Surveyor's Assistant
What the work is
Transports, assembles, maintains and lays out surveying equipment in support of surveyors.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Transports surveying equipment to and from work sites, and assembles, operates and disassembles surveying equipment as required
- Maintains and calibrates surveying equipment to ensure accuracy
- Operates and maintains vehicles and equipment used in surveying activities
- Assists in the marking and setting out of survey marks
- Records and maintains accurate data and measurements for surveyors
- Assists in the interpretation of surveying data and the preparation of surveying reports and maps
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a night rail maintenance shutdown on a busy suburban line, with track crews and a safety team. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- The track is handed back on time and the first train of the morning rolls through smoothly
- Everyone on the crew goes home at dawn because the safety plan worked
- A tricky stretch of track is aligned and you can see the difference in the line
Hard days
- Standing watch in the dark and cold while others get on with the work
- A crew member wants to rush and you are the one who has to say wait
- Long shifts at odd hours that make it hard to see family and friends
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 821936, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.