Building Surveying CAREER INSIGHT
LJMU CAREERS TEAM 0151 231 2048/3719 ❚ careers@ljmu.ac.uk
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Building Surveying/ HNC Construction & Property (Building Surveying)
Introduction Building Surveyors work with a range of professionals and are involved with the whole lifecycle of a building, from design, maintenance and surveys. Most work is carried out onsite to assess and monitor structures and to offer professional advice. Planning for your career and gaining work experience throughout your course will benefit you when you graduate. Take advantage of work experience opportunities and networking events to develop your skills and find out which area of building surveying most appeals to you. You could make a start by attending any relevant events through your membership with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). You should also consider setting up a LinkedIn profile and following relevant organisations and jobs boards through Twitter. Many employers use social media to post work experience opportunities so take advantage of using the site to help you make links and find out more about what opportunities are out there.
Career options: Previous graduates from the Building Surveying course have commenced employment with a wide range of employers. In addition to the expected role of Building Surveyor other roles have included: Building Control Officer, Technical Surveyor, Assistant Engineer, Estates and Facilities Manager, Project Manager, Energy Consultant and Contract Manager. Building Surveyor Today building surveyors are involved in the whole lifecycle of a building – design, management, surveys, restoration and maintenance – and they provide professional advice on property and construction, which spans across residential, commercial, industrial, leisure and agriculture projects. The nature of the work may range from the design of large, multimillion-pound structures to modest adaptations and repairs, and sometimes includes working with buildings of architectural or historic importance. As such, the work of a building surveyor is incredibly varied and often straddles the divide between construction professionals and general practice surveyors. Building surveyors often work on preventative measures to keep buildings in good condition and look to make buildings sustainable. Building Control Surveyor Building Control surveyors make sure that building regulations and other legislation are followed when buildings are designed and constructed and when altered, extended or converted. If a building looks like it will not meet the requirements of the building regulations, a building control surveyor can give advice on how to find a solution to this. Facilities Management
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Building Surveying/ HNC Construction & Property (Building Surveying)
Facilities management involves the co-ordination of both technical and general services to ensure that a building runs smoothly. There has been an increasing demand for specialist facilities services which has resulted in opportunities for facilities managers. In this diverse role, facilities managers make sure that an organisation has the most suitable working environment for its employees and their activities. Facilities managers are involved in both strategic planning and day-to-day operations in areas such as: building and grounds maintenance; health and safety; procurement and contract management; security; and, utilities and communications infrastructure. Opportunities exist in all sectors and industries which can result in a diverse range of job titles – operations, estates, technical services, asset or property manager. Example employers could be in either the public, private or nonprofit sectors such as hospitals, schools and colleges, local councils, shops and business parks, stadiums or specialist facilities management providers and consultancies. Project Management Project managers oversee projects, ensuring they are delivered on time and on budget, and take responsibility for overseeing everyone’s roles. They can work across a number of different sectors and work throughout the different stages of a construction project from initial design, to planning resources, managing budgets, managing deadlines through to completion and handover. A large number of HNC students will transfer on to the second year of the Building Surveying degree programme or the Architectural Technology degree. It may also be possible to enter employment after completing the HNC as a Technical Surveyor or Surveying Technician who carry out a range of tasks to support Chartered Surveyors, architects and engineers including drafting plans and assisting with environmental impact assessments.
Possible employers As a chartered building surveyor, you could work in the private, corporate, public or voluntary sectors. Typical employers include:
specialised private practices, e.g. surveying firms, specialist property consultancies and construction companies; central government, e.g. valuation office; local government, e.g. local authorities; large property-owning organisations, such as housing associations, retailers, leisure groups etc; public-private organisations; loss adjusters
It is also possible for building surveyors to become self-employed and set up their own private practice after gaining relevant experience. RICS-accredited qualifications in surveying are recognised worldwide and with a range of international property and construction firms, there are opportunities to work abroad.
