Junior Quantity Surveyor Review

Massively enjoyed it, I'm in the right industry and more importantly the right role for me. This was confirmed through doing this placement, as it was just fantastic.

I was essentially treated as an Assistant Quantity Surveyor during my placement which is a role that is valued across all big projects around the world. The Senior QS who I was working under genuinely needed my help on tasks as the workload for the projects I worked on was huge. Furthermore, my project manager and site managers/engineers appreciated me as I would help and do whatever tasks they needed from me too.

The guidance and support I received was perfect. I have received valuable support not just directly from the team I was working with but also from external companies involved in the project such as the client's PQS and other sub-contractor's estimators too. All of this was massively helpful as I was able to learn about client side, the contracting side and the sub-contracting side to my role all in one placement.

Very busy, as I was working on two projects both worth over £40m. There wasn't too many days where I was bored. Always plenty of work to do.

A lot more than expected, I was directly talking to sub-contractors and negotiating the rates and contingencies (in packages worth up to £500k). However, in the big picture I noticed that compared to my employees I wasn't a big fish in this project. But to be directly involved in a package like that was such an eye-opening experience. I wouldn't say I was running the show but I was given responsibility and I enjoyed it.

I probably learnt more in this 10 week placement than I will in my first two years of university and that is probably an understatement. I really enjoyed university but in lectures the theory isn't applied to the real work enough so to learn the theory and then get to apply it to a real project was so invaluable. However being on this project and being able to work was important as it has allowed me to know which topics to prioritise.

To be honest at the proper office it was fairly dull there would be moments that were fun. However this is down to the fact that it was Summer and the industry I am seems to slow down in the Summer, furthermore the team I was initially with were busy people all that the top of their professions, and were out of the office quite a bit. But once I was on site, I can't lie everyday was different and there was always a time in the day where I would be laughing non-stop for a good 5 mins. Everyone from the directors to the graduates were great characters and easy to talk to.

It was very well organised, I wish there was a way for me to be sorted with some sort of transport (company car) but for a 10 week placement that is a lot to ask. This is because in Construction you have to travel a lot, I used my parents, mates and public transport to get to work. But it was during the days I noticed that it's not about just being at one place you will have to visit multiple locations in a day. So if I had a car I think I would've been a better employee as I would've been able to do more in the time.

They gave me the right equipment, stationary, access to technology apps, access to training and courses. Literally everything I needed to learn.

I believe they are very promising, the company is looking to invest in its next generation especially in the profession I have chosen. I am 90% sure that I have secured work for at least the next two years (more placements and industrial year out).

I believe we are all spread out (graduates, apprentices, placement students). So it wasn't anything I thought about. There were a couple of graduates in my site team and we all got on well (car sharing, night out).

It's my hometown so nothing new, as we're close to London it's pretty pricey. But that's nothing to do with the company I worked for as they're based internationally.

Same as above, nothing new, good transport links to other places for nights out, but pricey.

Not really but I was here for a short period of time, plus it's the Summer period (people go on holidays). There were a couple of socials but nothing else past that. I'm sure if I am here for a longer period of time that will be different.