What skills do you need as a graduate quantity surveyor?

Find out more about the skills you'll pick up and refine as a graduate Quantity Surveyor.

When you think of the construction industry, what word springs to mind? Innovation? Resilient perhaps? Despite facing economic challenges, the market perseveres, offering a promising landscape for aspiring surveyors.

A surveying graduate scheme offers opportunities in various disciplines - building surveying, quantity surveying, and procurement - and in each, you can contribute to ground-breaking projects, alongside our award-winning team. 

You'll turn bold ideas into reality, shaping smarter, healthier, and more sustainable places and spaces. But what skills do you need for the job? 

In this article, we'll focus specifically on the Quantity Surveying Graduate Scheme, on which you'll join our Project & Programme Services team and could be working in the Commercial Property area or the Complex Infrastructure part of the business.

The Commercial Property Team

When you join our Commercial Property Team, you'll enjoy exposure to a wide variety of schemes in all sectors. You might find yourself working on new university campuses, commercial office developments, museums, and even theme parks, the list really is endless.

In your day-to-day, you'll learn to guide design teams, always keeping the client's budget in mind and you'll also gain experience working with contractors too.

The Complex Infrastructure Team

If you're interested in joining our Complex Infrastructure Team, you'll be immersed in some of the most prestigious and technically challenging engineering projects in the UK, helping influence the way we live, travel, produce energy and shape the built environment. 

You could find yourself working for clients such as EDF Energy, TfL, Network Rail, Heathrow Airport, and more.

Key skills for the role of quantity surveyor

1. Communication skills

At the center of your graduate quantity surveyor role lies the ability to understand your client's challenges, align with their vision, and guide them to transform potential into reality.

Opting for a graduate scheme at a global organization like AtkinsRéalis opens doors to projects involving a wide range of clients in many different sectors, locally, nationally, and internationally. This means being mindful of different levels of technical knowledge, cultural backgrounds, and communication styles. Embracing this diversity presents the opportunity to develop your communication toolkit further.

2. Numerical literacy 

Your day-to-day as a graduate quantity surveyor could involve working in all sectors including new university campuses, commercial office developments, transportation infrastructure, and more depending on the team you're working with. 

So, is there a lot of math in quantity surveying? Yes. Whichever surveying discipline you choose, you'll need to be confident working with numbers to accurately forecast costs and ensure that expenditures remain within approved limits.

If you've obtained or are expecting a 2.2. Bachelor's degree in any subject where you can demonstrate commercial or technical acumen, you're suited to apply to this scheme. Check out our non-cognate page for more information.

3. Curiosity

Curiosity sits somewhere between a skill and a mindset. With a curious approach, you'll be constantly challenge yourself to find new solutions, fueling your enthusiasm and drive to enhance your skill set. Embracing agile ways of working will empower you to expand your toolkit, opening doors to learning how to integrate cutting-edge technologies like AI.

A continuous learning approach is your gateway to success in procurement and the broader surveying career landscape.

4. Problem-solving

From day one, our graduates are exposed to projects, where they champion intelligent and sustainable solutions, reinforcing our reputation for unparalleled expertise. 

To truly make an impact, you need a creative approach to problem-solving. It's this out-of-the-box thinking that lets you craft strategies to overcome hurdles while keeping costs in check.

5. Time management

You'll support several different projects, each with its own deadlines and deliverables. Your university experience will set you up as you work towards deadlines and prioritize tasks, whether that's writing reports or allocating work to subcontractors.

6. Commercial awareness

To make informed decisions, you need to keep up to date with construction methods and materials, including health and safety regulations. That's where a solid understanding of business principles, market trends, and industry regulations comes into play for a graduate quantity surveyor. 

What is the career path of a surveyor?

As you contribute to shaping a safer, happier, and more sustainable world, we're dedicated to supporting you achieve Chartered status. 

What's the next step from there? Whether you're aiming to progress or steer towards other paths, our structured two-year professional development programme will pave the way.

At AtkinsRéalis, on our Quantity Surveying Graduate Scheme, you will find endless opportunities to take your career in the direction you want. 

Whatever you choose to specialize in, we're here to champion your professional growth.

Grow a career that is designed to deliver impact

Did you know that our global team comprises over 36,000 employees spread across six continents?

Take on a graduate role with us, and you'll join a diverse, inclusive, supportive environment, surrounded by inspiring colleagues. Together, you'll create world-class sustainable solutions that connect people, data, and technology.

Explore our surveying graduate roles today and immerse yourself in engineering a better future. 

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