UTILITIES
SO JUST WHAT
EXACTLY IS A
QUANTITY
SURVEYOR?
So, a quick view on Quantity Surveying…QS’s
are basically the accountants and lawyers for
construction and engineering projects.
It’s their job to work alongside the Project Manager
to ensure that a project is delivered successfully
on time, and on budget - simple as that!
Well not really... in fact, far easier said than done…
UTILITIES
WHAT DO WE DO?
Construction and Engineering projects
can be highly complex, with multiple
unknowns and many risks. They require
constant guardianship to try to forecast
and resolve issues before they arise,
and to work to find solutions when
unforeseen complications crop up.
Keeping the project on track financially and
ensuring that contract duties are discharged
fully requires resilience, imagination and
optimism! As the QS, you need to try to get
the project team to work together to do all of
this stuff, whilst maintaining the time and cost
schedules that were set at the start of the
project…because clients do not like to start
out with a figure of how much their project
will cost, only to find out that cost doubles
and they don’t get the keys to their shiny
new facility when they thought they would!
The Quantity Surveyor’s role is challenging,
we need to operate the contract
mechanisms appropriately to keep the
parties on track, and should be clear on
who should be doing what and by when.
Crucially, we also need to know our budgets,
and who should be paying for what and why.
Construction and engineering projects
are unique, no two sites are exactly
the same. You will always find different
problems, and as Quantity Surveyor your
resourcefulness and rigour is essential in
keeping the team on track to achieve
successful project completion.
There is no sugar coating it, it’s a tough
job, and takes dedication and passion
- but it’s also a highly rewarding and
exciting career when you get onboard!
OUR PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY
In the mid nineties as technology was
evolving, a lot of industry commentators
predicted the death of the Quantity
Surveyor as a profession, but actually they
couldn’t have been further from the truth.
OK, fair enough, we were no longer often
required to ‘survey quantities’, but we
evolved to offer an even more essential
service to the ever growing construction
and engineering sectors. We had to
adapt, and adapt quickly…and now
we are more in demand than ever!
We QS’s are survivors and gamechangers,
and our profession is known, respected
and valued now more than it ever was. To
stay at the top of our game, we need to
learn new things all the time – and we do!
So what skills do you need to be a QS? To
become a good QS, first and foremost you
need to be adaptable. Yes, enthusiasm,
curiosity, and eye for detail and numbers and
a real desire to be part of the UK construction
and engineering sector is obviously helpful,
but if you are adaptable and open to new
learning you will never go far wrong.
The sectors we specialise in are critical to all
our futures – power, transport, infrastructure,
health and pharmaceutical. These sectors
innovate and evolve with society’s needs
and those needs are constantly changing.
Of course, there will always be a need to
understand the project mechanisms, its
stakeholders and the way the jigsaw of
information, trades and people is intended
to come together…and it will always be
the QS’s job to hold project players to
account, financially and contractually.
Money and time matter – a lot! So clients
will always want people in their teams to
keep an eye on these things to ensure
everyone is accountable for their role in
ensuring successful project outcomes.
An eye for detail, an ability to analyse
and assimilate multiple sources of
information, good communication
and networking skills and a positive,
determined outlook are essential too.
WHY JOIN US AS AN MSC APPRENTICE?
We understand that when you come out of
University, it might not have been your first
thought to seek out an SME to work for. In
fact you’ve probably been guided to do
the complete opposite through your career
journey so far. But we are proud to be an SME.
As an SME’s we are small and mighty. We
are a business with the exact same agility
as you will need to have in your career as
a QS. We’ve been through 3 recessions
in our 2 decades in business, and kept
our QS team intact each time. We adapt
and we improve and we get stuff done!
We set ourselves challenges and have the
structure to make changes happen quickly….
very quickly! We believe this means we can
stay ahead of the curve, constantly evolving
and flexing to meet the ever changing
demands of our clients. We are at the coal
face and see the realities early, which mean
we can make quick decisions to adapt
and change to stay ahead of the curve.
So what’s different about starting a
career with us? We care. We have a
dedicated People and Performance
Team who work with every single person
in the business to progress their personal
career development plan. We never hold
people back and wait for a vacancy to
come up, if you’ve developed your skills
to the next level, then we create a new
role for you. We are a people business,
and our people are our business.
Ours are demanding jobs, and we need to
look out for each other and step up to the
plate when someone needs a hand. We are
proud of our people and their commitment
to their colleages and our clients, and we
value and support them...all of them. They
are the face of our business, our brand, our
reputation. So that means we are picky.
We look for more than good exam results
and qualifications – we hire on attitude. We
give our people the freedom to challenge
themselves and bring new ideas to fruition.
Working for an SME means you are
seen as an individual, visible, a real
person. If you do great stuff, it will get
noticed. You will not be a number in
Solomons, you will always be a name.
Come join us!
Head Office Centrix House, Crow Lane East, Newton-e-Willows, Merseyside WA12 9UY
Tel 01925 273330
www.solomonseurope.com