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Building Surveying/ HNC Construction & Property (Building Surveying) Examples employers include:
AMEY : www.amey.co.uk Arcadis : www.arcadis.com ARUP : www.arup.com/Careers.aspx ATKINS: www.atkinsglobal.com/graduates Balfour Beatty : www.balfourbeatty.com/graduates Bruntwood: www.bruntwood.co.uk/ Capita: www.capitaproperty.co.uk Carillion : www.carillionplc.com/careers CB Richard Ellis : www.cbre.co.uk/graduates Cluttons: www.cluttons.com/ Cushman and Wakefield (Property): www.realtalentinproperty.com/ Davis Langdon: www.davislangdon.com DTZ: www.dtz.com/uk Faithful & Gould (Atkins Group): www.fgould.com/uk/careers/graduates Grosvenor (only open to grads who have taken part in summer scheme): www.grosvenor.com GVA: www.gva.co.uk Jones Lang Lasalle: www.joneslanglasalle.co.uk Lambert Smith Hampton: www.lsh.co.uk Liverpool Housing Trust: www.lht.co.uk Malcolm Hollis: www.malcolmhollis.com RLB (Rider Levett Bucknall): www.rlb.com Savills: http://graduate.savills.co.uk/ Sweet: www.sweetgroup.com Tesco: www.tesco-graduates.com WATES: www.wates.co.uk/careers Workman (Property management and building consultancy): www.workman.co.uk
Useful links/websites
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School of the Built Environment job website - www.ljmu.ac.uk/blt/ LJMU My Jobs & Placements - http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk/ Gradcracker – Engineering and Construction – www.gradcracker.com Prospects – Careers information and graduate jobs – www.prospects.ac.uk TargetJobs - Careers information and graduate jobs – www.targetjobs.co.uk Bromak (Construction Recruitment Agency) - www.bromak.com RICS Recruit: www.ricsrecruit.com/ Building 4 Jobs: www.building4jobs.com/ Milkround – graduate jobs, placements & internships - www.milkround.com/
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Building Surveying/ HNC Construction & Property (Building Surveying) Follow relevant companies/websites through Twitter:
@LJMUCareers @gradcracker @RICSrecruit @Building4jobs @AByrneLJMU
Sources of work experience As part of the BSc degree programme you will have the opportunity to complete a work placement. Gaining work experience in the construction sector is really important for your future career so you should definitely consider this option. Many of the large recruiters have summer and year-long placement opportunities available to those on degree programmes, which are usually advertised through websites such as Prospects, Targetjobs, Milkround and Gradcracker. The websites listed previously should be your first port of call when researching possible placement opportunities and your Careers Adviser, Andy Byrne, may have additional examples of possible employers who offer these opportunities. Some large employers will offer summer or sandwich placements year after year but you can also secure work experience through a more creative approach. Contacting companies directly through networking events, via email or through LinkedIn may lead to work experience. The School of the Built Environment has a specific member of staff (Angela Clarke) to support students in securing a year-out placement and jobs are placed on the first website listed above. Contacting companies directly through networking events, via email (after searching for practising surveyors on the RICS website) or through LinkedIn may lead to work experience. It is important to demonstrate that you are interested in the company and have spent some time researching what they do. Even when applying to secure work experience for the first time in this industry, show the employer what you have to offer. Briefly outline the relevancy of your course. Look at the skills outlined above and try to discuss these in your CV, drawing on examples from your course and other work experience or extra-curricular activities to demonstrate these skills. LJMU has also been facilitating a summer internship programme for Level 5 students in recent years, so keep an eye on your LJMU inbox for details of any opportunities.
