Want To Be A Chartered Surveyor? It's All About The Route

As a school leaver, it can be difficult to decide how to start your path to a successful career as a building surveyor. But don't let that put you off, because there are many recently graduated chartered surveyors who are enjoying working in the field, and it is certainly a career worth pursuing. In this article, we take a look at some of the routes into surveying and how you can become a chartered surveyor, adding further weight to your skills and qualifications.

First of all, you need to decide whether you are going to study full time at university or join a company and gain vocational qualifications. This will depend on your particular circumstances; for some, university is the better option because it allows you to focus solely on the subject matter, whereas for others the chance to "learn on the job" is more rewarding and helps with understanding by putting theory into practice. If you choose to go to university, you can apply to a RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) accredited degree course, which automatically gives you certification upon completion of the course. Non-accredited degrees can also be taken, and if you wish to become accredited, you can take a post-graduate qualification after you complete your studies. For those that decide to gain work experience and undertake vocational qualifications, you can also take the "Assessment of Professional Competence" (APC) qualification which will enable you to become a chartered surveyor.

There are many university courses available throughout the country, but typically the course prepares students for a career in building surveying by covering architectural styles; the history of buildings and building techniques; the different building elements in use today and how different building materials perform in particular situations. Courses should also cover how to identify and test a building's performance, as well as teaching you how to assess alternative uses of existing buildings and to manage refurbishment projects, as well as looking at all appropriate health and safety legislation. Other elements of a course may include, building construction, conservation and restoration, design, contract administration, sustainability, construction technologies, business planning, negotiation, project management.

With regards to vocational courses, typically most school leavers opting for this will study an HNC. The courses introduce the key themes in design principles, as well as health and safety, science and materials. The second year is spent focussing on more specific areas of construction technology, building services and site surveying. The advantage of this route is that you will learn in a real-world setting, which means that students have the opportunity to shawdow chartered surveyors and often pass with high marks.

Whatever route you choose to go down, having a RICS certification is a great way to boost your career, and could make your CV shine out among the rest.

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Allcott Associates LLP Residential is an independent practice of Surveyors and Structural Engineers. http://www.allcottassociates.co.uk

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