Women in land surveying |
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Is it difficult for a woman to become an Alberta Land Surveyor?Note: This article was written by Lesley Ewoniak, ALS for the June 2006 issue of ALS News.I seems as though all we ever hear about these days is the shortage of labour. Where can we find all the people to fill the gaps of all of the field crews that we need to satisfy our client’s demands? Let me suggest a possibility...women. Yes of course, I know the difficulties that may arise from hiring a female in the oil and gas industry. Many of the consultants are hesitant in having a “girl” come out to do the survey for them. However, I found that I had more success in dealing with them than not. Let me give you some statistics concerning the current standing of the make-up of the market place. Women make up an estimated 47% of the labour market (Statistics Canada 2005), which is consistent with the University of Calgary Geomatics Engineering program having approximately 50% of students being female. The increasing number of women in geomatics in both BC and Alberta show promise that the under-representation of women in geomatics is fading. However, women commissioned or registered as articling students with the Alberta Land Surveyors Association account for only 11.5% of the total membership and only 2% of the Association of British Columbia Land Surveyors’ membership. To raise awareness of a career in land surveying, Lesley Anne Sick, (articling ALS), Shauna Goertzen (BCLS), and I held a presentation at the University of Calgary Geomatics Career Day on February 2, 2006. The objectives of the presentation were to increase the level of understanding of how to obtain a commission, as well as the role of a land surveyor. Topics of the discussion specific to women were the physical demands, safety, and work/life balance that come with having a career in land surveying. I find that the main concern of women entering our work force are the physical demands of the job. Hiding the fact that land surveying is physically demanding will not make the industry more attractive to females, instead it will give them a false sense of what it is like. However, there are many ways to work around the tasks to decrease the amount of intensity that a job appears to have. Here are some examples:
Women in the land surveying profession do not have to be amongst the strongest women in the world, they just need to be smart about how the tasks can be accomplished. Having the knowledge and physical capabilities are important, but attitude is a huge success factor. Sugar coating things is not really my strong suit so I’m not going to tell the women out there that this profession is fully accepting of women. However, I will say that it is getting much better. The number of women encountered in the field is continually increasing, reducing the shock to consultants when a female crew arrives to survey a pipeline. I found that in the majority of cases, the female presence is welcomed. If it isn’t, it doesn’t take a long time for them to discover that the job can get done regardless of who is completing it. Safety has changed the way we conduct ourselves in the field. When I speak to females wanting to enter the profession, they are not only concerned with safe work procedures, they are more concerned about the possible harassment that they may encounter in the field. Your personality and the way you conduct yourself will have the most impact on what you will have to deal with. I found that the majority of the time the situations that you encounter are under your control. Work/life balance is a very important consideration when selecting a career. Land surveying is similar to other professions and one cannot always expect to enjoy regular hours. The hours that a land surveyor works can range from 40 to 80 hours a week. This will depend on the chosen region and sector serviced. In the current job force, more employers are being flexible with work schedules, hours, and vacations where family commitments are concerned. Many land surveyors find that their own clients dictate their workload. They have the freedom and flexibility to manage their projects and the number of hours they work. Unfortunately, there is a lack of manpower and a large volume of work and finding the “work-life balance” can be a challenge. Having said that, employers are willing to accommodate professionals and other employees, to ensure that the career they have chosen is a satisfying one. As a professional, your value to your employer will be substantial, and thus finding a routine which meets your needs is a priority. I strongly encourage women to enter into land surveying. I find that every day presents itself with a new challenge, and with the rate of change in technology the amount that one can learn is unlimited. Do you ever remember reading this riddle and being stumped? A young boy and his father were out playing football when they were caught at the bottom of a giant pileup. Both were injured and rushed to the hospital. They were wheeled into separate operating rooms and two doctors prepped up to work on them, one doctor for each patient. The doctor operating on the father got started right away, but the doctor assigned to the young boy stared at him in surprise. “I can’t operate on him!” the doctor exclaimed to the staff. “That child is my son!” How can that be? Until more women got into medicine, the answer was not as easily thought of as it is today. The image of what a surveyor looks like is changing. Lesley Ewoniak, ALS |
 Lesley Ewoniak, ALS  Carina Dunn, 2005-2006 president of the University of Calgary Geomatics Engineering Students Society |