Recruitment schedules Due to the nature of the construction sector many graduate roles may become available throughout the year as companies start work on projects so keep looking for opportunities. In addition, there are lots of graduate training schemes with large companies. If you are interested in these roles you will need to be aware of the graduate recruitment cycle. Many recruiters begin the graduate recruitment process during the autumn term for final year
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Building Surveying/ HNC Construction & Property (Building Surveying) students. Some placements are advertised then as well. Most closing dates are in November and December but some are earlier so it is important to start researching companies that you want to apply to early on. The application process for graduate training schemes usually involves completing an online application form, which may require you to answer ‘competency based questions’. You can get advice about the recruitment process and feedback on your applications by booking a one-to-one appointment with a Careers or Employability Adviser in the Byrom Street Careers Zone.
Key events and networking
The Faculty of Engineering & Technology Careers Fair: Takes place annually in October
Liverpool Careers Fair: usually held in the autumn and spring of each year, see fairs website www.liverpoolfairs.org.uk/ for additional events
Careers and Employability events at LJMU: Keep an eye on our events pages at https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events for details of upcoming employability workshops, networking sessions and employer talks.
Manchester Careers Fairs: open to students and graduates from any university; check www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/events/ for details
LiverpoolSU Clubs and Societies: http://ljmu.unioncloud.org/groups#club-society
LinkedIn: You could also consider setting up a LinkedIn account (www.linkedin.com/) to network online with professionals and organisations in your chosen industry
Other information LJMU Centre for Entrepreneurship – Support for LJMU students and graduates interested in starting up their own business. Further details can be found here: https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/startup including funding available, eligibility, timescales and training dates.
Careers Zones Campus-based Careers Zones provide easy access to careers support in convenient locations at Byrom Street, Aldham Robarts Library and at IM Marsh, staffed by the Careers Team. Support available includes CV and application form reviews, Careers Adviser appointments, drop-in quick queries, practice interviews and access to careers resources and information. The Zones also host regular employer visits during term time where you can meet and network with employers and discuss job and placement opportunities. For the
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Building Surveying/ HNC Construction & Property (Building Surveying) latest updates and details of locations and opening times, try our Twitter and Facebook pages or call 0151 231 2048/3719.
Graduate Case Study Name: Chris Han Organisations: Knowsley Council and Leppie Massie What roles did you secure after graduation? My first role after graduating was a twelve month conservation internship with a local authority in Merseyside. During my twelve months, I was involved with assisting with the council’s historic environment strategy. This involved surveying historic and listed buildings, completing conservation area appraisals and management plans, and assisting with planning applications that related to listed buildings and conservation areas. I was lucky that as part of my role my employers fully funded my RICS accredited Master’s degree in Building Conservation & Regeneration. Following straight on from my internship, I secured employment at the Liverpool office of a national surveying firm where I am currently undertaking my APC in commercial property. My work is varied and includes completing RICS Red Book valuations and property inspections, advising on Landlord & Tenant issues, and completing viability and development appraisals What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Employers are increasingly interested in what other activities you have been involved in and skills you have acquired outside of your degree and how you can transfer these skills in the workplace. Finding a relevant work placement, summer internship, or voluntary job whilst at university can help you stand out from the crowd and demonstrate that you are committed to developing professionally in your chosen career path. Even a non-construction based summer job can demonstrate that you have experience of working in a team, using your own initiative, or developing your communication or ICT skills. Whether it is CV or online application, it is worth taking time to read and re-read (and re-read!) your applications! With the big companies receiving such a high volume of applications, submissions with typos and poor grammar are often the first to be discounted. Surveying is a diverse industry and there are many different pathways that you can take. It is worthwhile going onto the RICS website and reading the different APC pathway booklets to get a better idea about what areas you would like to specialise in. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Whilst at John Moores, I had the opportunity to be involved with a three week exchange programme with the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. During the exchange programme I completed a module on UNESCO World Heritage Sites and survey two that were located in different parts of Malaysia. This was a fantastic talking point in interviews and application forms, and I am sure was useful in helping me to secure my post university positions.
