An internship as a foot in the door and further education while working

Meiju graduated as a Bachelor of Engineering, Surveyor in April 2023 from the Land Surveying programme at the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. As a student she worked for three summers as an intern at the National Land Survey and also wrote her Bachelor's thesis for us. In October 2023 she got a job as an engineer working on local private road surveys.

Teppo has been in this field for longer. He graduated as a Bachelor of Engineering, Surveyor from the Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences in 1998 and a few years later he got a job at the National Land Survey. Those were uncertain times and the financial situation looked awful in the whole country, but thankfully he has had a job since the start of the millennium. Teppo studied for a Master of Engineering, Surveyor degree while working and graduated in 2006.

Geography, nature and orienteering sources of inspiration to enter the field

Both Meiju and Teppo are used to spending time in the natural environment: Teppo describes himself as a farm boy, for whom nature has always been near to his heart. Meiju has enjoyed orienteering as a hobby since she was very young and at school she liked geography, and spatial data became a very familiar subject during geography lessons. Teppo became even more interested in the field during his military service in the artillery, where he became fairly familiar with the coordinate system.

What should those who are looking to get into the field be interested in? At the very least, experience of outdoor activities and walking in the terrain is an advantage. In addition, at work you will become familiar with measuring, instruments and maps, so if you are interested in maps and a good head for mathematics, surveying could be a good field for you. Good cooperative and interpersonal skills are very important. The societal significance of the work is important, especially in large projects: The National Land Survey participates in, for example, energy and wind power projects. There are many different options for work in the field and that's why you can find your dream job in surveying with many different interests.

A varied career at the National Land Survey

A large organisation can offer a large selection of different work opportunities. Teppo has worked with basic cadastral surveys as well as more advanced ones, such as expropriations and valuations.

'Through further education I've been able to expand my skills and advance in my career. It is important to be active, and as the years go by you'll become more skilled. No survey is the same as any other, which naturally increases my motivation', says Teppo.

Meiju is just launching her career, but she is already looking forward to the future.

'I dream of a long career here and I hope that I'll have the opportunity to work on various kinds of tasks. I want to develop and improve my skills in the field. I enjoy working in the terrain very much and I'm interested in continuing to work on cadastral surveys. I'm happy to work with customers and I think that customers give a great perspective into why our work is important', says Meiju.

Both Meiju and Teppo say that the diversity of the work, the number of options and tasks that are sufficiently but not too challenging inspire them to work at the National Land Survey. With a degree in surveying, you can work on a building site, do cadastral surveys or measure the depth of the sea, for example. The spatial data field also offers many different opportunities. You can work for the goverment, a municipality or in the private sector. It is also important to remember that people are important when working in this field.

'During my career I've collected lots of funny stories and happenings. I've had the opportunity to get to know different people and participate in various situations. Customers are a crucial part of the job and much of our work is done with other people', says Teppo.

Advice for recent graduates

Meiju and Teppo encourage recent graduates to be open to learning and development and to reach for the things that interest them. The National Land Survey has a wide variety of job descriptions and provides good opportunities to develop professionally at a rate that suits each employee. We recommend keeping track of development in the field by following the news, for example. The surveying field is very technological and drones are being used in an increasing number of ways in cadastral surveys. There are also new developments in measurement technology. The National Land Survey actively provides training for its employees and the National Land Survey's research institute, the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute FGI conducts top research in the field.

Both Meiju and Teppo are on the same page about recommending surveying as a field and the National Land Survey as a workplace. 'Our work is genuinely interesting, and we work with very nice people.'