Building and Surveying
Surveyors and building professionals play a vital role in ensuring safety, sustainability and efficiency across residential, commercial and heritage properties. From diagnosing structural issues to advising on energy performance, their expertise helps shape the spaces we live, work and play in. This field focuses on the practical, technical and regulatory aspects of buildings, making it ideal for those who enjoy problem-solving, attention to detail and working with real-world challenges. It is a career that combines technical knowledge with people skills.
With growing demand for skilled professionals in areas like building pathology, retrofit and refurbishment, fire safety and property compliance, you can look forward to diverse opportunities across private firms, public bodies and consultancy roles.
To learn more about job roles, typical duties and entry requirements visit Property and construction | Prospects.ac.uk and 9 graduate careers for surveyors | Prospects.ac.uk
- Construction manager
- Building services engineer
- Site engineer
- Historic buildings inspector/conservation officer
- Building control surveyor
- Building surveyor
- Commercial/residential surveyor
- Planning and development surveyor
- Quantity surveyor
- Estimator
- Rural practice surveyor
Further reading
RICS Guide A guide to graduate building surveying jobs and Breaking into the surveying industry.
You may also be interested to learn more about the engineering and manufacturing sector or working in Real Estate
To enter this sector, students require a blend of technical knowledge and applied skills and strengths which can be evidenced through coursework, internships or extracurriculars. Every employer is different so there are no definitive lists here. These are meant as a guide and should be considered in addition to fully exploring role requirements outlined in the person specification, job description and adverts for each role you consider applying for.
- Building pathology knowledge: Understanding how and why buildings deteriorate, and how to diagnose faults.
- Regulatory awareness: Familiarity with UK building regulations, fire safety standards and accessibility requirements.
- Property inspection and reporting: Ability to assess buildings and produce clear, accurate reports.
- Environmental and sustainability insight: Awareness of energy performance, retrofit strategies and sustainable materials.
- IT proficiency: Competence in using software such as surveying software, CAD tools, data analysis platforms, Building Information Modelling (BIM), geographic information systems.
- Communication: Explaining complex findings to clients, contractors and stakeholders in clear, accessible language.
- Problem-solving: Tackling unexpected issues on-site or during assessments with practical, creative solutions.
- Teamwork: Collaborating with engineers, planners and legal professionals to deliver integrated outcomes.
- Adaptability: Responding to changing project scopes, weather conditions or client needs with resilience.
- Leadership: Taking initiative and, in time, managing projects or junior staff.
To develop these skills, Career Zone offers a range of Personal and Professional Development sessions which are available to book on Handshake and run at least once per term. Please also read through the sections about Gaining Experience and Further Study and Professional Development to discover how you can develop your skills through experience and by gaining further knowledge or qualifications.
All experiences ranging from volunteering, active involvement in clubs/societies can help you to build relevant and transferable skills. You may wish to consider involvement in environmental and conservation activities or consider learning a building trade.
Volunteering
- Volunteering in the local community (ESV). Try contacting community housing projects offering support with practical trades such as painting/decorating or landscaping.
- Get involved with heritage or conservation work with organisations like the National Trust and Historic England.
University of Exeter Employability Schemes
- Ask An Alum | Career Zone | University of Exeter get custom careers advice from an alumnus about the sector you are interested in.
- Green Consultants can provide you with knowledge about the environment and sustainability that is beneficial to anyone wishing to work in this area.
- Career Mentor Scheme | Career Zone | University of Exeter you can match with a mentor who has found work in the sector you are interested in.
- Green Consultants: provides you with additional skills and experience required to work in the highly competitive environmental and sustainability sector.
- Career Development for Sustainability – guide to sourcing experience to develop competencies in sustainability.
Speculative applications
Undertaking relevant work experience will also allow you to develop new skills and gain a valuable insight into the sector. As jobs and opportunities are not always advertised, it can be useful to develop your networking skills and apply speculatively. You may find it useful to read our Researching employers page. Here is a guide to writing speculative application.
The websites below hold directories which can be a helpful place to start, when researching potential organisations and people of interest, in addition to LinkedIn.
Finding part-time work
The following resources can assist in sourcing part-time work. General job sites such as BrightNetwork, Indeed and LinkedIn will advertise part-time work. Be sure to use key words such as terms outlined in the “Skills that employers look for” sections of this resource.
Competition can be strong, especially for entry-level positions. Use the following resources to find advertised vacancies.
- RCIS Recruit – jobs board
- bd4jobs.com | jobs | for those interested in building and design
- Construction Job Board
- Grad Cracker for jobs accepting building and civil engineering disciplines
- Property and construction jobs | Prospects.ac.uk
For general information about finding graduate opportunities, please visit our Graduate Jobs page.
Graduate schemes and internships
Structured graduate development programmes typically include:
- On-the-job training, working on live projects with mentorship from experienced professionals.
- Technical workshops, covering topics like building regulations, surveying techniques, and sustainability.
- Professional accreditation support, helping you work toward chartered status with bodies like RICS and CIOB:
- Rotational placements, gaining experience across different departments (e.g. project management, cost consultancy, building surveying).
Search graduate jobs | Prospects.ac.uk for opportunities such as:
- Savills Graduate Surveyor Programme (Savills UK | Careers) — includes rotations across commercial, residential, and development teams.
- Building Surveying Graduate Scheme at Carter Jonas – offering apprenticeships, placement and internships.
Also see:
Placements
If you are interested in finding out more about work placements, you can also access the Work Placements SharePoint via Single Sign-On. This resource covers all aspects of credit-bearing work experiences as part of your degree, including what a placement is, how to apply for them, and bespoke information for international students or those interested in working abroad.
Search by property, building and surveying.
Further sources of support
If you are an international student, visit our international webpages for help finding opportunities both in the UK and globally.
To find opportunities outside the UK use GoinGlobal.
Some decide to undertake further study to build their skills and knowledge of the sector and related occupations. Not all roles or employers will require this, so it is important to research entry requirements and employer preferences before committing to additional training or qualifications. Use the sites below to research your further study options.
Postgraduate study in building surveying (especially RICS-accredited) offers a fast-track into the profession, even for those with unrelated undergraduate backgrounds. It deepens your expertise in areas like building pathology, refurbishment, fire safety and sustainability, making you highly attractive to employers. Many MSc programmes include real-world projects, site visits and industry placements, giving you practical experience before you even graduate.
- For further information about career progression pathways this article helps to understand the Chartered RICS How to become a surveyor | Surveyor profession | RICS
- CIOB professional qualifications Find Courses | CIOB
- Masters degrees include Building Surveying, Quantity Surveying, Urban Planning and Regeneration, Construction Management
- WhatUni? - lists Built Environment postgraduate degrees.
Information and links from professional bodies
If you have studied a related degree, check if your course is accredited by one of the professional bodies. Being a member of a professional body is voluntary; however, it can be valuable for developing networks, continuing your professional development, and generally keeping up to date with what's happening in the sector.
Advice
If you would like to pursue postgraduate study before entering your chosen sector, please visit our Postgraduate Study page for more information about choosing further study. If you are unsure whether further study is for you, you may wish to attend our ‘Postgraduate study: is it right for you?’ session which runs termly. Find these advertised on Handshake.