Quantity Surveying abroad... Anyone made the move?
Discussion
Hi all
Bit of a background:
I'm a 27 year old Quantity Surveyor working where I live, in South Wales. Currently working for Wales' largest Civil Engineering/Rail Contractor since Oct last year, and so far I'm really happy where I am. I have just under 5 years experience so I'm aware I have plenty to learn yet but I feel I've progressed pretty well. This is my third employer and I've gently moved up from Trainee, to Assistant, and now QS. I have only worked with new build housing groundworks, and for last 2 years, highways and infrastructure - lots of NEC3 and a few JCT contract experiences.
So, i'm in a good place. But a recent turn of events in my personal life has just given me the possible urge to take my career and continue it somewhere else - particularly Dubai, giving its never ending boom of construction work. It's not even about the healthy salaries and tax free this and that, I simply want a clean canvass and a fresh start. Even if I just sample it for a year or two to decide if its for me.
Has anyone made such move? Am I quite limited to making such a move / could it be too early in my career to make such a move? I've seen several vacancies for senior surveyors but not much for someone with my (I suppose limited!) experience.
all thoughts of this potential prospect welcomed!
thanks
Irfan
Bit of a background:
I'm a 27 year old Quantity Surveyor working where I live, in South Wales. Currently working for Wales' largest Civil Engineering/Rail Contractor since Oct last year, and so far I'm really happy where I am. I have just under 5 years experience so I'm aware I have plenty to learn yet but I feel I've progressed pretty well. This is my third employer and I've gently moved up from Trainee, to Assistant, and now QS. I have only worked with new build housing groundworks, and for last 2 years, highways and infrastructure - lots of NEC3 and a few JCT contract experiences.
So, i'm in a good place. But a recent turn of events in my personal life has just given me the possible urge to take my career and continue it somewhere else - particularly Dubai, giving its never ending boom of construction work. It's not even about the healthy salaries and tax free this and that, I simply want a clean canvass and a fresh start. Even if I just sample it for a year or two to decide if its for me.
Has anyone made such move? Am I quite limited to making such a move / could it be too early in my career to make such a move? I've seen several vacancies for senior surveyors but not much for someone with my (I suppose limited!) experience.
all thoughts of this potential prospect welcomed!
thanks
Irfan
Sorry but how many fresh starts do you want?! Third employer in less than five years and you want to move on already for maybe another two? I guess it must be my age but I couldn’t ever contemplate that many job moves in such a short space of time - I’m 52 and only on my third employer now! Best of luck anyway though 
Antony Moxey said:
Sorry but how many fresh starts do you want?! Third employer in less than five years and you want to move on already for maybe another two? I guess it must be my age but I couldn’t ever contemplate that many job moves in such a short space of time - I’m 52 and only on my third employer now! Best of luck anyway though
I was with my first employer for over 3 years and was happy - several trainee engineers, foremen, QS's etc got made redundant due to work drying up. My second job I was there for a over a year, the company was going through quite extensive commercial change and I just felt it wasn't for me - their work was also drying up. Where I am, like I said in my first few posts above, I am happy and its a great place to work. Moving abroad for a fresh start was more to do with my personal life rather than purely based around my career.I had a drinking acquaintance in HK who was a QS, on a very good package in commercial property construction (circa 1998 to 2005). However, at 40 years old when starting in HK, he had considerably more experience.
I think, because HK was a former British colony a lot of building regs where formulated by expat civil servants. In addition, English was common in the higher ranks of the construction industry. Employment visas were relatively easy to obtain with the help of potential employer. However, I think the key here is commercial property where the scales of the project is much larger, and an area your experience seems to be lacking.
Please note; I’m only posting this as a potential area to investigate as I have no experience of the construction industry and could be spouting utter rubbish!
I think, because HK was a former British colony a lot of building regs where formulated by expat civil servants. In addition, English was common in the higher ranks of the construction industry. Employment visas were relatively easy to obtain with the help of potential employer. However, I think the key here is commercial property where the scales of the project is much larger, and an area your experience seems to be lacking.
Please note; I’m only posting this as a potential area to investigate as I have no experience of the construction industry and could be spouting utter rubbish!
