In Missouri, residential, rural septic systems fall under the jurisdiction of the county health departments. They require a soil morphology evaluation from a registered soil scientist before they will issue a permit. I'm one of the people that does these evaluations.
A degree is not required, but you do need 20 hours of college soil courses to get licensed. As a result, soil scientists are the guys that took the college path. And of course, guys that operate excavators did not go through the college route.
When I first got licensed, I didn't get many calls because the few old established soil scientists already had longstanding relationships with the installers. So what did I do? I got my installer's license, partnered with an equipment operator, and we started installing our own systems. He owned the equipment and did the digging, and I had the license, did the evaluations, and designed the systems.
Since then, I've gotten more calls for evaluations, I've become a decent equipment operator myself, I've added a dump trailer to my enterprise, and as far as I can tell, I'm the only soil scientist in the state that will do their own digging.
I share this story because I was listening to this podcast on the way to the job site today.
Improving the GenZ Work Ethic - Epi-3481
Sam Soddard is a long time TSP listener & member of Generation Z, he's worked as a mechanic for 5-years, he joins us today to discuss improving work ethics in our youth.
https://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/genz-work-ethics
They talked a lot about the younger generation getting started today and not seeing a worthwhile end in sight.
When I was in my mid-twenties just starting out, I had in mind that I just needed the required license for my chosen line of work and then opportunities would just show up. But it didn't work that way.
I had to adapt. I had to tweak my business model, I had to add new skills to my repertoire. I have by no means "made it" or accomplished all my goals yet. But, now in my mid-thirties, I have reached a point where my end goals are faintly visible on the horizon. So it is possible.
I guess to sum it up in video game terminology, you have to slog your way through the wasteland and gain xp before you get to level up, but if you keep playing the game, you'll get there.
#grownostr #proofofwork #soil