I've always wanted to be a surveyor ever since I got Lego for my 5th birthday. I built a magical castle fortress which collapsed due to weak structural foundations. Find out how to build something more successful...

Trainee Chartered Surveyor

As a trainee chartered surveyor you will have a wide variety at tasks which you’ll need to deal with on a daily basis. The job of a chartered surveyor is never the same which means that no two days are alike. Chartered surveyors will work on both large scale development projects as well as for domestic clients. They specialize in assessments, as well as consultations in addition they are expected to work reactively if something goes wrong. This adds to the whole lure of becoming a chartered surveyor.

As a person who wants to become a trainee chartered surveyor you will need to possess the following skills:

  • You should have a knack for improvising
  • Be able to follow procedure
  • You should also be able to deal with different clients
  • Have a keen eye for detail so that you can recognize poor construction, material etc. 

The job description of a trainee chartered surveyor

On the residential side a trainee chartered surveyor will help with assessment of properties, as well as spotting construction defects. He will assist the lead surveyor in taking measurements and finding defects. In most cases a trainees will be put in a particular department where they are dealing with a certain type of clientele prior to switching them to a different department. This helps a trainee get a good grasp of the various types of projects he or she needs to handle.

What a trainee chartered surveyor should know?

You are expected to know a number of things which includes government construction guidelines, building safety codes, fire safety protocol and requirements etc. you should also have some knowledge of construction and types of construction so that defects in construction can be spotted. You will mostly be asked to spot low quality workmanship, as well as bad building practices.  In addition as a trainee and then later as a fully fledged chartered surveyor you can expect to be travelling a lot, i.e. to various locations, sometimes even numerous locations during the course of the day.

How much is a trainee chartered surveyor paid

If anything your salary will depend on how good you are and if you are fresh it will depend upon what grades you graduated with. In some cases you may also be expected to work for free for a certain period of time after which you start getting minimum wage. This minimum wage job as a trainee can then last either for a few months or a few years. If you are working for a huge organization switching to another organization where the salary is good is easier provided that you have learnt everything there is to lean.

On average people can expect to be working as a trainee chartered surveyor for around a year in a half. However, if you become very good at what you do you can expect a promotion and a pay raise in under a year even though this is not very common and is usually on a merit bases and also depends upon the company’s policies.