Are you looking to apply for an online quantity surveyor job? Or perhaps you’re having difficulty adjusting as a home-based quantity surveyor? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then this article is for you.
But before we begin, let us discuss what a quantity surveying job is first. A quantity surveyor is an engineer who specializes in making sure that construction projects remain within the allocated budget. They ensure the acquisition of resources such as labour, materials, and equipment are on time and within budget. It’s another in-demand online job as of today.
Their role is similar to that of estimators in that they too manage the construction projects finances and keep the project running smoothly. One main difference between the two is scale. A quantity surveyor deals with larger and more complex building projects, while an estimator usually deals with smaller commercial and residential projects.
Duties and Responsibilities.
Yes, I know this is still not the main topic of this article. But aside from knowing what your role is, you should also know your duties and responsibilities. Your duties and responsibilities include:
- Prepare tender documents, contracts, bills of quantities, budgets, and other critical documents to be presented to clients or site engineers.
- Keep track of materials and order more if required.
- Liaise with site managers, contractors, clients, and subcontractors.
- Ensure the best deals are made by scrutinizing contracts and maintenance and material costs.
- Document any design and budget changes and update the budget accordingly.
- Establish and maintain professional relationships with external and internal stakeholders.
- Advise managers and clients on improvements and new strategies for the construction project.
- Remain proficient in using Microsoft Office tools, Microsoft Excel in particular, and Computer-Aided Design tools such as Planswift, AutoCAD, and Revit.
With such duties and responsibilities comes an appropriate salary. The salary range for a new full-time online quantity surveyor job is from Php 18,000 to Php 23,000. An experienced home-based quantity surveyor can expect to earn from Php 37,000 to Php 52,000.
With that, here 9 essential skills to become a sought-after quantity surveyor.
Technical Skills
Becoming a quantity surveyor is not something you can learn from a few nights and a seminar. You need hard technical skills to apply in your craft.
You need to be adept in engineering science for structures to make sense. You should also have a background in building and construction. You might even be asked for feasibility studies for projects. How do you do that without enough training and experience?
Build your technical skills to provide the best solution for your client’s problems.
Math Skills
Construction is heavily reliant on engineering theories and laws. And this comes with math as its language. You should be great at solving mathematical equations and expressing key structural points with computations.
Also, you will use your math skills in the financial part of the project. It’s indeed a crucial skills for sought-after quantity surveyors.
Analytical Thinking
Equipped with technical and math skills, you should now apply them in your problem-solving. What do you focus on based on the specifications of your client?
You should have the analytical skills to interpret the data available. And find the needed solution for the problems at hand,
Budgeting
As a sought-after quantity surveyor, budgeting is one of your main jobs. With all the materials needed, how much would it cost? Is it doable with your client’s budget and the estimated time of completion?
Your budgeting skills will make or break the feasibility of the project.
Computer Skills
Gone are the days of manual tracking of expenses, budgets, and computations. Also, computers aid us in having as much accuracy as possible in our estimations. After all, a single mistake may cost a lot of money when left unchecked.
With this, you should know programs that can assist you like Google workspace, Autocad, and more. Hone your computer skills to make your job easier and more reliable.
Negotiation Skills
Sometimes, the budget constrains what you can actually do. Can there be a solution to this? It’s where your negotiation skills will come into play.
You should know how to negotiate better deals for your client so that, if possible, you can match their ideas with their budget available.
Communication is Key for your Job.
As a quantity surveyor, a large part of your job requires you to interact with a wide variety of people. These interactions can range from reporting to your clients about the construction project’s status to negotiating with suppliers. To present yourself properly during these scenarios, you will need to hone your communication skills.
When I say communication skills, I’m not just referring to your ability to present your ideas and suggestions with confidence to your listeners. I’m also referring to your ability to listen and understand the other person’s side as well. Honing your communication skills allows you to avoid misunderstandings and establish a good rapport with your clients, suppliers, etc.
Collaboration Skills
You will not be working alone in this field. More often, you will work with other engineers, construction workers, architects, and so on to make the project a reality.
You should have the collaboration skills to consider all ideas and create the best structure possible.
Up-to-Date
With advancements in technology, there will be innovations and changes in your field. It can be a new way of construction. Or maybe a new trend. You should be up-to-date with the latest developments.
Make sure to follow groups or pages that are relevant in your career. Also, thought leaders can be a good source of information as well. If you’re up-to-date, you can be adaptable with the changes and be relevant in the long run.
Conclusion
And we’re done! I know that adapting to this new work setup can be difficult. But with enough practice, you can regain your old work rhythm again.
I hope that you will find these skills to be of use to you, either while you search for work or while you are working. If you’re looking for opportunities in this field, here are some remote careers that you might be interested in. Cheers!
