How to become a Surveyor

My Background

When I was considering my career, I knew that I wanted to work in the construction industry, because I’d always been fascinated by buildings and the built environment. At first my interest took me down the road of Architecture, but it didn’t take long for me to realise that the emphasis on art and the need for formal art GCSEs/A Levels, as well as the seven years it would take me to qualify meant that this was not the course for me. A little more research into Construction led me to Building Surveying which I quickly learned would allow me to be involved in the design and specification of construction works, but would also allow me to work with buildings in other ways and throughout their life. I applied to study Building Surveying and was offered (and accepted) a place on the course at Reading University.

 I have worked at GVA Grimley for 5 years, since graduating and joining their graduate programme in 2002 as a Graduate Building Surveyor.

My time on the graduate programme helped me to develop the specialist skills required of a Building Surveyor whilst I undertook the required two year training period to pass the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC). These skills included, managing projects and project teams, negotiating, identifying defects and determining remedies in buildings, undertaking Building Surveys and report writing. The APC gives graduates/trainees time to develop a clear understanding of the various roles of a Building Surveyor and to undertake those roles in practice.

I qualified as a Chartered Building Surveyor in November 2004 having passed my APC at the first attempt, and since that time I have continued to build on the skills developed during my training. I was promoted to Senior Surveyor in May 2006, which is a reflection of the increased responsibility I have taken in jobs and in dealing with clients since qualifying.

 My Specialist Area, Role and Responsibilities

Building Surveying is a very varied profession that offers many opportunities to specialise, although I think this is generally rare until people reach a later stage in their career.

At the moment I've chosen to continue to work across the breadth of Building Surveying and I would describe my role as the application of varied technical knowledge to solve problems, be it the refurbishment of buildings and management of teams of professionals, or providing expert but commercial advice to clients. One of the important aspects of the role that I play is to understand the commercial position of the clients I work with and to ensure that the solutions I offer help them to meet their commercial goals.

In addition to the management and delivery of projects, carrying out Building Surveys and providing advice to clients, my responsibilities within the team at GVA Grimley include:

 Client Management

Working as part of the team to achieve our targets

Acting as an APC Supervisor to one of our Graduates

Managing Graduates and Trainees running projects

Providing advice and support within the team

What is the main project you’re working on at the moment?

I’m currently involved in several projects, including the refurbishment of a residential flat, and the refurbishment of 90,000sq ft of office space and all the common parts of the same building. The projects I'm working on range in value from £60,000 to £18,000,000. It’s massively varied which is great.

One of my main projects that I’ve been working on since 2005 is just coming to a close. The refurbishment of the Undercroft to the Hall at The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn has included:

The reconfiguration of space within the Undercroft to provide open plan office space for the catering administration team;

The general refurbishment and upgrading of the Undercroft space to a modern standard;

The provision of a new chilled preparation room and cold storage for use by the catering team;

The creation of a new entrance and ramped access to the Hall to facilitate disabled access

The installation of a lift to provide access to the Undercroft from ground floor level;

The Hall is a Grade I Listed building located within a Conservation Area and undertaking these works has involved detailed liaison with the Local Planning Authority and English Heritage, to ensure that the works have met their requirements for the sensitive adaptation of the building. It has also involved working closely with both our main client contact, and the catering team, who continued to use the building throughout the works.

The project was undertaken in four phases (lasting 4-8 weeks each), in order to ensure the ongoing use of the building through the majority of the works, and to enable works to be undertaken during quiet periods and recesses in the Inn’s calendar.

 What Sort of Activities might you do in a Typical Day?

One of the things I love most about Building Surveying is that there isn’t really such a thing as a typical day. At any one time, I’m involved in a number of different projects and jobs, so my day-to-day work is always varied. On average I spend about 40% of my week on site, and the remainder in the office.

At the moment, I’m likely to spend time attending site to inspect works being undertaken on one of the jobs I’m working on, or writing a specification and agreeing the design for a job. I also spend time reviewing documents such as leases to advise Landlord’s and Tenant’s of their obligations, particularly relating to dilapidations at the end of the lease and repairing responsibilities during the lease. In the last year, some of my work has been in France, including some Building Survey and Project Monitoring work, which has brought a whole new dimension to the work I’ve been doing, as the approach to many issues is different in France (and elsewhere in Europe) than in the UK.

Where are you based?

I’m based at GVA Grimley’s London, West End office, which is really close to Green Park, Piccadilly and Oxford Circus. The location is great for lunch in the summer and for evenings out all year round! It’s also a really good base for the sites I’m involved in most of which are in London and the South East.

What training do you receive?

As a Building Surveyor training is ongoing and the RICS expect you to continue your professional development year-on-year following your APC. The industry is always changing and we're always learning. GVA Grimley have some really good training opportunities available in-house, particularly for IT and Business Skills. The RICS and similar organisations also run courses that are specific to individual disciplines on a regular basis, so training is available in virtually any area of the profession that I need it.

What are your Career Aspirations?

I’d like to continue working my way up the career ladder over the next few years, and I’m hoping to have more opportunities to work in France and elsewhere in Europe, undertaking Building Surveys and Project Monitoring roles in particular.