Quantity Surveyor career advice welcomed

lostat40

AW618 said:

TELLIT01 said:

lostat40 said:

To get into this line of work you need to be registered with the RCIS via a degree or masters. As I already have two degrees now then the masters would be quicker to complete. I dont know anyone in this field so its the world of the unknown so some voluntary experience would really help. I'm also interested in knowing about the work life balance and if its stressful these are of course questions I hope someone in surveying could answer on this forum

Blimey, how times change.  I started as a trainee Quantity Surveyor straight after 'O' Levels at school.  I'm convinced the only reason so many jobs demand university degrees is to keep the courses topped up.  Either that or 'O' levels 50 years ago were actually the equivalent of modern degrees.

Speaking generally, not in terms of QS which I know little of; it's not that O levels were the equivalent of a degree, it's just that degrees are far more common now as a far greater percentage of the population goes on to further education.  If back then you wanted people in the top 25% academically that would stretch down to people who had left school after O levels; now to get the same quality of person you need to ask for a degree.  It's nothing to do with what they have learned; 95% of actual subject knowledge taught in universities is never, ever used in work; it's just a way of judging how academically able people are.

100% agree with 95% never used, it frustrates me when I am better learning on the job shadowing someone and earning my stripes

Manxman_in_exile

lostat40 said:

AW618 said:

TELLIT01 said:

lostat40 said:

To get into this line of work you need to be registered with the RCIS via a degree or masters. As I already have two degrees now then the masters would be quicker to complete. I dont know anyone in this field so its the world of the unknown so some voluntary experience would really help. I'm also interested in knowing about the work life balance and if its stressful these are of course questions I hope someone in surveying could answer on this forum

Blimey, how times change.  I started as a trainee Quantity Surveyor straight after 'O' Levels at school.  I'm convinced the only reason so many jobs demand university degrees is to keep the courses topped up.  Either that or 'O' levels 50 years ago were actually the equivalent of modern degrees.

Speaking generally, not in terms of QS which I know little of; it's not that O levels were the equivalent of a degree, it's just that degrees are far more common now as a far greater percentage of the population goes on to further education.  If back then you wanted people in the top 25% academically that would stretch down to people who had left school after O levels; now to get the same quality of person you need to ask for a degree.  It's nothing to do with what they have learned; 95% of actual subject knowledge taught in universities is never, ever used in work; it's just a way of judging how academically able people are.

100% agree with 95% never used, it frustrates me when I am better learning on the job shadowing someone and earning my stripes

Why do you find that frustrating?  It's surely fairly obvious that it's not the job of a university education to train you for a particular job.  In pretty much every "vocational" degree there's a lengthy period of post-graduation professional training before you "know how" to do the job.  The only exceptions I can think of are some clinical degrees like nursing and other AHPs, but that's only because they will have spent bewteen 30% and 50% of their degree course doing "on the job" clinical placements.  Even doctors aren't fit or ready to practise after just getting a degree.

I'm a bit concerned that you are looking at changing career at all costs without doing much research into all the opportunities available to you.  Like any other profession, I doubt that being a QS is particularly stress free of family friendly, if that's what you are looking for.

eamon

Just in case the OP hasn't already been to the RCIS website here is the link. Think he already has.

https://www.rics.org/uk/

Its a varied sector 17 different types according to the RCIS, QS is just one of those. If the OP is serious then he needs to do a lot of research and speak to many people. It is certainly possible to retrain as a mature adult, thousands do this every year (me included). The trick is grasping the opportunity and making it work.

lostat40

Manxman_in_exile said:

lostat40 said:

AW618 said:

TELLIT01 said:

lostat40 said:

To get into this line of work you need to be registered with the RCIS via a degree or masters. As I already have two degrees now then the masters would be quicker to complete. I dont know anyone in this field so its the world of the unknown so some voluntary experience would really help. I'm also interested in knowing about the work life balance and if its stressful these are of course questions I hope someone in surveying could answer on this forum

Blimey, how times change.  I started as a trainee Quantity Surveyor straight after 'O' Levels at school.  I'm convinced the only reason so many jobs demand university degrees is to keep the courses topped up.  Either that or 'O' levels 50 years ago were actually the equivalent of modern degrees.

Speaking generally, not in terms of QS which I know little of; it's not that O levels were the equivalent of a degree, it's just that degrees are far more common now as a far greater percentage of the population goes on to further education.  If back then you wanted people in the top 25% academically that would stretch down to people who had left school after O levels; now to get the same quality of person you need to ask for a degree.  It's nothing to do with what they have learned; 95% of actual subject knowledge taught in universities is never, ever used in work; it's just a way of judging how academically able people are.

100% agree with 95% never used, it frustrates me when I am better learning on the job shadowing someone and earning my stripes

Why do you find that frustrating?  It's surely fairly obvious that it's not the job of a university education to train you for a particular job.  In pretty much every "vocational" degree there's a lengthy period of post-graduation professional training before you "know how" to do the job.  The only exceptions I can think of are some clinical degrees like nursing and other AHPs, but that's only because they will have spent bewteen 30% and 50% of their degree course doing "on the job" clinical placements.  Even doctors aren't fit or ready to practise after just getting a degree.

I'm a bit concerned that you are looking at changing career at all costs without doing much research into all the opportunities available to you.  Like any other profession, I doubt that being a QS is particularly stress free of family friendly, if that's what you are looking for.

I just found university a waste of time having to write essay after essay and then do exams which to me are just a short term memory test as you don't retain all that information.

I have looked at all the opportunities should I stay in radiography ie work in CT, general x ray, MRI they are all the same its like a conveyor belt of patients, take the picture,next patient, take the picture, next......I think you get the picture (pardon the pun ;-)). There is no satisfaction in this job and the pay ain't great either.

I will have to call some QS companies and the RCIS to start there for advice. Ideally i want to shadow these guys for a few days to see if its for me.

lostat40

eamon said:

Just in case the OP hasn't already been to the RCIS website here is the link. Think he already has.

https://www.rics.org/uk/

Its a varied sector 17 different types according to the RCIS, QS is just one of those. If the OP is serious then he needs to do a lot of research and speak to many people. It is certainly possible to retrain as a mature adult, thousands do this every year (me included). The trick is grasping the opportunity and making it work.

Im off the next two weeks do plan to make some phone calls to gain advice from people in the field

MFCLTD

PM me mate happy to discuss