Kaitlin Constantine’s journey to becoming a licensed land surveyor highlights an alternative path for professionals in engineering and surveying fields. With guidance from the Board, she discovered that credits from her civil engineering degree could expedite her pursuit of a land surveying degree.
Currently employed as a full-time land surveyor at DOWL’s Reno office, Kaitlin utilizes her expertise in both engineering and land surveying. She shared insights into her career transition, emphasizing the value of understanding both disciplines.
“Then I took my FE (Fundamentals of Engineering Exam) and passed it in April of 2018,” she explained. “I was hired as a civil engineer and started working at my first job after college.” After passing the PE (Professional Engineering Exam) in 2019, Kaitlin returned to school for land surveying, completing various exams and earning her professional license by July 2022.
Her involvement extends beyond work; she serves as Treasurer for the local chapter of the Nevada Association of Land Surveyors (NALS) and Vice President of the Young Surveyors Network in Reno. Reflecting on her initial hesitation about pursuing surveying, Kaitlin remarked, “It wasn’t until I started working that I figured out what land surveying was.”
Kaitlin’s educational path required only an additional 21 credits due to her existing engineering degree. Her commitment to learning drove her decision to pursue further education while balancing full-time work. “Working full time, while going to school part time, was pretty difficult,” she noted.
Her experiences underscore the importance of cross-disciplinary knowledge between engineers and surveyors: “And that can help engineers when they talk to land surveyors… if you don’t have any of that knowledge.”
Kaitlin also highlighted challenges faced by women in the field but remains optimistic about opportunities for growth: “There are definitely a lot of opportunities for women in land surveying.”
Proudly reflecting on achieving licensure, Kaitlin expressed satisfaction with being able to stamp projects with confidence: “I take full responsibility for the project… And I still have it actually in my house.”
