5 tips to find a M&E quantity surveyor job
Are you looking for a quantity surveyor job? Here we share 5 skills that are worth highlighting on your CV to increase your chances of getting invited to an interview.
Qualifications aren’t everything when you’re searching for a new M&E quantity surveyor job. Quantity surveying jobs can be competitive so it’s worth ensuring you differentiate yourself on your CV, covering letter or application by emphasising not just your essential qualifications but also the skills that make you good at your job.
Once they’ve established that you have the right qualifications and experience, the following skills are what employers are looking for so they know you can do the job and go above and beyond for their clients.
5 skills every quantity surveyor should have
- Negotiating skills
Your ability to reduce project costs and get the most value for your clients is a key requirement of any quantity surveyor job. However, not everyone uses their CV to highlight their negotiating skills and experience getting the best ROI for their clients. Give potential employers a clear reason to shortlist you by referencing these important skills.
- Commercial awareness
Employers are after candidates that look at the big picture as well as the detail. Demonstrating your commercial awareness is really important as it helps to show that you know how internal and external factors impact projects. Our clients want quantity surveyors who will do everything feasible to militate against any negative factors and also maximise opportunities that drive down costs, make time savings and deliver more value.
- Communication skills
As well as being an astute negotiator our clients are also looking for candidates that are great communicators to ensure that contractors and suppliers are clear about their responsibilities from the offset. The quantity surveyor needs to establish these professional relationships alongside other project managers, so communication skills are key.
- Problem solving
The ability to think outside the box, troubleshoot and problem solve is also essential. While you might assume that these skills are inherent to the role of quantity surveyor, employers often like to see examples of how you put them into practice. In fact, a common interview question for M&E quantity surveyors is “describe a situation when something went wrong and how your dealt with it”. Use your CV to show you’re a proficient problem solver.
- Self-motivated
Finally, our clients are increasingly asking us whether we think candidates are self-motivated. They want to hire people who can make decisions in the best interest of the company and their clients, and take a lead without direction. Highlighting projects on your CV where you can demonstrate your ability as a self-starter, motivated and confident leader, can help answer this question.
Please get in touch if you want to discuss your career and next quantity surveying job.
To explore our current M&E quantity surveyor jobs, click here.