class and we all tackled the assignments alongside each other, so we felt part of a team. Hearing all about the various surveying services I hadn’t yet been exposed to, how other companies worked and the amazing projects the other surveyors had been part of.
The course was relevant to my day-to-day activities at work and thoroughly embedded my understanding and fundamental knowledge of the technical survey elements behind the technology I had been using.
I learned about the variety of skills a land surveyor has to have to enable them to be an all-round excellent surveyor. The most valuable lesson was understanding that the correct amount of checks is enough to ensure the accuracy required on a survey, and the skill is in getting the checks right to get the job done on time.
Leading a company is a very different role from being a full-time land surveyor. I have attended courses and read many business books to help me pivot from Surveyor to Managing Director.
Business strategy and helping others be the best version of themselves are my favourite parts of my role.
Varied, challenging, evolving.
At Spatial Dimensions, I encourage our business to get involved with students in the early years of education because I believe if they leave school not knowing the profession of surveying even exists, we’ve failed from the start. We have previously sponsored ‘Get Kids Into Survey’ and have distributed their posters into many primary schools around Kent.
Spatial Dimensions attends three to four local careers fairs per year, some of which have more than one school attending. Here, we demonstrate our surveying services, technology and prospects to teenagers.
I have spoken at various education events at comprehensive, grammar and private schools, from the angle of construction, surveying and business.
We offer work experience places each year and have had students from several schools. We also work with local colleges, providing on-going work placements and mentoring with careers advice.
In my role as TSA President, one of our key values is to ensure that ‘Every young person should know about land surveying as a career.’ The TSA works relentlessly to tackle the skills shortage of surveyors, getting as many people on board to help as possible and coming at it from various angles into the education system.
Believe in yourself, stay open minded and pursue something that has an element of your passions and realise that your interests can remain as hobbies. You don’t have to be the best at something, to have an amazing career and learning doesn’t end in the classroom.
Unfortunately our high profile projects often have Non Disclosure Agreements. We have worked on several incredible projects over the last few months that we aren’t allowed to publicly mention yet but I’m sure we can share some of these soon, so keep an eye on our website!
We are just finalising the large topographical survey and Revit models of the Cambridge Civic Quarter and Guildhall. Cambridge City Council have pledged fresh proposals for investment in a renewed Civic Quarter in central Cambridge and we are working with the Architect. It has been delightful to work on this project with all its fascinating history, the oldest building in the Guildhall dates back to 1224!
I think I would have to say the refurbishment of the Lancaster West Estate stands out in my memory. For those that don’t know, the Lancaster West Estate is the wider estate of the home of the Grenfell Tower. After the horrific tragedy, Spatial Dimensions were appointed to work with three Architect practices to aid the refurbishment of the Estate. To be appointed on such a high-profile project was a lot of pressure due to the sensitivities surrounding it and working for 3 sets of Architects, each with differing wants and needs from the survey, all at the same time. Throughout this project, we were trusted to survey in excess of 700 homes and all of the surrounding land which was around 27 acres. We often reminded ourselves that this project was going to positively change the lives of so many people that had been terribly affected. We were proud to do our part to help. As delivery deadlines loomed, the UK went into its first national lockdown! Definitely one to remember.
Spatial Dimensions are land, measured building and utility surveyors. We have three offices in London, Kent and Nottingham, and currently employ 23 people.
Our focus is primarily on the early stages of redesign and redevelopment, the early RIBA stages, and we work with our clients to create accurate survey drawings and 3D models. Our intention is to empower our clients with the data they require to redesign and redevelop.
We help our clients create amazing spaces, and have worked on plenty of phenomenal projects!
I think the next 10 years are going to see such major changes, that we are going to have to adapt quickly. I believe the advances of AI will have positive inputs on business, helping us streamline processes.
We’ve come a long way since our inception in 2012, something I could barely dream of back then with two small babies, hardly any sleep and a goal to just carry on earning a living in a job I enjoyed and somehow manage childcare.
I’d like to think the next twelve years will see us continue to grow and develop our offerings for our clients.
On a personal level, my proudest career moment was being elected President of The Survey Association. This very much felt like a completed journey, from being a student at The Survey School 20 years ago, which gave me the foundation and knowledge to become a good surveyor, to starting up my own company, then being elected as President, was an honour.
Spatial Dimensions has had many successes but being appointed to survey parts of Battersea Power Station in the early years of business, definitely made me proud. I grew up in South London so I knew this iconic building from my childhood. I remember standing in the middle of the huge turbine hall thinking, ‘I would have never predicted I would be doing a job like this, never mind running my own company that’s been commissioned to do it!’