Resume guide · Job Zone 3

Surveying and Mapping Techniciansresume guide.

Perform surveying and mapping duties, usually under the direction of an engineer, surveyor, cartographer, or photogrammetrist, to obtain data used for A strong Surveying and Mapping Technicians resume shows reading comprehension, critical thinking and complex problem solving, and names the tools you have worked with, such as Autodesk AutoCAD, Bentley MicroStation and Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D.

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01Also called

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Field SurveyorLand SurveyorLand Survey Technician (Land Survey Tech)Mapping EditorMapping Technician (Mapping Tech)Photogrammetric Technician (Photogrammetric Tech)RodmanStereoplotter OperatorSurveying Technician (Surveying Tech)Survey Technician (Survey Tech)

02Skills employers expect

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Importance is how much the skill matters to the job; level is how much of it the job demands. Both are worth naming on the resume, in this order.

SkillImportanceLevel
Reading ComprehensionHighIntermediate
Critical ThinkingHighIntermediate
Complex Problem SolvingHighIntermediate
MathematicsHighIntermediate
Active ListeningHighIntermediate
MonitoringHighIntermediate
Time ManagementHighIntermediate
Judgment and Decision MakingHighIntermediate
SpeakingHighIntermediate
Active LearningModerateIntermediate

03Knowledge areas

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  • Geography
  • Mathematics
  • English Language
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Design
  • Education and Training
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Administration and Management
  • Public Safety and Security

04Common responsibilities

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Ordered by importance. Each one is a bullet waiting for a result and a number.

  1. Set out and recover stakes, marks, or other monumentation.
  2. Search for section corners, property irons, or survey points.
  3. Calculate latitudes, longitudes, angles, areas, or other information for mapmaking, using survey field notes or reference tables.
  4. Enter Global Positioning System (GPS) data, legal deeds, field notes, or land survey reports into geographic information system (GIS) workstations so that information can be transformed into graphic land descriptions, such as maps and drawings.
  5. Adjust and operate surveying instruments such as prisms, theodolites, electronic distance measuring equipment, or electronic data collectors.
  6. Check all layers of maps to ensure accuracy, identifying and marking errors and making corrections.
  7. Collect information needed to carry out new surveys, using source maps, previous survey data, photographs, computer records, or other relevant information.
  8. Conduct surveys to ascertain the locations of natural features and man-made structures on the Earth's surface, underground, and underwater, using electronic distance-measuring equipment, such as GPS, and other surveying instruments.
  9. Prepare topographic or contour maps of land surveyed, including site features and other relevant information, such as charts, drawings, and survey notes.
  10. Record survey measurements or descriptive data, using notes, drawings, sketches, or inked tracings.

05Software and tools

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101 tools across 21 categories. The six largest categories are below; Hot marks a hot technology, In demand a tool employers ask for most often.

Analytical or scientific software18
  • ESRI ArcGIS ArcPyIn demand
  • Coordinate geometry COGO software
  • Modeling software
  • Trimble Geomatics Office
  • MicroSurvey FieldGenius
  • QuickCogo
  • CARIS HIPS
  • CARIS SIPS
  • Datalog with guidance DLWG software
  • Digital elevation model DEM software
  • Foresoft CDS Cogo
  • Foresoft CDS Model
  • Low-level driver LLD software
  • MicroSurvey OfficeSync
  • PCI Geomatics software
  • Trimble Total Control
  • Tripod Data Systems software
  • Triton Elics International Isis
+ 13 more
Computer aided design CAD software18
  • Autodesk AutoCADHotIn demand
  • Bentley MicroStationHotIn demand
  • Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3DHotIn demand
  • Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
  • Autodesk Land Desktop
  • Trimble Terramodel
  • Carlson SurvCADD
  • Autodesk AutoCAD Map 3D
  • Bentley GEOPAK Civil Engineering Suite
  • Autodesk 3d Studio Viz
  • Autodesk AutoCAD Blue Sky
  • Autodesk CAiCE Visual Transportation
  • MicroSurveyCAD
  • 3D Nature LLC Visual Nature Studio
  • 3D Nature LLC World Construction Set
  • MENSI 3Dipsos
  • Tripod Data Systems Foresight
  • TRS Software TomCADD
+ 13 more
Map creation software18
  • RockWare ArcMapIn demand
  • Mapping software
  • Leica Geosystems ERDAS IMAGINE
  • Geomechanical design analysis GDA software
  • Bentley Systems InRoads Suite
  • MapInfo
  • Traverse PC
  • Carlson Survey
  • Hexagon Intergraph
  • SiteComp Survey
  • Trimble Digital Fieldbook
  • Trimble GPS Pathfinder Office
  • Desktop digital photogrammetry system DDPS
  • Hexagon Geospatial Imagine Photogrammetry
  • IMAGINE OrthoBASE
  • Muncy Plat Pronto
  • TELEDYNE CARIS
  • Tripod Data Systems COGO
+ 13 more
Geographic information system17
  • ESRI ArcGIS softwareHotIn demand
  • Geographic information system GIS softwareIn demand
  • Geographic information system GIS systemsIn demand
  • ESRI ArcViewIn demand
  • ESRI ArcInfo
  • ESRI ArcGIS Spatial Analyst
  • ESRI ArcIMS
  • ESRI ArcView 3D Analyst
  • ESRI ArcCatalog
  • ESRI ArcEditor
  • ESRI ArcSDE
  • Trimble TerraSync
  • ESRI ArcGIS (analytical or scientific feature)
  • ESRI ArcToolbox
  • ESRI Maplex
  • ESRI MapObjects
  • ESRI Personal Geodatabase
+ 12 more
Graphics or photo imaging software5
Development environment software4
  • Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBAHotIn demand
  • Microsoft Visual BasicHot
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition VBScript
  • Software libraries
Data base user interface and query software3
Electronic mail software3
Web platform development software2
Word processing software2
Categorization or classification software1
  • PCI Geomatics eCognition
Data base reporting software1
  • MicroSurvey Star*Net
Desktop publishing software1
  • QuarkXPress
Document management software1
Internet browser software1
Mobile location based services software1
  • Global positioning system GPS software
Object or component oriented development software1
Office suite software1
Presentation software1
Process mapping and design software1
Spreadsheet software1

06Education and preparation

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Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
33% of surveyed workers. Others report Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree (24%) and Master's Degree (18%).
Preparation level
Job Zone 3 · Medium preparation
Usually vocational training, an associate degree or a few years of related experience.

07Putting it on your resume

ResumeXRays guidance
BEE · How to show it

Lead with the credential and the record. Job Zone 3 roles usually ask for training, a license or a few years of related experience. Put those on the first screen, then show what you did with them.

Name the tools exactly. This occupation is heavy on named software. A skills section that says "Autodesk AutoCAD, Bentley MicroStation, Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D, ESRI ArcGIS software" matches more job descriptions than a general phrase. Use the spelling employers use.

Show critical thinking and complex problem solving, not just reading comprehension. Critical thinking and complex problem solving rank close to reading comprehension for this occupation. One bullet per role that shows a decision, a tradeoff or a result covers them.

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