Quantity Surveying Graduates: Where are they now?

Our Built Environment graduates go on to do some extraordinary things. Studying Quantity Surveying allows students to go on to work on a variety of exclusive construction projects. We've touched base with some of our graduates to find out what they're up to now, and what life is like after university.

Hakeem Mubiru

I had been working in IT but have always wanted to work in construction. I thoroughly researched construction careers that matched my strengths and found the Quantity Surveying course at BCU - I can safely say it was the ideal choice. And just by chance, the Covid-19 pandemic allowed me to step back and start my career fresh.

Apart from the knowledge and skills I gained at BCU, the network of friends and professionals I made during my studies was invaluable. We were a small cohort, which enabled us to work together and form lasting friendships. We still regularly support and keep in touch with each other even after our time at BCU.

I now work full-time as a Graduate Cost Manager at Gleeds. They have helped me obtain the skills and knowledge to do what I do. Some of the things I am doing or come across at work are things I learned in class at BCU.

Shaj Baby

Soon after graduating in Architecture ten years ago, I got an exciting job and enjoyed life with it. During my decade of work experience, I was involved in the most critical construction phases. Notably, I was more interested in analysing and finding solutions to finish the project within budget. That interest became a passion, leading me to pursue MSc in Quantity Surveying.

Initially, I was hesitant to join as a full-time student because of my mature age. After receiving offers from ten Universities across the UK, I decided to join BCU by reading an article about the fascinating experience of mature students at BCU. That decision was a turning point in my life.

I got a job as Quantity Surveyor part-time during my studies, and still, I am working in the same company as Estimator and Quantity Surveyor as Full-time Employee. It is great to meet so many industry experts in my field and still learn new things daily. The schedule of BCU classes was well designed so I could manage the part-time work without struggle.

After graduating from BCU, I joined a Civil Engineering company as Quantity Surveyor. Most importantly, even after the course completion, I got support from my professors regarding career progression advice and guidance. Such valuable help I had never experienced in the past.

Currently, I am working towards achieving Chateredship in Quantity Surveying from RICS. The study material I received from BCU is relevant to the RICS Pathway guide. This made the journey simple.

Subhan Khan 

As an International student from India, I was looking for universities offering MSc Quantity Surveying courses in the UK, and many universities were offering this course. However, what attracted me more towards BCU were the modules they provided, which is why I chose to study at BCU.

I started as an Assistant Quantity Surveyor at Leighway Brickwork. I am currently helping Senior Quantity Surveyor in pre- and post-contractual work, preparing Bills of Quantities, raising queries, and answering clients' queries. This specialised MSc Quantity Surveying course has helped me understand cost and estimation, contracts, and project management in more detail. I am hoping to get a membership in RICS to be a charted Quantity Surveyor.

My advice to current students is to enjoy their time at BCU and engage in graduate+ activities, as these would enhance their soft skills and be very helpful in their professional careers.

Amar Odedra

I landed my graduate role whilst studying for my master's degree. I was lucky to secure employment early on. My best experience has been working in the construction industry in general. You hear about what it's like when studying but experiencing it firsthand is a different level, and I feel BCU and the lecturers did well to prepare us for it.

I currently work on a framework contract with reactive and planned works to do with electricity faults, so all groundwork and excavations are needed to fix electricity line faults. This means a high volume of work, so it reviews works through photos and measures inputted by the labourers and checks if they're correct to bill our clients. For bigger jobs, we do site visits and re-measures if they go into variations and disputes with the client. It's a very varied role.

Graduating with a distinction grade was terrific. Coming from a non-cognate background, I thought I would be disadvantaged, having no previous construction knowledge. Still, ultimately, the hard work ethic and the outstanding lecturers at BCU have made it possible for me to learn about the industry quickly and efficiently and develop a host of knowledge and skills related to Quantity Surveying along the way.

Tapiwa Bhunu 

One of the most popular sayings of Nelson Mandel that, 'The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step' kept me motivated. After juggling the difficult realities of family and work balance in South Africa, I decided to embark on a post-graduate journey.

A post-graduate qualification in Quantity Surveying has a vast number of career paths and opportunities. The core module of 'Advanced Quantification' comes with a variety of skill sets that graduates can always follow in terms of a career path. The subject involves how construction work is quantified in order to obtain the initial cost estimate for construction projects. 

As we are all aware that budgets accounts for 99% of our financial choices, so is it for the construction industry.

Upon graduation I secured the role of Projects Manager with the Black Country Trust Fund. Construction projects are unique and each day presents different challenges. The idea is to embrace the challenges. As a Project Manager, one needs to possess the art of persuasion. The biggest challenge is having to deal with compensable delays, which neither the contractor nor the client are liable for. 

In my instance as a project manager my role involves controlling the approved budget so that the project cost minimises cost overruns from daily activities. This is because the Black Country Trust is allocated a budget every financial year, as part of the Capitals team we submit our proposal and lobby for budget approvals and after the completion of the project costs are audited. Unnecessary costs need to be eliminated as much as possible due to limited budget allocations within the Trust.

My advice to graduates starting out on their careers is that nobody likes to fail, but failure is an essential part of life and of learning. Resilience pays off.