Surveyor

​​​​​​Briefly explain what you do for a living. 

I work as a surveyor at the National Land Survey of Finland. My task is to update the national topographic database, based on which terrain maps are produced. In my work, I examine stereo aerial photographs and laser scanning materials, which are used to create new map products. Map templates could be missing some changes, such as new buildings or wind turbines, so my task is to spot the missing parts and add them to the map. In summer, I make field visits to investigate unclear cases, for example buildings that are covered by trees and not clearly visible in the images. In winter, we use aerial photographs and other map sources to go through the areas.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice? 

I've been interested in maps since I was a kid. I remember my mother saying that I should study surveying, but back then I didn’t listen to her. Later when I worked at a factory, I began to think about other career paths. I noticed that Lapland University of Applied Sciences offers multiform education in land surveying technology, where the classes are organised remotely in the evenings and only a few times a year at the campus in Rovaniemi. I applied and got in.

Describe your typical working day or week.

On a typical day, I come to work, turn on the computer and open the necessary programs. If I'm working on a new area, I open the aerial photographs and put on the stereo glasses needed to view the aerial stereo pairs. With the help of the glasses, I can distinguish the shapes of the terrain and get more detailed information on the different parts of it. I start going through the area systematically by examining, for example, whether the bogs are in place, where to roads go and if there are new buildings.

I then check if there are any ditches or tar trenches that should be added to the map using an oblique hill shading obtained from laser scanning. In addition to these materials, I compare the map with other map materials, such as Metsähallitus' maps or snowmobile route maps. Based on the hiking maps of Metsähallitus, lean-to shelters, among other things, are added to the map.

After this, we go through to map to ensure that everything is in place. We check that the texts are placed correctly and not on top of buildings, for example. Then, the map is entered into a program that checks that it's free of errors. Finally, the map is registered and published either for a fee or free-of-charge online for everyone to download.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you work in? 

From autumn to spring, the work centres around the office, and in the summer, around field work. During the summer months, I spent roughly four weeks in the field. The terrains are located in the Oulu area, but last summer, for example, I was working in Posio. The work is independent, but in Oulu, we surveyors all share an office floor, so we constantly help each other out.

We have flexible working hours, but I usually work from 8.00 to 16.00. We can also work remotely, but the stereo work can only be done at the office.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession? 

Working as a surveyor requires interest in nature and outdoor activities. In summer, field work is a large part of the job. In addition, working with the stereo glasses requires good vision. In my case, this was tested in the job interview.

A good surveyor constantly observes their surroundings when working in the field and notices changes. A change can be, for example, the signs of a house package company, which say that a new detached house is under construction. We are not always notified of these kinds of changes beforehand.

In the future, spatial data competence and digital skills will be important in the surveyor’s work. The materials and tools that we are using today are much better than what the older surveyors had when they started. As the technology develops, less and less time is spent in the field, and I think the trend will also continue in the future.

What is the best thing about your profession? 

The best thing about the surveyor's profession is that the work is a combination of office and field work. On the best days, you get to walk in nature and admire the beautiful landscapes. You visit places you otherwise wouldn't. Last summer, I spent a number of unforgettable days in Korouoma Nature Reserve in Posio.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging? 

Sometimes staring at the computer screen can feel tiresome. The work is also done at the mercy of the weather. If there were less snow, the field work could be distributed more evenly, but there is always too much snow in Finland in the winter for it.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of a surveyor? 

You should not stress too much about whether you know enough when you graduate. If you get in, you will learn on the job. During your studies, you might not hear much about the surveyor's profession. For me, the studies focused more on the legislation and land-use needed in the work of supervisory engineers. It’s good to know that there are other options out there for those studying surveying.

How do you see the future of your profession? 

In my mind, the employment prospects seem bright. At least in our office, several people will retire in the coming years. I believe this to be the case also elsewhere in Finland. The importance of IT skills and AI-based solutions will keep increasing in our line of work, so you should prepare for it.