quantity surveyor.

Some of the tasks of a quantity surveyor include:

• providing commercial support: as a quantity surveyor, you provide commercial support to engineers and project managers by guiding the preparation of project budgets, invoices and general commercial input. You monitor the costs of projects by comparing monthly financial forecasts against actual costs. You also recommend adjustments for variations in costs and future expenses.
• managing a team of junior quantity surveyors: since you are in charge of many projects, you delegate tasks to junior quantity surveyors. You guide them on the cost estimation or contract preparation process and review reports. You also conduct training and development for junior quantity surveyors.
• reporting to clients and management: as a quantity surveyor, you report directly to clients and managers. Your job is to advise a client on the potential of their site after conducting a feasibility study. You present valuation reports and cost estimations and determine what the client can afford. When the project commences, you inform the client of any budget deviations and seek supplementary budget approval.
• tendering and negotiating contracts: you play a key role in procurement, like estimating the target costs and budget prices. You also prepare lump sum bids and compile enquiry documents for competitive bidding. When you get a favourable bid, you prepare tenders and bills of quantities. Sometimes, you negotiate contracts to fit a client's budget.
• ensuring compliance with building regulations: as a quantity surveyor, you advise clients or contractors on compliance issues and commercial risks associated with their projects. You also procure the necessary building permits to ensure the construction works comply with building regulations.

Quantity surveyors work in the construction, mining and civil engineering industries. You work for a construction consultancy firm or a contractor in charge of complex building projects. Public and private sector companies dealing with infrastructure projects also need your expertise. Your work environment varies depending on the organisation and your employer. When you work for a consultancy, you spend most of your time negotiating contracts and attending meetings in offices. You rarely visit worksites since junior quantity surveyors prepare comprehensive progress reports.

When you work for a contractor, your office is on-site since you work closely with the construction crew to manage the costs. You work outdoors in all weather conditions and are exposed to noise and dust from construction activities.

Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include architects, construction project managers and civil engineers. You might also be working in close proximity to estimators and project engineers, as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, site supervisors, schedulers and site managers.

The work schedule of a quantity surveyor depends on the nature of the work. For instance, if you work in an office, you work traditional business hours, from 9 am to 5 pm. Office-based quantity surveyors typically work 40 hours a week, but late-evening work may crop up when you have looming deadlines or a high workload. When you work on-site, your workday starts a little earlier and may end in the evening, depending on the weather and project type. If you work alongside the construction crew, you sometimes work late at night or during holidays. Most infrastructure projects are done at night or during public holidays to avoid disrupting the normal work routines of nearby businesses.

When you work as a quantity surveyor, your extensive knowledge gives you many career progression opportunities. For instance, you can gain a charter and become a chartered quantity surveyor. You may also transition to management roles, like a project manager or construction manager. Some quantity surveyors become the director of operations for a construction company. When you are chartered, you can open a consultancy firm.

Finding your quantity surveyor job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a quantity surveyor is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.

Quantity surveyor is a promising career with a high demand. The projected job growth rate for quantity surveyors is 20.5% in the next five years.

You require graduate qualifications to work as a quantity surveyor in Australia. Aside from pursuing your bachelor's degree in construction management or quantity surveying, ensure you meet your state's licensing requirements.

As a quantity surveyor, you work with construction professionals to estimate the costs of projects. You also audit projects to ensure they don't exceed their budgets. Other duties include negotiating contracts and working with contractors to develop a work schedule.

You earn an average salary of $125,000 per year as a quantity surveyor. Earnings range from $115,000 to $135,000 annually, depending on your experience and educational qualifications.

As a quantity surveyor, your duties involve analysing costs and budgets for construction projects. You require strong analytical skills to approach your work logically and with acute attention to detail. Communication skills are also important since you speak to clients to explain the budgets and write reports.

Applying for a quantity surveyor job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.