I work in claims and contract management mainly in the oil industry, mainly overseas for the last 40 year, 3 jobs in 5 yeas wouldn't worry me if you can show progression. I had 5 between 1976 and 81, all with a good career progression, I went abroad in 82, and that was in a time when a job for life attitude was much more prevalent than today.
If you have rail experience then I'd look at that, it's expanding all over Asia, and outside the middle east salaries will be much better than consruction. I did some work on rail in the 90's
Outside the middle east there is not a huge demand for expat Qs in the construction industry in my experience, especially at a junior level, it is a growth are for lots of Asian graduates. The project I'm on we have no European expats in a qs type role under 55, what we have are all engaged in a consultative role, no one in line management. You need to bring something to the party other than 'counting bricks". Tendering, estimating, is good experience to have I'd write my Cv to highlite those sort of skills.
Get your Cv on the various web sites and actively chase jobs, there is no harm, do not be over optimistic on salary for your first posting and be prepared to go some where not so nice, West Africa for example.
As to the fresh start thing, only you can know your thinking there, but it can be fairly hard to build a social life, especially on a site based job as lots of your work mates will know each other, don't think it is all perfect.
If you have rail experience then I'd look at that, it's expanding all over Asia, and outside the middle east salaries will be much better than consruction. I did some work on rail in the 90's
Outside the middle east there is not a huge demand for expat Qs in the construction industry in my experience, especially at a junior level, it is a growth are for lots of Asian graduates. The project I'm on we have no European expats in a qs type role under 55, what we have are all engaged in a consultative role, no one in line management. You need to bring something to the party other than 'counting bricks". Tendering, estimating, is good experience to have I'd write my Cv to highlite those sort of skills.
Get your Cv on the various web sites and actively chase jobs, there is no harm, do not be over optimistic on salary for your first posting and be prepared to go some where not so nice, West Africa for example.
As to the fresh start thing, only you can know your thinking there, but it can be fairly hard to build a social life, especially on a site based job as lots of your work mates will know each other, don't think it is all perfect.
Just my experience below....
I have a QS background and now work in contracts for the oil & gas industry.
Over the last couple years i too have looked at trying to get out to Dubai for a few years to make some cash and just come home again but unfortunately gone are the days where cost isn't an option and you'll be fighting them off to get hired.
I got down to the last few for a job, what they were offering (i didnt' ask for this) was approx £6k a month (Westerner) but remember all your housing/food/travel etc has to come out of that (Dubai is very expensive) but overall should have have had about £1-2k left over each month as savings if i lived off a strict budget!
Didn't get the job in the end, turns out there's a big influx of Indian workers with big degree's at the moment who will work for less than half what i was being offered and happy to flat share with 4 other people so saved the company a lot over the term. Would i work over there for that amount and flat share....nope!
I'm not saying you won't get a job but it's 10x harder than it was 5-10 years ago! One job i applied for had over 400 applicants...!
As others have said, maybe try Asia or Doha or the like or your best best is to move to a company with offices in that country and ask for a transfer (but you will need your salary adjusted to be able to live there).
I have a QS background and now work in contracts for the oil & gas industry.
Over the last couple years i too have looked at trying to get out to Dubai for a few years to make some cash and just come home again but unfortunately gone are the days where cost isn't an option and you'll be fighting them off to get hired.
I got down to the last few for a job, what they were offering (i didnt' ask for this) was approx £6k a month (Westerner) but remember all your housing/food/travel etc has to come out of that (Dubai is very expensive) but overall should have have had about £1-2k left over each month as savings if i lived off a strict budget!
Didn't get the job in the end, turns out there's a big influx of Indian workers with big degree's at the moment who will work for less than half what i was being offered and happy to flat share with 4 other people so saved the company a lot over the term. Would i work over there for that amount and flat share....nope!
I'm not saying you won't get a job but it's 10x harder than it was 5-10 years ago! One job i applied for had over 400 applicants...!
As others have said, maybe try Asia or Doha or the like or your best best is to move to a company with offices in that country and ask for a transfer (but you will need your salary adjusted to be able to live there).
I'd echo what the others have said. For a QS to get a role overseas it needs to be contracts & claims. There is still a premium attached to this area for obvious reasons. Counting bricks won't cut it as an expat. The other thing to watch is that countries are getting far stricter on qualifications for working visas. In far too long in the business I've never needed to dig out my degree certificate. My last 2 jobs have necessitated it.
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