About Surveying
Embark on a career in surveying and you’ll open up a whole world of possibilities.
As a surveyor, you never really know where your job will take you next. As a building surveyor, you could be leaping from a boat onto the rocky jetty of a lighthouse to assess its condition; as a quantity surveyor, you could be costing one of the landmark developments of London 2012; or, as an arts and antiques surveyor, you could even be valuing a private art collection in a French château.
With so many specialisms to choose from, there is something for everyone, from environment to planning and development, to valuation to project management.
Being able to indulge personal interests in your career is a real treat, and Cara Gelati feels lucky to be working as a trainee rural surveyor for the RSPB Scotland, surrounded by two of her favourite things: beautiful countryside and stunning wildlife.
“There is never a dull moment at work,” says Cara, an assistant land agent. “I get to experience amazing places, be it watching minke whales in Orkney, or watching gannets dive off Troup Head near Fraserburgh.”
Cara has been involved in some fascinating and worthwhile projects including renewable energy projects on Scottish reserves, a major nature reserve and visitor centre redevelopment and a forest timber sale project.
The high standards required to achieve the RICS qualification mean that it is well respected around the world and it is usual for surveyors to work on projects overseas or to move to a company based abroad.
Michael Pickles, 30, a senior quantity surveyor for Russells Ltd in Manchester, can vouch for the international element to surveying. He had the opportunity to go to Egypt to assist with a claim for a Danish dredging company for works they carried out in the Suez Canal – a world away from his then base in Warrington!
Some surveying specialisms are so far removed from the construction industry that many people don’t realise that they are even related to surveying at all. Henry Meadows, 29, works for The Cotswold Auction Company in Cheltenham as a saleroom manager, valuer and auctioneer. He handles incredibly valuable items on a daily basis and loves the thrill of discovering hidden treasures. He still laughs when he remembers a house sale he set up – he had to lock a very large John Emms oil-on-canvas in the toilet for security after it had just sold for £110,000!
Similarly, if you were to ask Stephen Varwell about his surveying job, he’d talk about how he has developed a sea eagle management scheme, which helps to safeguard the future of sea eagles in Scotland through well-managed land. He is a land agent for Scottish Natural Heritage and is qualified to do this inspiring and important job because he is a Chartered Rural Surveyor.
For many people, surveying is a career they’ve discovered later in life. Napoleon Yao worked in the banking sector for a few years after his banking and finance degree, but he is now undertaking a masters in quantity surveying while working as a project commercial assistant for Network Rail. He is part of the central commercial team on the Thameslink Programme, a major initiative to improve London’s transport system. He has also worked on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and enjoys being involved in projects that have an impact on people’s lives. “Each time I travel through London King’s Cross, I always remember one thing: I helped deliver this,” he says.
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