Briallen Frisken

Graduate Surveyor

Employer
JRL Land Surveyors

Length of time working in surveying
Over five years

Qualifications
Bachelor of Environments and Masters of Engineering, University of Melbourne

Briallen was the kind of student who enjoys a challenge – so when she discovered surveying with its mix of indoor and outdoor work, she jumped at the chance to explore this diverse field.

What made you decide to become a surveyor?

Land surveying is unique in that it presents the opportunity to undertake a wide variety of work, with a good mix of office and field work on a broad range of projects. Initially it was appealing as it requires a mix of knowledge in a range of disciplines including maths, law, drawing and consulting skills.

What does a typical day at work involve?

A typical day of work varies for me depending on whether I am in the office or the field. If I am in the field there are a wide variety of surveys that I might be undertaking for a multitude of purposes. I could be establishing title boundaries, undertaking a construction set out survey, or working on a feature and level survey – often for planning purposes.

If I am in the office, my tasks might include reducing the data and calculating a title re-establishment survey, drawing a plan of the features located on site, or implementing project management skills in managing subdivisions or other similar applications.

What would you say you love most about your job?

I like the variety and the challenges that working on a wide range of projects brings. I also enjoy the puzzle aspect of looking into historical survey information and determining title boundaries. In addition I find the consulting and project management side of things very engaging, as well as exploring projects which require a thorough understanding of our land management systems.

What sort of skills or attributes do you think are important for a person working in surveying?

Besides having solid maths skills, it is also important to be able to think logically and apply reason to the decisions that you are making as sometimes the answers are not clear cut. It is also therefore integral to have an understanding of all of the relevant legislation.

I think it is also important to be able to communicate effectively – as you progress in your career you start to consult and liaise with a broad range of people from a wide variety of backgrounds including developers, laypeople, councils and government stakeholders.