Building surveyor
Building surveyors provide professional advice on all aspects of property and construction. They work on the design and development of new buildings as well as the restoration and maintenance of existing ones. This is a very wide field and may include advising on various aspects of buildings at different stages.
The nature of the work may range from the design of large, multimillion-pound structures to modest adaptations and repairs, and sometimes includes working with buildings of architectural or historic importance.
Building surveyors may be called upon to give evidence in court in cases where building regulations have been breached and as expert witnesses on building defects and dilapidations.
Building surveyors work in many areas of property and construction so the work is diverse and rarely routine. Tasks typically involve:
Although this area of work is open to all graduates, a degree in building surveying combined with technical knowledge will improve your chances. Geography, science, languages, economics and social sciences are popular precursors to careers in the property sector.
Normal entry is with an accredited degree in building surveying, which meets the academic requirements of a professional body. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is the main professional body. The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) , the Association of Building Engineers (ABE) and the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) also offer related professional qualifications.
Graduates with non-accredited degrees are required to undertake a conversion course to upgrade their academic qualification, either through taking an approved higher degree or completing modules of an approved first degree. Increasingly, this option is available by distance learning while on the job.
HND entry is available at technical surveyor level. Technical property-related subjects, such as building surveying and building/construction, may improve your chances.
In Greater London, the Chartered Surveyors Training Trust offers work-based training opportunities for young people aged 16-24 with a minimum of four GCSEs at A-C or equivalent.
Pre-entry experience is desirable. In a difficult market, graduates who have completed a sandwich year in industry are at a considerable advantage and are considerably better placed in the job market. However, work experience gained in vacations, placements or even basic construction work can help.
Building surveying requires technical knowledge and competence with a logical and practical mind. However, transferable skills are equally important. Potential candidates will need to have good communication skills, both written and oral, as the work requires interaction at all levels, building lasting relationships with clients and colleagues, negotiating agreements, making presentations and submitting reports. You will need to be able to analyse problems in order to identify solutions. It is also important to be commercially aware and ensure that you are adding maximum value to clients' businesses. You will be given high levels of responsibility and you should be enthusiastic and motivated.
A driving licence is virtually essential, as are IT skills, particularly computer-aided design (CAD), especially if you are going to be involved in a design role.
Many large, private practice firms have an annual intake of graduates and may have closing dates as early as December or January of your final year. Others will accept speculative applications slightly later. Contact smaller employers on a speculative basis from around Easter. Public sector organisations rarely accept speculative applications and usually advertise vacancies as they occur.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
Graduates with degrees approved by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) who have entered relevant employment can become chartered surveyors by completing the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC). This work-based professional training scheme usually lasts for two years. (Satisfactory completion of an RICS-accredited industrial training year, as part of a degree, will count towards the APC.)
Candidates are required to record a minimum of two years' practical experience during which mandatory competencies such as interpersonal and business skills, core competencies specific to building surveying, and optional competencies are achieved. You will need to provide written evidence of your experience alongside critical analysis and a report. The final assessment is by interview at an assessment centre and will include delivering a presentation.
Graduates who have not studied for an accredited degree will usually complete their conversion course before studying for chartered status, although some may be able to complete the APC at the same time.
Successful completion of the APC provides overall competence to practise.
If you wish to work as a technical surveyor you will need to complete the Assessment of Technical Competence (ATC), a separate qualification leading to chartered status. The ATC mirrors the format of the APC. Probationers on the APC route who do not successfully complete the scheme may be able to move over to the technical route and become technical members of RICS ('TechRICS'). This integrated training structure includes provision for either level of membership; those following either path may have the opportunity to bridge across into the other path.
An HND in a related discipline may provide exemption from the first year of an accredited degree. Diplomates with a relevant HND can reach technical surveyor status by completing two years' structured training and the RICS ATC.
In order to progress professionally, it is important to gain additional professional qualifications and undertake agreed levels of continuing professional development (CPD).
Within the public sector, building surveyors frequently move between local authorities, universities, hospital trusts and government posts in order to gain broader experience and to increase the likelihood of achieving a more senior position. Indeed, it is common to progress by changing employer.
Most large organisations have formal channels of promotion for increased technical and managerial responsibility. These will be based on merit.
With experience, building surveyors may progress to full project management, taking responsibility for the planning, control and coordination of projects from inception to completion. Success in these roles can bring the opportunity to be a departmental head or manager in the public sector and, in private practice, a partner.
It is not uncommon for chartered building surveyors to develop their careers by setting up their own private practice.
The UK construction industry consists of over 250,000 firms and employs 2.1 million people. UK designers, civil engineers, contractors, and component and product manufacturers have a worldwide reputation for working overseas. With the increase in private finance for public sector projects, British consultants and contractors are well positioned to offer their skills and experience and can also provide high-tech solutions to environmental, transport and building projects.
Building surveying is required in a wide variety of real estate markets, including residential, commercial, leisure, agricultural and industrial markets.
As a chartered building surveyor, you could work in the private, corporate, public or voluntary sectors. Typical employers include:
Opportunities in surveying are linked very closely to the health of the economy and the state of the property market and construction industries, which are cyclical and closely intertwined. Although the property market almost came to standstill following the recession, building surveyors are still very much in demand.
Recruitment consultants often handle vacancies in this area: Macdonald and Company are endorsed by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) .
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