It’s not unusual for some surveyors to come upon their profession quite by accident, but it’s far from the norm for a brand new one to assign himself homework — over the weekends, no less!

But that’s exactly how Aaron Byrd, Director of Surveying at DeWalt Corporation, discovered his career calling.

What started out in 1987 as a good summer job — at the surveying company where his mother worked as the office manager — would soon “click” for Byrd.

And he’s never looked back.

“I learned very quickly and just ate it all up,” said Byrd of his early surveying days, when he’d spend free time on weekends learning about all the industry’s latest and greatest equipment and techniques. “I would take the new equipment home and just study everything.”

Soon enough, the “new kid” — to this day, a self-admitted “techie” — knew enough to supervise his own crew, and from there, his surveying career blossomed.

Math always came easily to the Bakersfield High School graduate, making the transition to using mathematical formulas and concepts in surveying tasks that much more logical.

Of course, that means Byrd sees certain everyday, urban settings completely differently than the average Joe.

To Byrd, even how a simple parking lot is set up catches his attention, sometimes to the slight chagrin of his family.

“We drive into a parking lot that isn’t quite right, I’ll say, ‘Why did they design it this way?’” Byrd said. “It can drive my wife crazy.”

Such constant observation is representative of Byrd’s commitment to his professional growth and desire to always challenge himself.

Byrd said he’s given opportunities for both — and more — at DeWalt Corporation, and he looks forward to even more expansion in the company’s surveying department.

“I absolutely love the opportunities to develop and learn at DeWalt,” Byrd said. “This is where I’m supposed to be.”