Registered surveyors are professionals who, for various purposes, survey aspects of land, such as elevation, location and shape. They use specialized technological equipment to obtain this information. After obtaining details about the land they have surveyed, they must analyze it and present their results. A registered surveyor is concerned with the three-dimensional position of areas of land, sea and underwater locations, as well as the angles and distances between them.
To gather the information needed about land, a registered surveyor must use global positioning system (GPS) technology. These jobs also may require the use of specialized compasses. In addition, a registered surveyor may be required to use video recording equipment to save data. To save and calculate their data, analyze the results and prepare their work for distribution to the company or organization for which they work, surveyors must use specialized computer programs and software.
Surveyors work for various types of organizations and have different goals, depending on the type of land surveying they are hired to do. Information about land and legal boundaries as well as real estate property is collected by cadastral land surveyors, often for government organizations. Geophysical prospecting surveyors work to designate areas below the Earth’s surface for the purposes of mining and exploration of resources. Geodetic surveyors, who are responsible for gathering information about large surfaces of the Earth, are often employed by government agencies or scientific organizations.
To be successful in this field, people should enjoy working outdoors. They must be comfortable using technology, such as GPS equipment. People who work as registered surveyors also should have an interest in and aptitude for mathematics and science, although they do not necessarily need a degree in one of these fields. Land surveyors also should be willing to travel in difficult terrain and carry heavy equipment. To obtain the information required in a manner that is useful, surveyors need to be accurate, thorough and painstaking in gathering and analyzing information.
A person who serves as a registered surveyor is a professional who must be licensed. A degree is not always required, but some locations mandate that registered surveyors obtain a bachelor’s degree in surveying. To obtain a position, registered surveyors must meet the licensing and certification requirements that are in place in their respective locations. They must maintain their certification and registration, and obtain current information in the field, to remain employed.