An Albury man encourages others to survey a little-understood field where a widespread skill shortage adds to the job opportunities here and overseas.
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Eliot van Brummelen, 31, once an accountant, now works as a survey technician, a position he gained soon after starting surveying and spatial information studies at TAFE NSW.
Mr van Brummelen said the variety of surveying appealed to him.
"Much of the time I'm out in a paddock surrounded by nature but there's also plenty of time I'm in the office crunching numbers and drafting," he said.
"If you've got good attention to detail, enjoy maths and don't mind getting your hands dirty, it's the perfect job."
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Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute chief executive Peter Olah said many people did not fully understand the role of a surveyor.
"They find a way of describing on paper what the real world looks like," he said.
"They define in maps and in data the real world.
"It's everything from the exploration of new territory and the mapping of that and allowing for subdivision in an accurate way."
Mr Olah said building projects like bridges, railways, roads and airports all required survey data, while the profession's scope extended to space missions and the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370.
"Survey data is used to inform things like Google maps, that people use every day, so it's something that touches people's lives every day," he said.
With the average age of surveyors being 53, a report by BIS Shrapnel projected the workforce needed to almost double by 2024 to keep up with demand.
Mr Olah said skill shortages existed in every state, which increased the opportunities available for those seeking a career change.
"It's one of the few, genuine top end professions where there is still a very strong entry point via TAFE," the chief executive said.
"Every time a new infrastructure project comes on anywhere in Australia, or in fact anywhere in the world, surveyors are needed to inform the very first stage of that project."
Mr van Brummelen felt grateful to gain a full-time job with Walpole Surveying while still studying at TAFE.
"I learned so many practical skills that helped me in the job straight away," the survey technician said.
