Dempsey May is living proof that you shouldn’t set limits on your career ambitions.

Despite going only as far as Year 9 at high school, Dempsey May decided to become an adult student and take on Curtin University’s Bachelor of Surveying (Honours) degree.

He came out on top as Dux of the program, achieving First Class Honours and receiving more than a dozen awards and prizes, including both Best Spatial Sciences student and Best Bachelor of Surveying student awards for three years in a row. He has also received industry scholarships and accolades such as the C.R. Kennedy Laser Scanning Prize and the WASMA Silver Medal.

We spoke with Dempsey to find out what drives his passion for surveying and what he plans for his career.

Why did you decide to study surveying?

Initially, I chose to pursue a degree in surveying due to the excellent job prospects, the field/office balance and the technology. But in a broader sense, I didn’t start my academic journey with the intention of becoming a surveyor. After my first semester of a bridging course, I had to pick a degree to transition into. After some research, I picked surveying based on the qualities mentioned above.

Why did you choose Curtin University?

Curtin was my only choice. I’m not trying to devalue the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences (or Curtin) by saying this, but to gain entry into the university I had to complete a bridging course. I needed to complete this bridging course as I had only finished Year 9 of my secondary education.

Curtin University with Canning College used to run a well-managed and well-executed bridging course called the ‘Enabling Course for Science, Engineering and Health’. This was a year-long program that ran through an accelerated Year 11/12 curriculum. Curtin would guarantee you entry into most of its STEM degrees upon successful completion. Unfortunately, the university has since superseded this course, which is quite unfortunate as it was well-adapted to support individuals who have a similar background to mine.

What was your ambition when you began studying?

My main goal was to establish the roots of a long-term career; I feel I have somewhat achieved this after completing my undergraduate degree. However, I believe that continued learning and improvement is necessary to stay up to date with technology and methodologies, especially in the ever-improving discipline of the spatial sciences.

Where are you working now?

I work for Rio Tinto Iron Ore as a Graduate Mine Surveyor at its Yandicoogina operations. This role is part of Rio Tinto’s Graduate Program, which aims to move graduates around to different aspects of the business. I should be switching to a role based in Perth in late November.

In my spare time, I sometimes help deliver some units in Curtin’s Bachelor of Surveying program as a lab instructor/tutor, but I’m taking a little break from this.

What do you enjoy about working in this field?

I get great satisfaction from taking a project through all stages — planning, execution, processing and delivery. There is something joyful about performing a geospatial capture (whether LiDAR scanning or photogrammetry) and then processing the data into the final deliverables.

What are your career ambitions?

At this stage, my primary goals are to finish the Rio Tinto Graduate Program and then work towards getting my Grade Two Mine Survey Authorisation. In the future, I would like to return to the university and undertake a PhD project.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a geospatial career?

The hardest part of doing anything is getting started, so I recommend just giving it a shot! I’m under the impression that you will find that most companies are receptive to getting younger people into the industry and are open to providing workplace experiences, internships, traineeships and even casual employment. So, I suggest approaching as many companies as possible to try and obtain one of these opportunities, such that you can test the waters and decide whether this field is truly for you.

Do you know a young professional whose career achievements should be recognised? Drop us a line: jnally@intermedia.com.au.