Thinking of a career in property?
Vail Williams Careers Guide
Where relationships yield the best outcomes
Why should you consider a career in property?
According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), surveyors ‘play a key role in developing new high-tech, sustainable cities, tackling climate change and solving global issues like urbanisation, migration and resource scarcity’.
However, the number of qualified surveyors has been on the decline since the recession of 2008, when demand for our services fell.
Today, the impact of this is still being felt across the sector as the shortage of qualified practitioners continues to plague the industry.
That is why investing in the future of the profession is so important –not only to bring new (as well as experienced) blood into property as a career, but to support the development and growth of those already in it.
As a surveyor, you can play a central role in shaping the world around us and gain the satisfaction of seeing your projects improve our built and natural environments: from greener transport systems to urban regeneration projects.”
RICS
But how do you become a surveyor?
What are the routes that can take you there?
There are a variety of training routes available to you, which can take you through to becoming a qualified Chartered Surveyor.
But first, you need to decide what sort of property career you want – do you want to become a Chartered Surveyor via the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, or do you want to become a Chartered Town Planner?
Royal Institute of Chartered
Surveyors
When you train to be a building surveyor, you can expect to be involved with everything from:
Land: environment, geomatics, hydrographic, land and resources, minerals and waste management, planning and development, rural
Construction and the built environment: building control, building surveying, infrastructure, project management, quantity surveying and construction, taxation allowance
Property: personal property / arts and antiques, commercial real estate, corporate real estate, facilities management, management consultancy, property finance and investment, residential, valuation, valuation of businesses and intangible assets.
Royal Town Planning Institute
If you become a planner, you will work either in the private sector or public sector for a local authority or Government body.
Private sector
Consultancies: advising developers, coordinate planning applications from private bodies and prepare the evidence base assessments to inform planning policy.
Developers: find appropriate sites, and to work with planning consultancies and local authorities to create plans and secure planning permission.
Public sector
Government departments and local authoritie: assess planning applications and provide advice to elected representatives who make decisions, prepare policies to manage development.
Which route to qualification is right for me?
You can choose to go down the University Degree route or undertake a Degree Apprenticeship.
University Degree
This is what you might call the ‘traditional’ route to a property qualification. You pay tuition fees but are entitled to student loans and can apply for bursaries, grants and scholarships.
You choose your course and university and become a full time student, with all the benefits that the university experience can bring.
Degree Apprenticeships
Degree Apprenticeships are an excellent way of attaining a qualification in property, if you feel the traditional education route is not for you. It allows you to learn on the job, meanwhile your employer pays for your tuition fees whilst you earn a salary.
Your employer chooses your course and university, and you gain invaluable work experience whilst balancing your studies.
Typically, this will be in the form of four days’ working and one day studying.
This timeline displays RICS accredited degrees but the process is the same for RTPI accredited degrees.
Graduate Route
COGNATE PROGRAMME
Cognate programme: This is a three-year undergraduate degree, with two years’ APC training.
Non-cognate programme: This is a three-year undergraduate degree with a one-year postgraduate degree, followed by two years’ APC training.
RICS Accredited Degree (under/ post-grad) APC - 1st year training APC - 2nd year training
NON-COGNATE PROGRAMME
Undergraduate Degree in ANY field
Post-Grad RICS Degree + APC1st year training
Post-Grad
RICS Degree + APC - 2nd year training
This timeline shows what to expect from the apprenticeship route to becoming a qualified surveyor or planner.
Apprentice Route
5 YEAR PROGRAMME (GCSE LEVEL ENTRY)
University
University
BTEC
BTEC and AssosRICS
University
Coursework +
Exams
Coursework +
Exams + APC year 1 training
Coursework +
Exams + APC year 2 training
4 YEAR PROGRAMME (A LEVEL LEVEL ENTRY)
University
University
University
Coursework +
Exams
University
Coursework +
Exams
Coursework +
Exams + APC year 1 training
Coursework +
Exams + APC year 2 training
Discover more
If you would like to find out more about the various routes to becoming a qualified surveyor or chartered planner, see below for some useful links.
Chartered surveyor university route:
• https://www.rics.org/surveyorcareers/how-to-become-a-surveyor/ university-surveying-courses
Chartered surveyor degree apprenticeship:
• https://www.rics.org/surveyorcareers/how-to-become-a-surveyor/ surveying-apprenticeships
• https://findapprenticeshiptraining. apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/ courses/50
Chartered town planner university route:
• https://www.rtpi.org.uk/ become-a-planner/study-atuniversity/
Chartered town planner degree apprenticeship:
• https://www.rtpi.org.uk/become-a-planner/apprenticeships/ chartered-town-plannerapprenticeship/
• https://findapprenticeshiptraining. apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/ courses/424
Contact us
If you would like to speak to a range of people at all levels within our business, to discover more about what a career in property can do for you, why not get in touch.
Vail Williams is a multi-disciplinary property consultancy with 11 offices across the south of England and the midlands. We offer a wide range of commercial and residential property advisory services for both occupiers and landlords, as well as investors, developers and lenders.
Richard
Partner and LLP Member Head of Investment
M: 07881 588526
E: RDawtrey@vailwilliams.com
Apprentice Surveyor
M: 07775 862913
E: AMacrae@vailwilliams.com
Placement Year Student Surveyor
M: 07774 678548
E: SPiatto@vailwilliams.com
Rachael Harrison-Wood People Operations Manager
M: 07748 646862
M: 07880 362951
E: RHoughton@vailwilliams.com
E: RHarrison-wood@vailwilliams.com
Dawtrey
Arabella Macrae Surveyor
Sophia Piatto
Rebecca Houghton
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Vail
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