Data Analyst (Geodetic) - Nic Donnelly
Nic Donnelly was drawn to a career in surveying after he was told at high school that surveyors “did a bit of everything” and “worked in the outdoors a lot”. Since joining LINZ in December 2004, he hasn’t spent a lot of time working outdoors, but he has followed up another childhood interest – Antarctica – by travelling there twice.
From graduate to Antarctic
By the time Nic joined LINZ, he already knew about the opportunities it offered, through his involvement as a student with research projects the organisation instigated at the University of Otago’s surveying school. In his final year of study, he was awarded a scholarship to undertake some project work for LINZ.
Within a year of taking up a career with LINZ, Nic was on his way to Antarctica after being selected for the annual works programme at Scott Base. He spent approximately six weeks there in 2005 and again in 2006, working on tide gauge calibrations and data variety of other survey tasks in the Ross Dependency. He feels fortunate to have been able to work in such an interesting environment so early in his career.
His employment preceded LINZ’s graduate programme, which now recruits a spatial science graduate each year.
Working with surveying professionals
The mix of project and day-to-day work Nic is involved with includes planning the geodetic survey programme to determine what and how much needs doing, before annual tenders go out to contractors. Most of the outdoor work is completed by contractors, but Nic has the chance to get out of the office when he undertakes research work in the field.
In supporting the organising committee for the next congress of the International Federation of Surveyors, to be held in Sydney in 2010, Nic is working with the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors to promote this prestigious event to surveying professionals in New Zealand.
He believes working for a private company with a more localised focus wouldn’t allow him to influence developments in the surveying area to the same extent. “I enjoy the variety of work we get here, and the opportunity to have an impact at a national level because we’re working for the government,” he says.
Nic says other benefits LINZ offers are the flexibility of its working conditions, such as hours of work, and the many opportunities he has for further learning and development.
