Originally published in the IIMS Magazine 'The Report' | March 2022
A day in the life of… Mick Uberti – AssocIIMS
Mick Uberti will be known by some in Australia for his surveying work, but perhaps not by those elsewhere in the world. Over the past few years, Mick has helped to organise several IIMS events in the Australian region. Mike Schwarz tracked down Mick and posed a series of questions to him.
Question 1.
Pease tell me something about your working life before you came into the surveying profession.
I completed an apprenticeship as a mechanic and then worked at a Caterpillar dealer on a range of machinery from heavy mining equipment to on-highway trucks and generators. I then spent 8 years at sea as a marine engineer.
Question 2.
What was the attraction of marine surveying and how did you get a foothold in the industry?
I have always been interested in compliance and why maritime rules exist. While studying at Warsash in Southampton, UK, I applied for a job as a marine surveyor for the Victorian Department of Transport in Australia. I was fortunate enough to spend 8.5 years there which was a great learning experience and a great platform to start Maritime Survey Australia (MSA). I am one of the Directors at MSA along with Thom Magnuson, Isi Lyons and James Nolan.
Question 3.
The effects of the pandemic have challenged the role of the surveyor and, let’s face it, none of us saw this coming. Australia has had its fair share of lockdowns and state border controls imposed. What have been the biggest challenges for you in your role as a surveyor and how have you had to adapt your working practices over the past 2 years?
Without drawing on all the negatives, a positive to come out of COVID is the acceptance from industry to complete more client meetings and training remotely.
As Australia has strict rules around international travel, this has made it impossible to complete physical inspections overseas, however we did see an uptake in more domestic work. We have had to engage with outside contractors more often than we would like. The biggest challenge has been keeping up with the constantly changing rules set by Local, State and Federal Governments.
Question 4.
There seem to be a number of amendments coming from AMSA in recent times. How can the Australian marine regulator best support the work of local surveyors?
The best thing AMSA can do is to have faith in the system they have put together. It is not perfect, but no system is. In many cases doing less would be doing more for surveyors.
Question 5.
What mechanisms do you use to help yourself to keep abreast of changes in the surveying profession to keep yourself current?
Every week MSA has a tech talk where we complete a presentation or a chat on compliance changes, or an interesting job that one of the surveyors is doing. This brings about discussion and learnings by the team, which is so valuable.
I subscribe to many industry magazines, including the IIMS and class societies which give regular updates. I also enjoy listening to webinars that are on offer from IIMS, Nautical Institute and Class societies.
Question 6.
What pieces of advice would you pass on to the next generation of marine surveyors?
Be a part of a team: It is so difficult keeping up to date and abreast of changes in compliance and technology. I have found that being part of a team enables you to learn more and be more productive and motivated towards client and company goals. Teamwork at MSA helps everyone to communicate better and come up with a solution to get the best outcome for the client. All this in turn leads to higher quality output. Being part of a team enables us to have a more flexible working arrangement.
Bring something to the team: Being a marine surveyor is a specialist role, so it is important to bring experiences from being an engineer, naval architect, shipwright, master or equivalent to draw upon as the role is so broad.
Question 7.
How do you see the surveying profession changing in the next 20 years in Australia and do you think it will still be an attractive second career option?
I think the part time approach that many enter the industry with is slowly diminishing, as clients are demanding and there is an expectation that you are always available and knowledgeable. Also, more naval architects in Australia are choosing surveying as a career option. One of the reasons for this may be because of the AMSA accreditation process is more suited to being a naval architect.
Question 8.
What do you most like about your role as a marine surveyors and which aspects of the job do you find most challenging?
Being one of the Directors at MSA, I enjoy the challenge of developing the business and enjoy meeting with clients and coming up with solutions. This can also be the most challenging when the solution may be an expensive one, or something that the client does not want to do. It’s important to explore all options and get advice from the team.
The job can be very different from day to day, surveying a paddle steamer one day and the next day looking at a Sydney Ferry. The job has also taken me around the world, with clients from Thursday Island to Saudi Arabia. Jumping on and off planes isn’t as much fun as it used to be, however visiting new places and cultures is still enjoyable.
Question 9.
What is the most important item in your toolbox and why?
Being part of the Maritime Survey Australia Team, without this I would be lost. Being able to solve a problem quickly by looking at our system online, or shooting a message out to the WhatsApp group makes the role a lot easier.
From a tech perspective, I always have my torch, phone and tablet with me as we are a paperless company.
Question 10.
How important is it to be part of a worldwide marine surveying professional body such as IIMS?
When I started MSA, I visited Mike and the team at Murrills House. They have a great network of surveyors who were willing to spend time with me and give valuable advice. I visited Damian Likely in Brittany and John Walker and John Excell in Palma Mallorca, who were all open and honest in sharing thoughts and advice. The IIMS provided a vehicle for me to learn from real professionals in their field.
IIMS have great courses and webinars that enable you to learn and become a better surveyor as
a result. For marine surveyors that are not part of a team like MSA, it is essential that they are part of a good support network such as IIMS.
Question 11.
Please tell me a couple of interesting or unusual facts that most people would not know about you.
I once opened the batting for Corfu in a cricket match against Crete. I made one run and wasn’t asked to go back! I am also known to make a mean Pasta Amatriciana!
Question 12.
How do you like to relax when the surveying work is done for the day?
I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I enjoy cycling with a group most weekends, which is more about spending time with friends rather than the fitness.
I recently finished restoring a 1972 MGB with my father which has been a lot of fun. MG made these vehicles to ensure that their owners would always have something to fix, so that is also keeping me busy at the moment.
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