Work experience as a Surveying Student
Hey all. I'm currently doing work experience with a surveying company in NSW to determine whether this kndustry is for me (Im a career changer, considering TAFE/Uni). While out in the field with the survey technician, I've noticed some concerning dynamics that have me womdering what is typical for this line of work.
The company manager was openly critical of the technician I was working with, frequently saying they require micromanagement, and even commented on their pay rate being lower because of being slow and requiring frequent check ins. I'm not experienced enough to judge competency, but it feels like the technician is just handed whatever workload the licensed manager throws at them, often with unrealistic expectations (eg we return to the office after a long day, the manager asks if we got the job finished and laughs when the answer is a hesistant 'no'). Every day I've tagged along, we have pretty much worked the entire day without a break (I'm not exaggerating here - we dont sit down at all and the guy doesn't even seem to drink much water). This gives me the impression of a potentially common dynamic where field techs work under unrealistic expectations like a mule.
I'm wondering if this is indeed common or if I just landed in a particularly tough workplace for my first exposure. Even the pay seems low to me; the work isn't particularly easy from both a physical and technical perspective.