How did you get into Surveying?
A few years ago I did work experience at the surveying department of my local council, and immediately fell in love with it. I spoke with a relative who worked in a related field and gave me useful advice about the route to go down to become a surveyor.
It was thanks to that advice that I began my degree apprenticeship in Quantity Surveying at Northumbria University. It’s a five-year course, combining studying with on-the-job learning. I’m about to go into my final year, and after that I want to begin my RICS certification in Quantity Surveying Practice.
I can honestly say that I’ve loved every minute of my degree apprenticeship - it’s helped me get to where I am today, and given me the skills and experience to get my career off to a great start.
What are the key skills you need as a Site Surveyor?
Communication is critical. In my role, you are working with colleagues, clients and sub-contractors, and need to be able to work well with all of them, while communicating well to get the job done.
On a site, things change all the time, and that needs to be communicated with everyone involved with the project.
What do you find most enjoyable about your job?
I’m a very sociable person, and I love variety. That makes surveying the perfect job for me because I’m always meeting new people, getting out and about and going to sites. No two days are the same, and I don’t have to be stuck at a desk all day.
Tell us what a typical day looks like for you
Currently I’m based on a school construction site in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland. When I get on site, typically I’ll go through my emails, check in with the team, communicate with sub-contractors, do a site walkaround and meet with clients.
My role is all about making sure the job is profitable, so that’s my focus each day. I’m likely to be based on this site for around a year, which is fairly standard for the industry, although I’ve worked on some projects that are much longer, such as the expansion of the Heathrow cargo terminal, the Houses of Parliament renovation, and the construction of high-rise residential buildings in London.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in Surveying?
Surveying is one of those jobs where the people who are most successful are the ones who really love the role. For anyone interested in becoming a surveyor, I’d recommend doing a few work experience placements as early as you can. It can be a very intense job, so you have to get used to working under pressure, and the earlier you can get that experience, the better.
I’d also strongly recommend the degree apprenticeship route. I found it’s the perfect combination of learning, qualification, and experience on site, and it’s a much more cost-effective way to study.
What projects have you most enjoyed working on?
I’ve been lucky enough to work on Nissan’s Sunderland gigafactory with Envision AESC. It’s the first gigafactory in the UK, and the site is the size of 23 football pitches. It’s amazing to have a site like that here in the North East, and with two more planned it’s going to be a huge success for our region.
I’m quite interested in modular construction, so working on the creation of a new building at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital that uses that style of construction was fascinating.
What do you see as the future of your industry over the next 5 years?
I began my career in July 2020, when the UK had just come out of the first COVID lockdown and was about to go into another. It’s fair to say that it was a challenging time for me to start a career, as well as a tough time for the construction industry.
It’s great to see that the industry is thriving again, and the next few years are going to be an exciting time. Modular construction is definitely on the rise, where construction is done off-site then bolted up together. It’s quicker, better for the environment, and more cost-effective for clients. Modular construction is especially useful for larger projects, like schools and hospitals, so my prediction is that we’ll see more of it in the coming years.
Why do you choose Coleman James to help further your career?
I was initially contacted by the Coleman James team, who let me know there were job opportunities in my sector. I’m so glad I responded to them and worked with them to secure the role I’m in now with SES Engineering Services.
I always knew I wanted to go into this kind of surveying role. Robyn at Coleman James was so supportive, I could contact her anytime and she’d respond quickly. She understood how big a change this was for me and she helped me through every step of the process. We even met for a coffee to chat things over, which boosted my confidence in going for the job here at SES.
I’m so pleased that I worked with the Coleman James team to help me make the right move for my career.