In conversation with Tom Larner, Principal Land Surveyor and Solutions Lead at Jacobs.
How did your interest in surveying as a career develop?
I always enjoyed Geography at school but had never heard of surveying until a friend of mine at Jacobs gave me an introduction. Following a summer placement, I then started full time at Jacobs as a Survey Assistant. The combination of outdoor working, technology and computer processing got me hooked on surveying.
What is a key memory from your time spent studying at The Survey School?
I’m a big advocate for learning by doing. I’m not a particularly academic person, so the chance to learn from classroom and practical lessons was invaluable. The Survey School played such a pivotal role in my career, taking someone who was ‘switched off’ to education after a bad experience at school and giving me a subject to get passionate about in a style which suited me down to the ground. I’m forever grateful for that grounding that Mr Crumpler and others provided.
What was the most valuable lesson you learned from your time at The Survey School?
Redundancy. It’s the message I drum into all my staff, you need to be able to prove something is right.
What is it about your current role that you enjoy and value most?
I’m currently in the role of Solutions Lead in our Reality Capture business at Jacobs. This gives me a national focus on marrying our varied projects with the right technology, to ensure data is captured to support an entire project lifecycle. I enjoy showcasing the latest technology to clients and opening their eyes to how geospatial data can add value in many different ways.
How would you describe your career in three words?
Progressive, evolving, enjoyable.
How do you encourage others to get involved in the surveying profession?
I have a real passion for the survey profession and it has enabled me to do so many different things. As a line manager, I’ve supported a number of my staff through The Surveying Association course and I drive a recruitment strategy which looks to build from the bottom up. I want to give young people the same opportunity I had.
If you could give your younger self career advice now, what would it be?
Say ‘yes’ to everything. Too often in life you say no and miss opportunities. It’s better to try and fail than never try at all.
What has been your most memorable project to work on?
I worked on the M25 Junction 30 upgrade project which saw me managing a range of survey activities over a nine month period. The project involved many sub-contractors and was by far the most complex project I’d been involved in. I had to learn fast and was faced with several situations for the first time.
This project taught me valuable lessons in project management which have helped shape my career. I drive through the junction regularly now the project is complete and am proud of the small contribution I had. Doesn’t every surveyor drive past an old project and say ‘ I surveyed that’? I guess that comes from a place of pride and enjoyment for what we do.
What has been your proudest career moment?
Gaining membership to the CICES.