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Building Surveying/ HNC Construction & Property (Building Surveying) Your degree is your own personal experience and you can get as little or as much from it as you want. I personally found that actively getting involved with all the site visits and group projects gave me a good starting point when trying to build on my experience and knowledge and also assisted when answering some of the questions at interviews.
Placement Case Study Name: Sam Larkin Organisation: Arcus What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? I secured a role working as an assistant building surveyor for Arcus Consulting LLP, a multi-disciplinary practice of construction and property professionals. For the first four months I was based in the Liverpool office, carrying out stock condition surveys for a local housing association. I visited properties and conducted a condition survey using a tablet recording information on the condition and remaining life of the main elements of the property and M&E. Completing the surveys required awareness of the risks in dealing with vulnerable tenants and potential situations that can arise when dealing with difficult tenants whilst also building upon my construction technology and building pathology knowledge gained from pervious employment and my university studies. The remainder of my placement year was spent working out of the Manchester office on the major refurbishment of two residential tower blocks. I assisted the Senior Building Surveyor in his duties as Client’s Agent and Principal Designer. My responsibilities included:
Attending client and site meetings Carrying out measured surveys and detailing construction elements when required by contractors, Completing planning and building control applications, Meeting with sub-contractors on site and requesting quotes, Providing options for the client to choose finishes and products, Inspecting sites for quality control, Liaising with M&E engineers over specified equipment, Liaising with building control to make sure we were compliant with regulations, Carrying out Cavity wall inspections and gathering data for SAP’s assessments and investigating issues surrounding SVP to Adelphi court, Compiling reports based on my findings on electrical heating replacement and SVP replacement. Completing site instructions and interim certificates, and Completing a proposed detailed design and schedule of works for the environmental works at Matthias Court.
Carrying out this work enabled me to gain an insight into building surveying and project management
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Building Surveying/ HNC Construction & Property (Building Surveying) How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? Taking the year out from University to complete a placement year was highly beneficial. I developed as a professional, increased my knowledge and made industry connections. The placement not only helped me to complete my final year at University but also when applying for jobs having the year experience on my CV helped me to reach the interview stage. The placement taught me much about the role of a building surveyor and how varied it can be. This allowed me to contemplate which aspect of surveying I preferred which turned out to be project management as I enjoyed the challenge of overcoming existing problems and working to tight deadlines. I would not hesitate to recommend a placement to other students as the experience is invaluable What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? I would advise any student that gaining some experience helps a great deal with future employment. Employers are also keen on candidates who get involved in activities both inside and outside university so don’t forget to highlight this on your CV. Many of the interviews I have had for graduate positions have been interested in the Malaysia exchange program that I undertook. My last bit of advice would be to use recruitment agencies in your job search as they have connections to employers.
What help or support did you access at the World of Work Careers Centre at LJMU and how was this useful? In my final year I have received advice on how to improve my CV and the Careers Centre have also helped by offering mock interviews and with completing psychometric tests. The support is there all you have to do is ask for it.
Placement Case Study Name: Ashley Cooper Organisation: House of Commons What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? I was a Student Project Leader for the Parliamentary Estate and on a daily basis my role included the successful management of high-profile, high-value construction; conservation, logistical, and mechanical and electrical projects. This was achieved through stakeholder meetings with people from both the House of Lords’ and House of Commons’, holding progress meetings with my project team, managing the construction programme and project finances, contractual and legal obligations the Client (Parliamentary Estate) had to undertake. How do you feel that the placement has benefitted you? The placement has definitely benefitted me both professionally as a Building Surveyor and personally to overcome one of my fears – public speaking. My placement gave me great responsibilities to lead or assist on projects; developing my commercial awareness, team working and written and oral communication skills.
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Building Surveying/ HNC Construction & Property (Building Surveying)
What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? To improve my employability I would definitely seek part-time experience in your degree field and pro-actively look for summer placements. I feel that this little bit of experience could separate you from the other candidates, as academia and experience go hand in hand.
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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Building Surveying/ HNC Construction & Property (Building Surveying)
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