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- Oversee construction projects with building suppliers
- You'll need budgeting skills and excellent IT and maths skills
- You could move into senior project management
As a Quantity surveyor, you could work for a local authority, government department, building contractor, property company or civil engineering firm.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Find out a client's needs and assess f their plans are feasible
- Work out quantities and costs of materials, time and labour for tenders
- Negotiate contracts and work schedules
- Advise on legal matters, including risks and disputes
- Monitor sub-contractors and stages of construction
- Write regular reports on costs and preparing accounts for payment
- Keep up to date with construction methods and materials
- Follow health and safety and building regulations
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You may need to work some evenings or weekends. You'll spend time in an office and visiting building sites.
You'll need
This role would be ideal for someone with good budgeting skills, excellent IT and maths skills, organisational and planning skills.
You could do a quantity surveying degree or a postgraduate conversion course accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Useful degree subjects include: Construction, structural or civil engineering, maths, geography, economics and land studies. You can also do a postgraduate surveying qualification through a graduate trainee scheme with a company or through distance learning with the University College of Estate Management.
You could also take a surveying technician advanced apprenticeship, followed by further training on the job, or a chartered surveyor degree apprenticeship.
Alternatively, you could start work as a surveying technician or surveying assistant, and study part time to become a quantity surveyor.
You'll need to become a member of RICS (MRICS) to become a fully qualified chartered quantity surveyor - for this you'll need to complete the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could become a senior quantity surveyor or move into senior project management, supply chain management, consultancy work or self-employment. You could specialise in areas like planning, risk assessment or contract disputes. Another option is to move into lecturing at a university or college.