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A quantity surveyor, originating in the United Kingdom, may have several titles. They can be referred to as Chartered Quantity Surveyors, a construction cost consultant or a commercial manager. Chartered Quantity Surveyors belong to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors which is found in Canada and other regions of the world as well. Quantity surveyors could work for the client or for the contractor assigned to complete the project. Depending on the client, you could work in an office or the client may want you right on the site. The contracts and cost on the construction project, including the beginning startup work to the final figures to complete the project is what the quantity surveyor job consists of. The quantity surveyor must adhere to the required standards and quality while doing everything possible to minimize the costs and develop value for money. There are statutory building regulations that are mandatory for a surveyor to adhere to and completely understand. These regulations could be from basic building codes to recommendations of professional organizations that could surpass the building codes. To be a good quantity surveyor you should be good with numbers, be patient and be able to process a lot of information. To become a quantity surveyor you can get recognized education or practical experience as a contractor and estimator. It is highly recommended for people who want to become advanced as a quantity surveyor to take advantage of professional organizations which provides access to confidential job listings, continuing education and principle enforcement. There are no definite requirements to train to become a quantity surveyor but if you want to qualify for more opportunities you would want to have 4 GCSE's (General Certificate of Secondary Education) between A-C, achieve BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) or HND/HNC (Higher National Diploma/Higher National Certificate). The difference between a HND and a NNC is the Diploma is worth 120 CATS points and the Certificate is worth 60 CATS points. CATS points are Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme used as quantifying credits for certain courses. Quantity Survey training can be done through the Chartered Institute of Building or the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Requirements of joining the CIOB are to hold an honors degree and two years of significant experience or pass the CIOB exam. There is the Chartered Surveyors Training Trust (CSTT) that offers an advanced apprenticeship which is a work-based learning program where you would spend one day a week in a college class room and four days a week with an employer. Then you will need a National Certificate in Construction that takes two years and a Higher National Certificate. Finally, you will need to do National Vocational Qualification in surveying support, then a RICS-accredited degree, and one year of Assessment of Professional Competence. So you can plan on about 8 years of work and education to become a qualified Quantity Surveyor. This type of work is open to all graduates, although a degree in quantity surveying improves your odds of getting the job. There are accredited courses by the Royal Institution of Chartered surveyors and the Chartered Institute of Building; on the other hand a degree with mathematical or technical content would be advantageous. Important HND subjects would be building and construction, urban and land studies, and civil and structural engineering. There is always the possibility of training without a degree or HND by working your way up through the industry. Some companies may subsidize part-time degree top-up courses, while other companies may only hire graduates. If you have no related degrees you will need to take an RICS recognized postgraduate conversion course. Quantity surveying is a male-dominated career, but the number of females being recruited is growing rapidly in both private practice and the public sector. Job opportunities for overseas positions and for frequent overseas work or travel are available. This depends on the type of employer, the location of the site and the client.
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