Quantity Surveyor
A Quantity surveyor makes an enormous contribution to the accomplishments of projects ranging from a single house to multi-million-dollar value capital projects worldwide. Their keen knowledge of contract and project costs, right from the original sketch layout proposal, ensures that customers get the best quality product possible for their budget; which often means trying to point out where there is room for improvement. Becoming a Quantity surveyor is a rewarding career.
Scope of a Quantity surveyor
The financial aspects of the construction process are managed by quantity surveyors. A Quantity surveyor employs cost engineering on behalf of contractors, agencies and customers to ensure that developments are physically built on time based on the allocated budget. Focusing on your long-term employability, if you choose to study quantity surveying you will develop a wide range of skills in finance, management, and teamwork. You will develop advanced techniques for measuring and quantifying with a thorough knowledge of methods for estimating and managing costs. You will learn about the economic environment and the regulatory and legal framework.
The processes, tools and techniques used to assess risk and value management and create a comprehensive viable design will also be differentiated. A Quantity surveyor could choose to actively participate and work exclusively for customers or contractors, meaning that those who aspire for a career with a good balance of office-based work and site-based work can take advantage of the best of both types of work. Every day in either career path brings with it a new experience and job satisfaction that goes with engaging in a project right from its conception to a satisfied customer taking over the building on completion.
A Career in Quantity Surveying
A Quantity Survey career provides students with a career wage well over the average and provides commensurate benefits. These vary based on the employer but may include business cars, group pension schemes, performance-based incentives, and so on. A Quantity Surveyor profession is recognized internationally and is in demand globally. Most of the bigger consultancies and contractors you could find yourself working for in the UK have offices in Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.
It is not uncommon for employees to relocate and make the most of the benefits and life experiences that come with travel – or you can simply join companies directly in those countries. The QS qualification will get you a healthy salary compared to living costs in these countries, allowing you to maintain a high standard of living.” (Not all our students come from the UK – in fact, most don’t). The opportunity to travel and availability of foreign work ensures that there is always work for QS professionals irrespective of the economic cycle in the United Kingdom.
Career Growth opportunities for a Quantity surveyor
A Quantity surveyor normally does a 9 to 5 office-based job, since they generally work in a client-facing role. The job becomes very interesting when they have to travel to client sites for estimation work and this gives them the opportunity to explore most of the country as their portfolio of clients keeps growing. The organizational structure developed and followed by most employers in the United Kingdom provides a clear career path for the QS professional to progress up the management ladder, from trainee level up to the board of directors’ level.
There’s still an element of mystery as to what precisely a quantity surveyor is really doing- some people think they’re standing on the side of the road with those levels of tripods setting the roadwork route, while others think they’re counting bricks for a living. The reality is that Quantity Surveyors are committed to controlling construction projects finances and contract administration. This positions them at the core of the design team as a highly regarded and essential part of any project’s success, as each project is set to run on a budget. It’s an interesting and diverse career. Charterships aren’t just exclusive to professions like accountancy. Quantity surveyors have their own highly respected professional endorsement. The College of Contract Management’s quantity surveying courses offer graduates access to the assessment of professional competence in the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
A substantial area of the QS job is the skill to communicate, negotiate and deal with staff and customers. Your design and contracting team colleagues, your peers and your customer will all depend on your competence to deliver value for money and reduce dispute. These behavioural skills are taught at the College of Contract Management in courses like the Advanced Diploma in Quantity Surveying and in your further development as your career advances – as an invaluable life skill, you will find them of great use. There are now more than 300 vacancies listed on Indeed.com alone for quantity surveyors. These positions range from trainee surveyors to senior and management positions. To find out more about these kinds of offers, including salary expectations and job benefits, just have a brief look around prominent recruitment websites and you will quickly get a clear picture.
A profile of a quantity surveyor
As a quantity surveyor, from the preliminary calculations to the final figures, you will manage all construction and civil engineering financing costs. You will be involved in a project from the beginning, operating either for the client or the contractor, in an office or on site. You will try to reduce a project’s cost and increase value for money while, at the same time accomplishing the standards and quality expected. This includes making sure compliance with statutory construction regulations are met. You will prepare work estimates and costs and, once the project is underway, you will keep track of any contract differences that may affect costs and generate reports showing profitability.
Once you achieve the chartered quantity surveyor status, you may want to continue to work throughout your career across a wide range of disciplines. Additionally, you may choose to specialize in a particular area and develop a thorough knowledge of that specific area. For example, you might be able to specialize in project management, effectively managing the entire project from initial concept to completion.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a career in which you can influence developments in the construction industry, our Advanced Diploma in Quantity Surveying course can open up interesting career opportunities in the UK as well as abroad. Our quantity surveying course will advance your knowledge of financial, technical and managerial skills by providing a path to professional status.