I liked the idea of working outside, using my body and my mind together. I haven't been disappointed! Land surveying can be very physical work, but there is a strong intellectual and technological component as well. Mark Mason More Quotes by Mark Mason More Quotes From Mark Mason I'm required to do every job well enough that I'd use it as evidence in court - that doesn't come cheaply! Property is a critical asset for individuals. Maintaining the cadastre (legal survey fabric) is an important job and a valuable service. Mark Mason fabric important jobs People sometimes are under the impression that finding their property corners should cost as much as changing their oil or blowing out their sprinklers. What they don't realize is that land surveyors are required to stand behind their work for the rest of their lives. Mark Mason oil land people Land surveyors start as employees, and move up to partnership in a firm or to ownership of their own enterprise if they wish. Some wind up working for government, private corporations, or public enterprise. Mark Mason government wind moving A lot of people don't think much about what land surveyors do. In a nutshell, we are the interpreters and providers of landmarks and records that directly impact real property. Mark Mason impact real thinking Learning how to weigh evidence and fairly re-establish a boundary can be as much an art as a science. Mark Mason evidence boundaries art Completing a large or difficult survey can be a very satisfying thing, especially if there have been hurdles or setbacks along the way. In our work, we get to "tick" off jobs quite often, so the sense of completion can also be rewarding. Mark Mason tick jobs way Land surveyors can spend as much time reading legislation, bylaws, and engineering documents as we spend in front of an instrument in the field or calculating coordinates for a subdivision. We are mathematicians, historians, project managers, advocates, engineers, and even chainsaw operators! Mark Mason engineering land reading I'm lucky enough to split my time between the field and the office. Some land surveyors in larger outfits can work mostly from behind a desk, managing many field crews at once. Mark Mason lucky office land I think that people can get caught up in the "gee-whiz" technology of surveying, which is constantly changing, and forget about the legal aspects and the professional responsibility that surveyors bear - something that hasn't changed much at all in hundreds of years. Mark Mason technology responsibility thinking Professional land surveyors take on a lot of responsibility, and should be compensated appropriately. Mark Mason land responsibility should