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General Description

This is an ideal career for analytical and logical thinkers. Quantity surveyors are responsible for ensuring building developers get value for money through careful monitoring of a project cost from start to finish. You prepare cost estimates and cost plans, audit projects, manage construction costs and administer construction contracts and work on a range of porjects including residential homes, industrial sites, commercial developments and transport networks. Some may call you the accountant of the building industry.

What you do every day?

Your day includes evaluating project feasibilities, evaluating materials against a range of standards, negotiating with builders and subcontractors, persuading clients and supervising staff. The complexity of projects and stages requires clarity of thought. You will also inherit a range of porblems to solve and disputes to resolve. Report writing will happen most days - preparation of estimates, staus reports, final reports, amending of contracts and other related paperwork. You will move from indoors to outdoors as the need requires, so expect the work to be busy and diversified.

Personality that best fits this occupation

As you are the link between client and builder, interpersonal skills need to be highly advanced. Relationship management skills, the ability to negotiate and persuade and influence are also important. Workload requires seamless follow through, so planning and clear execution, underpinned by logical, sequentail and analytical thinking are important characterisitcs. An understanding of construction and materials and how they behave is eesential, as is the ability in maths and IT.

Best thing about this career

This is a career that you can take around the world, as there is generally a shortage of quantity surveyors. Satisfaction is gained by seeing buidlings completed. Remuneration is generally good, particularly if you can demonstrate a record of achievement in completing projects to budget and on time. No two projects are alike and it combines both the theoretical and practical.

Worst thing about this career

Disputes that arise and the wasred time and money spent in resolution. Clients who change their mind mid stream is also an accepted part of the job. Overall, the industry is recession sensitive.