Retraining as a property surveyor.
Discussion
Currently a site based civil engineer - not enjoying my job so I'm looking to change career. Main qualification is a civil / structural engineering degree.
It occurred to me that a property surveying role - i.e undertaking structural surveys and compiling reports on real estate - wouldn't be too far off the mark in terms of my current qualifications, and appears to be somewhat lucrative based on figures I've seen regarding the cost of the surveys.
I'm not interested in gaining more academic qualifications, is it feasible to buy some books from Amazon and begin practising..?
It occurred to me that a property surveying role - i.e undertaking structural surveys and compiling reports on real estate - wouldn't be too far off the mark in terms of my current qualifications, and appears to be somewhat lucrative based on figures I've seen regarding the cost of the surveys.
I'm not interested in gaining more academic qualifications, is it feasible to buy some books from Amazon and begin practising..?
Possible...but some may say very high risk.
If you’re not Chartered, that may put off many, if not most, from hiring you.
If you’re not part of a reputable firm of surveyors with experience and a great reputation, that may put off many, if not most, from hiring you.
Your insurance costs need to be adequate; getting something wrong through lack of experience (highly probable) or training could be extremely costly, both financially and reputationaly (and possibly legally).
With many surveyors appointed by the lender in simple house purchases, they will be keen to protect their exposure so are unlikely to appoint a non-RICS Chartered Surveyor.
With already potentially an accredited degree, you could become a trainee.
Good luck either way!
If you’re not Chartered, that may put off many, if not most, from hiring you.
If you’re not part of a reputable firm of surveyors with experience and a great reputation, that may put off many, if not most, from hiring you.
Your insurance costs need to be adequate; getting something wrong through lack of experience (highly probable) or training could be extremely costly, both financially and reputationaly (and possibly legally).
With many surveyors appointed by the lender in simple house purchases, they will be keen to protect their exposure so are unlikely to appoint a non-RICS Chartered Surveyor.
With already potentially an accredited degree, you could become a trainee.
Good luck either way!
220s plenty said:
Currently a site based civil engineer - not enjoying my job so I'm looking to change career. Main qualification is a civil / structural engineering degree.
It occurred to me that a property surveying role - i.e undertaking structural surveys and compiling reports on real estate - wouldn't be too far off the mark in terms of my current qualifications, and appears to be somewhat lucrative based on figures I've seen regarding the cost of the surveys.
I'm not interested in gaining more academic qualifications, is it feasible to buy some books from Amazon and begin practising..?
Lucrative because costly, eh? People often appear to assume that the fee charged by a professional service provider to the client is the same as or similar to the amount that the provider of the service is paid as wages. This assumption is not often correct. I am not sure what portion of the fee charged by a surveyor to a client tends to end up as pre tax pay for the surveyor, but it won't be all of the fee by a long way. I am in a profession that has relatively high profit margins, but I still expect that something like thirty per cent of my gross fee must come off before I pay tax on the remaining seventy percent. I gather that solicitors might expect to have one quarter to one third of a fee as a pre tax payment.It occurred to me that a property surveying role - i.e undertaking structural surveys and compiling reports on real estate - wouldn't be too far off the mark in terms of my current qualifications, and appears to be somewhat lucrative based on figures I've seen regarding the cost of the surveys.
I'm not interested in gaining more academic qualifications, is it feasible to buy some books from Amazon and begin practising..?
Another questionable assumption is that you can make a living in a regulated professional field without putting in time and effort and often money in order to become qualified in that field.
So, you can do the gig if you put in the effort, but maybe temper your expectations as to lucre.
I've just retrained. Just finished an MSc Building Surveying at BCU.
The job market is very hard for a graduate surveyor in their 30s such as myself. Been searching for two months with zero replies to applications (50+ applied for) thus far. On talking to a recommended graduate recruiter I've been told I'll be lucky that get a graduate job.
Of my cohort only one his far has found employment and that was due to a lot of property experience as an estate agent.
The job market is very hard for a graduate surveyor in their 30s such as myself. Been searching for two months with zero replies to applications (50+ applied for) thus far. On talking to a recommended graduate recruiter I've been told I'll be lucky that get a graduate job.
Of my cohort only one his far has found employment and that was due to a lot of property experience as an estate agent.
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