Reaping the Benefits

A quick LinkedIn search suggests there are around 2,000 live graduate surveyor vacancies in the UK at the time of writing. The latest RICS figures also add weight to this figure, with data collected in 2021 recording that the number of surveyors working in the UK has risen to more than 70,000 – a number last seen in 2016. For many, it can seem daunting securing that first graduate role.

Value of work experience

Before applying for graduate, apprentice or entry-level positions, it is important that you can demonstrate a tangible interest in the industry. Work experience is invaluable. If you haven’t already looked into summer schemes and paid internships, which many of the big real estate companies offer, now is the time to do it. Be prepared for the competition surrounding these internships and don’t dismiss the smaller, as well as provincial, real estate companies. For example, work experience at a local estate agent is still valuable experience, regardless of the type of surveyor you want to be.

Being able to demonstrate an interest in the built environment generally is paramount. E-mail a partner or manager of the firm to see if you can meet with them and have a chat. Once there, ensure you learn as much about that part of the real estate world as you can, be helpful, willing and ask lots of questions. Work experience and internships are also about gathering research into the industry. Remember that most skills are transferable. Learning how to deal with clients, being involved in valuations, showing prospective tenants and buyers around, and interacting with decision-makers is all valuable and provides content for your CV and any subsequent interviews.

CVs and networking

When it comes to writing your CV, you are promoting yourself. From your work experience, note the main four responsibilities you were given and write them down with your future job role in mind. For example, if your role was to answer the phone, this can be talked about in terms of connecting with prospective buyers or clients and building relationships with them, understanding their motivations and aims in terms of their real estate journey or the management of their assets.

Importantly, work experience placements and internships also enable you to start to build a network. Networking remains an integral part of our industry. Make connections throughout any placements. Get to know the people in the area you want to work in. People you meet might know others more suited to talking to you about your desired specialism. When networking, be authentic. People respond better than if you pretend to be something you are not. Many senior professionals in our industry will tell you that they have got jobs further into their career through having built relationships as juniors.

Interview tips

Finally, once you have secured an interview for that graduate, apprentice or entry-level position, make sure you prepare for the interview. Five top tips:

•  Research the company, the person interviewing you and the backgrounds of the existing team. Be able to clearly articulate what appeals to you about the firm and why you want to work there.
• Identify your key transferable skills that are most likely to appeal to the employer and be able to give tangible examples that demonstrate these skills or personality traits.
• Bring energy and enthusiasm to the conversation – they may be meeting numerous people on the same day and you want to bring fresh energy to the conversation – and ensure the interviewer remembers you.
• Prepare questions for the end of the interview – put some thought into what others are unlikely to have asked instead of asking stock questions.
• Thank them for their time at the end, and if it’s a job you want, don’t be afraid of letting them know this. There’s no harm in telling an interviewer that you are even more excited about the sound of a role than you were before the interview. Employers are looking for people who are excited about the prospect of joining them.

A worthwhile investment

Ultimately you have chosen a career in an industry where no two days are ever the same, the work is challenging and exciting, and the opportunity for growth is openly rewarded. It is also a very collaborative and social industry, and one in which you can see the tangible evidence of your activities as a surveyor in the world around you.

It is a competitive industry for these reasons, and with this in mind, it’s important to invest the time in detailed research of the companies and individuals you approach and meet, using all resources available to you. Take time with each application process and ensure that your answers are unique and express your enthusiasm and motivations for making that application. The extra time will all feel worthwhile once you have landed your first position with your chosen firm.

Nina Zeilerbauer has more than 20 years’ experience in real estate recruitment and co-founded real estate recruitment firm Madison Berkeley with Clare Coe in 2017