In response to your question (Is there a chronic shortage of QSs in the UK? QS News, 16 September), I had been working as a QS for two years before arriving in the UK and have a BSc Hons degree in quantity surveying from Malaysia.

Even though this degree is RICS accredited, I still find it difficult to find a job as a QS or even junior QS. As for my husband, he is lucky as he has a BSc degree in quantity surveying from a UK university, which has allowed him to legally work here for almost four years. He also obtained the chartered membership of the RICS in September last year. I believe that a career as a QS in the UK nowadays is highly challenging, particularly with huge demands for surveyors to work on high-profile projects such as retail and commercial developments, housing, schools and future Olympic projects.

Attention is not being paid within the UK construction industry to potential talent from abroad, which could compensate for these shortages.

With a lack of interest from graduates within the UK joining the surveying environment, there will always be opportunities for companies to recruit staff from outside the UK and EU. While some companies have begun to recruit overseas QS professionals from the Middle East and Far East to work on projects in the UK, most remain passive, probably due to problems obtaining work permits or a lack of knowledge on how to seek the untapped talents in the first place. Others might feel that only those who graduated from the UK can work for them. With all of these in mind, I would recommend these companies throw away all scepticism about finding the external human resource to fulfil the requirements in the UK.

Most of the rejections I receive mention my degree and lack of experience of working on UK projects. My issue therefore is how can I develop my skills, knowledge and career if there are no companies that will give me the opportunity to work here.

To address the shortage, why are companies so fussy when selecting QSs?

To counter this, I am taking an MSc in project management in construction from a UK university. Hopefully, when I am graduating next year, there will be a company out there who will understand my situation. Even though I do not have working experience in this country, I have proved to myself for the last two years that I can work and learn as a competent QS. And in my opinion, experience occurs when you work and learn, and knowledge comes as a result of that experience.

Farhanah Zahari, (Graduate member of RICS), University of Salford

Source

QS News