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Trainee quantity surveyor: Neil

This Case Study belongs to Quantity surveyor.

Neil is studying a degree in quantity surveying at Birmingham City University.

Neil always had a general interest in the construction trade through family connections. He anticipated that he would go into that area of work in some way once he left school. In fact, he chose a job in the financial area first, working for two years dealing with mortgages. Then, through a personal contact, he was offered an interview for the Trainee Quantity Surveyor post he now holds. However, the financial experienced gained from his earlier job has been useful, as much of his work is concerned with cash flow, overseeing of budgets and costings.

Neil undertook an HNC initially, which he completed in 2007, and he is currently topping that up to a degree. He feels that the certificate course was much broader and therefore less relevant to the working environment, but the content of the degree has more direct application to his role. His on-the-job training is one of gradual development and appraisals. He is encouraged to ask colleagues to assist him in acquiring key skills, but he does have to work unsupervised and thinks that confidence is important to help him gain the trust of clients.

A typical day may vary considerably, depending on the type of company you work for and the priorities at the time. Neil might be out making visits to either contractors or their own sites, bank monitoring or doing office-based work on measurements and drawings. It is the variety of the job that Neil likes and the fact that no two projects are the same. He suggests that you research the company you plan to apply to, or, if possible, get some work experience to check out if they, and the work itself, suit you.

The main personal characteristics that would best fit a quantity surveyor are the ability to communicate with all types of people and confidence with figures. As he still has a way to go to finish his degree, Neil hasn’t planned out how he would like his career to develop overall, but he enjoys what he does and feels it offers him plenty of challenges and opportunities for development.

Case Study sourced by Ruth Livermore of The University of Birmingham, 28 May 2008.