Activity Feed › Discussion Forums › Education & Training › How Long is Too Long? PLS’s are hard to find
How Long is Too Long? PLS’s are hard to find
Posted by dleidigh on August 31, 2021 at 4:14 pmFigured the training area would be best place to post this, but I suppose the employment area would have worked as well. I wanted to get outside takes on the situation we’ve been experiencing in a municipality in the Denver Metro Area. I was hired back in June 2020 in what I figured (somewhat foolishly at the time) would be the “middle” of the pandemic. Hired in as a survey tech into a 4-person survey group. PLS retired at the end of the year and we have yet to fill that position. Yup, 9 months later, still no LS. Needless to say, we’ve been using an on-call for boundary determinations, but my main concern is that as someone interested in licensure I can’t gain experience under an LS. The Party Chief and other Technician have loads of experience, but that does little to quell my need for experience under an LS, as spelled out in the statutes and desire for learning under an LS and having more of a mentorship experience. How long would you wait before looking to move on? As fun as construction staking is, my desire is to learn and know more about boundary surveying.
To give you a sense, I’m about 6 months out from sitting for my FS, have passed CST level 1, planning on continuing along the CST track and have my FAA part 107.
james-fleming replied 2 years, 7 months ago 24 Members · 42 Replies- 42 Replies
Don’t you have a working relationship with the on-call LS? I would think that could count towards something over the past 6 months considering you’re performing the work he or she is reviewing.
I wouldn’t be too hard on yourself, especially if you’re 6 months out from your FS. One would think the higher-ups will find an LS to fill the vacancy at some point. That being said, it sounds like you need boundary experience, especially if you find construction staking “fun”. ????
With six months left until the FS, I’d be looking around…once you pass, you’re going to want to start accruing that responsible charge ASAP.
It doesn’t bode well that your employer is (a) unable to attract a PLS in a nine-month period, and (b) OK with using a contract PLS solely for boundary analysis. Someone with a license needs to be in responsible charge for data collection procedures, QC/QA, reduction, etc.
“…people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.” -Neil PostmanI took a job, as PLS, with my local city in mid 2020. The position had been vacant for about 9 months. I’m not sure just how many applicants they had for the job but I don’t think it was very many. I was the only person interviewed. And I needed to be needled a little bit to apply. I’m glad I did.
I understand that the position I left remains unfilled.
My point being that things are in flux all over and not just in surveying. Making a change – which would probably be a very easy thing to do – is not guaranteed to be a long, or even medium, term fix for your problem. Hang in there, things will resolve themselves one way or another in time.
- Posted by: @rover83
It doesn’t bode well that your employer is (a) unable to attract a PLS in a nine-month period, and (b) OK with using a contract PLS solely for boundary analysis. Someone with a license needs to be in responsible charge for data collection procedures, QC/QA, reduction, etc.
I couldn’t agree more with this. Some of the concern lies with the lack of accountability and some with the lack of responsible charge.
@norman-oklahoma
We’re not the only municipality around here which is hurting to find people and your job story sounds familiar. We haven’t had more than 3 applicants during any time the job was posted. I think I also worry about finding another position only to have the same thing happen, only this time AFTER I get my LSI and need to gain experience directly under an LS.
- I hope everyone has a great day; I know I will!
Relax. The pendulum will swing back eventually, and you’ll have 10 PLS’s applying for the job.
If you actually like your job and think it’s a good place to stay for a while, don’t worry about the short term problem. Unless it becomes a long term problem, and they decide not to bother finding a PLS
This county surveyor position has been open for a year. Pretty sure it’s goin to stay open as long as the salary is less than an experienced instrument man can make with overtime.
My guess is that by next spring we will have more visibility going forward and you will be able to make more informed choices then.
The current shortage of PLSs probably has a lot to do with the 2008-2014 era economy which had relatively few entry level positions – entry level of that era being the PLS candidates of today. That will probably take a few more years to work itself out. Meanwhile, capable technician level guys should expect to work with less supervision (aka. “more freedom”), PLSs should be grateful that such people exist, and management should reward accordingly .
More than likely, the reason this this position remains open is the pay scale being lower than what the private market is paying. Back in 2005 I was a Senior Project Manager for a company that I really liked working for. Out of the blue I got a call from a friend that I had not heard from in a long time. He was the County Surveyor in my home county. We chit chatted for a little bit and he told me that he was retiring, assuring me that he could secure that position for me if I wanted it. When he told me what the pay scale was I had to take a hard pass, I was already making $25K more than the max pay for the position.
When I weighed the pros and cons, the benefits were great but the pay was not enough to make me seriously consider the move. Civil Servant positions come with legislated pay minimums and maximums, that’s how the County lost me and is likely why your town can not attract a PLS. If I were you and you like your team, I would stay put and have a conversation with the PLS reviewing your work to see if he or she will vouch for your time working under his or her supervision. Technically, if the fill in PLS is signing plans that you worked on, you should be considered to be working under his or her direct supervision.
Now, more than ever, you can write your own ticket anywhere you want.
run
- “…people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.” -Neil Postman
We’ve had a position open, LS required (or ability to obtain), for almost a year, if not longer, with I think no applicants. The Supervising LS called a former occupant of the position who had moved on quite a few years ago and tried to entice him with the highest step pay grade – no luck there.
Join your local surveyor’s association, network, network, network. If I could go back 20 years I would have been more active in my association, I didn’t see the value then, one major career regret. At this point in your career you need a good mentor, if you aren’t getting it where your at you should move on. Good luck, it’s a great time to be a surveyor.
The opportunities do not get any better than now! Call survey companies in your area, I would bet more than 3 out of 5 would want to hire you. You have the chance to dictate the terms you want. There is no need to sit around waiting for something that you want to happen. You can go get the situation you want with a couple of weeks of searching.
@chris-bouffard I don’t think, I know you’re correct about the pay scale. The pay is probably 20-25k less than on the open market and it’s tough to make up that kind of difference with “better benefits” or “normal hours”. I’m even feeling the pinch because unless the survey group expands there’s no room for upward mobility and I’m relegated to somewhat measly step increases in the coming years. Unless more people retire…
Here’s the real question…. Why aren’t the salaries of licensed professional surveyors going through the roof? Supply and demand is a pretty widely accepted principle throughout many facets of life.
More demand and less supply = higher salaries = more interest in the profession in a perfect world.
I have met the enemy, and he is us.
@james-fleming Geez, I will clear that amount with my part time solo operation that only works on the weekends. They want a professional, but don’t understand the costs of a professional. $27/hr doesn’t cut it these days.
- Posted by: @bigmac
Here’s the real question…. Why aren’t the salaries of licensed professional surveyors going through the roof? Supply and demand is a pretty widely accepted principle throughout many facets of life.
More demand and less supply = higher salaries = more interest in the profession in a perfect world.
I have met the enemy, and he is us.
Eh, firms aren’t upping their rates to match demand, and you can bet that in the corporate world (where a lot of the big dollar contracts are coming in right now) middle- and upper-management ain’t going to give up of their piece of the pie.
Around here firms are gulping as much work as they can in the short term, flogging project surveyors and production teams to shove work out the door as fast as they can, under the standard operating principle of “everything’s fine if the next quarterly report is good“.
Yeah, firms are screeching about “CanT FiND GoOd PEoplE”, but I don’t see any stepping up to do anything about it.
“…people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.” -Neil Postman
Log in to reply.