John Truong, RPLS #6514 - Chapter 5 (Dallas)

TSPS: How/why did you get into surveying?

JT: I had just graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas and was looking for a job. A college friend of mine was working for a title company that was owned by a fellow fraternity brother. I reached out for an IT position, which is what I went to school for, and the owner mentioned he had a CAD position available for his survey firm. At that point I had only taken one semester of AutoCAD drafting in high school, but decided to take the job anyway, telling myself it would be temporary so I could continue my job search in the field that I studied. Over a decade later, I’m an RPLS and living the good life!

TSPS: Why did you join TSPS?

JT: I was searching for new job opportunities and a friend of mine suggested I come to a TSPS meeting to see if anyone was hiring. I attended my first meeting and found it to be very valuable, both in helping the general public understand all that surveying entails and for meeting fellow professional colleagues. Ultimately, I was able to network and found a new job. I feel that TSPS is a great resource and provides a general forum to ask professionals for their honest opinions regarding surveying.

TSPS: What is your most memorable surveying moment?

JT: There are a couple:

1. Surveying in the freezing rain / fog and having to wipe down the lens of the “robot” every few minutes.
2. Crawling through a ravine trying to locate corners and finding out that we were in the thick of poison ivy country
   

JT's favorites:

Color: Lavender
Food: Tacos/Pizza ie. SNL- "Taco Town"
Animal: Liger, it's like a lion and a tiger mixed, bred for its skills in magic.
Movie: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Singer/band/group: Lionel Richie / Queen / The Lonely Island
Hobbies: Reading, my book club thinks I’m neat! I also like to get engaged with my local community. I’m a member and chair of the Frisco Young Professionals (FYP) and a class member of Leadership Frisco. FYP is a group of like-minded, successful individuals that are interested in helping their community become an attractive and dynamic place for young professionals to engage in professional, personal, and civic development. The purpose of Leadership Frisco is to develop a pool of qualified, highly motivated individuals who are interested in expanding their leadership skills, deepening their sense of civic responsibility, and becoming more involved in their community as a whole.

JT currently serves at the 1st Vice President of TSPS Chapter 5 - Dallas and works at Cobb, Fendley & Associates in Frisco, TX.

Ask yourself this question, should you belong to a professional association, such as the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors? If you want to get ahead in your career, the answer is “yes”. As a tireless advocate of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors (TSPS), and well-versed in the advantages of membership, belonging to the Society can help members in a variety of ways.

The Texas Society of Professional Surveyors membership has incredible benefits for ambitious, career-oriented business people. The Society encourages regular interaction, which leads to learning, personal growth, and career advantages. Your employer or clients look at you as an expert in your field, but there are times when even experts can use some good advice. People in business do not thrive when they are isolated from their colleagues. 

Another reason to consider membership to a professional organization is to take advantage of their career resources. TSPS has a searchable online career center with instant 'new job post notification' exclusively available to members. Other benefits include information about seminars, training or certification classes, scholarship information, links to publications, as well as information on new and proposed regulations related to your licensure (TBPLS) that may make a difference with your career. Creating professional relationships is important, and joining TSPS allows you to have a sense of security and trust. Staying on top of these issues is important and giving back can be the greatest reward and benefit.

Are there aspects in the Surveying industry that you wish you could to change? If so, joining TSPS would give you a forum for changing those unfavorable aspects. You may find that many feel the same way, and when you unite and collaborate with your comrades, your combined voices can make a difference.

Enhance your network, take charge of your career, and broaden your knowledge; thank you for being a member or becoming a member of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors.