RICS Thread

[surveyor]

Back in the heat of the Ask a .... anything I briefly started a Surveyors thread. Unfortunately it was canned by an over-eager mod...

Quite a few replies were asking about RICS issues. APC and the like... I thought I would start a thread here....

Hopefully other Surveyors will also see it and jump in when they can help....

[olivebrown]

Not a Chartered Surveyor, but is something I would like to do for future job prospects (did RICS accredited degree). I do regret not enrolling 2 years ago when I started my Land graduate role, but not really required working as land buyer.

Is it difficult to achieve without working in a surveyors practice surrounded by RICS surveyors? I.e savills etc.

I hear that it’s difficult to achieve with a low pass rate..

[Bungleaio]

Ahh the APC what a glorious experience it was, I've never put so much preparation and effort into a submission and interview as I did for that, passed first time though as a BS.

I was lucky as I work in a practice with quite a few chartered surveyors so I had support, I should imagine it would be very hard to get through without it. I don't think your supervisor has to be chartered but the counsellor does.

[surveyor]

In general the APC takes a lot of work. As I'm bad at time management their were quite a few late nights getting diaries up to date. Coming up to the final interview, living in a house where 3 of us were up the same day there were some interesting tensions..

As above only the counselor needs to be Chartered.

I started with my family firm (my dad was not Chartered) and struggled to get the depth of knowledge required for all off the competencies. Eventually I joined one of the nationals - who treated me as a graduate. Quickly moved on to another national, who paid me as a graduated, but gave me more interesting work...

The competencies are listed here - http://www.rics.org/Global/RICS-APC-Requirements-a...

As a Land Buyer I can see a few routes that I would expect you could go down, and where you would have the knowledge... Valuation used to be the biggest challenge - but you no longer have to go that route unless you want to become a Chartered Valuation Surveyor.

[Antony Moxey]

Surveyor, like engineer, is too wide a subject and needs to be more specific. I’m a land surveyor, which is a completely unrelated discipline to any other type of surveyor and where RICS accreditation is largely irrelevent. I note a poster above talking about joining a ‘surveyors practice’, it’s difficult to respond when there’s no indication whatsoever about what sort of surveyor they’re referring to.

[Vocal Minority]

It is easier/less difficult to get the required amount of experience for the APC in a larger firm. I secured mine in a national, though was doing the work during the recession when the only real work on offer was some valuation. I managed to get my experience in by hook or by crook in the Commercial Property Pathway - as it was at the time.

I worked in a niche adviser firm - and that was harder to get grads through the APC. So I had to sort them out with work placements at other firms doing 4 weeks of vals or L&T or whatever. You largely depend on having a firm that wants to do well by you - and colleagues willing to use personal political capital to help.

I work full time specialising in CPO advice and negotiation now. For anyone who is technically minded and wants to get on, I'd recommend having a look at getting into the field, as there is far more work than genuinely qualified people to do it at the moment.

[olivebrown]

I would have looked to do the Planning & Development pathway. My current role encompasses a wide range of competencies from development appraisals, planning & viability to managing commercial properties. But looking to leave soon to work for myself, so unlikely I will get the chance in immediate future..

Someone mentioned doing Associate membership, but don’t think this holds much weight and better to go for full membership?