Building Surveyors play an important part in the construction industry and a vital role in every related project. They are responsible for surveying and inspecting buildings and providing advice on their construction, repair, and maintenance.

Job seekers applying for these positions need a well-crafted CV has demonstrates their expertise in relevant planning laws, safety regulations, and energy efficiency programs.

Securing one of these well-paid jobs requires standing out from other qualified candidates, which is challenging in today’s highly competitive jobs market. Read on to find out how to do this.

This page is a guide on how to present your skills and experience in a CV when applying for a Building Surveyor role. It includes prewritten examples along with a list of qualifications and achievements that employers typically seek.

By: Iejaz Uddin – 2 July 2024

 

Areas to focus on in a Building Surveyor CV

Concentrate on highlighting your relevant experience, technical competencies, soft skills, achievements and future potential. Including all of these will demonstrate your expertise and value to potential employers, making you further noticeable.

Recruiters are particularly interested in a candidate’s past achievements and it’s often the first thing they look for when scanning a CV.

 

Achievements example:

“Successfully involved in a project that required the surveying and construction of a multi-million-dollar commercial property.”

 

Building Regulations

Stress your knowledge of all relevant local and national building regulations and codes. These will reassure a hiring manager that any building you survey, will be designed, constructed, and renovated in compliance with safety, accessibility, sustainability, and energy efficiency standards.

 

Surveying techniques

Mention your skill in using the latest surveying tools and techniques to inspect, measure and document building dimensions and conditions. Additionally, tell them about your ability to write clear, detailed, and accurate reports that summarize survey findings and recommendations.

 

Project Management

A must have skill is being able to develop comprehensive project plans, which define a surveys scope, objectives, timelines, and resource requirements.

 

Communicating

You must be a good communicator who can effectively convey technical information, findings, and recommendations to various stakeholders. This include being able to explain complex concepts, building defects, and survey findings in a straightforward manner.

 

Building Surveyor CV example

 

Maxine Curry
Address
T: 0123 456 7890
E: info@dayjob.com

PERSONAL SUMMARY

A fully qualified Building Surveyor who looks professional, is presentable and has the skills and experience needed to give advice on building design, construction, maintenance, repair, refurbishment and restoration. Maxine is a driven individual who wants to progress her career quickly to a senior level and eventually manage her own portfolio of clients and projects. She has the specialist knowledge and ingenuity needed to maximise value, minimize risk and achieve outstanding results. On a personal level she is motivated by success, displays an adaptable persona and is confident with managing change and resources. Furthermore, she has the communication skills needed to handle negotiations with landlords, contractors, and Local Authorities. Right now, she would like to join a company that offers a wide range of experiences and challenges to the successful applicant and which will make a real commitment to ensuring that her future career development and training needs are met.

 

CAREER HISTORY

BUILDING SURVEYOR – Start Date – Present
Employers name – Location
Responsible for identifying building defects and then advising on their repair and maintenance options.

Duties;

  • Supporting the full delivery of multiple building contracts across the business.
  • Assisting with the preparation of tender documentation.
  • Carrying out building surveys.
  • Determining the condition of existing buildings and writing up reports on them.
  • Writing up technical briefs, specifications, drawings and other contract documents as required.
  • Being the key point of contact for third party architects and contractors.
  • Ensuring projects are delivered on schedule and within the agreed budget.
  • Producing clear and concise written reports and recommendations.
  • Advising on the appointment of contractors, designers and material procurement.
  • Preparing planned preventative maintenance schedules.
  • Carrying out feasibility studies.

JOB TITLE – Start Date – End Date
Employers name – Location

JOB TITLE – Start Date – End Date
Employers name – Location

 

KEY SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

Professional

  • Pre-acquisition and due diligence surveys.
  • Can act as Project Manager on property developments and refurbishments.
  • Working with other Building Surveyors as part of a team.
  • An enquiring mind with a high level of attention to detail.
  • Ability to manage time effectively, prioritise tasks to ensure that deadlines are met.

Personal

  • Ability to work independently or as part of a team.
  • Enthusiastic and keen to develop their career.
  • Presenting a professional image when dealing with clients.
  • Prepared to travel and stay away overnight.

 

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Building contracts
Building regulations
Cost assessment
Defect analysis
Lone working
Advising clients
Refurbishment work
Cost estimates
Feasibility studies

 

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS 

University name  –  Degree details               Study Dates
College name      –  Qualifications                Study Dates
School name       –  Subjects / Grades          Study Dates

 

REFERENCES 

Available on request.

 

 

How to write a Building Surveyor CV

When writing your CV use the reverse-chronological CV format, as it prioritizes experience over skills or education. This is crucial in an industry that values career progression as well as experience and understanding of the role’s responsibilities.

 

Beat the ATS

Remember that your CV needs to pass through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) before it is even seen by a human. The best way to do this is by incorporating in it industry-specific keywords, terminology and phrases from the job description.

 

Target the job

Targeting a job with your CV involves customizing it so that it aligns closely with the specific requirements and preferences of the position you’re applying for. The key to this is being able to understand the requirements of the role and having a good idea of the key skills, qualifications, and experience that the employer is seeking.

 

Mention your ability to:

  • Determine the condition of existing buildings by looking for defects.
  • Write and prepare specifications for repairs and maintenance work and major repairs.
  • Liaise with local planning bodies, construction workers and other professionals.
  • Ensuring projects are completed on budget and to schedule.
  • Maintain accurate and up to date administrative records.
  • Make sure a construction, repair or building project remains in line with its budget.

 

Describe your experience of:

  • Work extra hours to meet report or project deadlines.
  • Travelling to sites and working outside in all types of weathers.
  • Relevant legislation, codes of practice, legal documentation, and court procedures.
  • Advising on the preservation and conservation of historic or listed buildings.
  • Developing strong working relationships with clients.
  • Providing advice in relation to legal and planning issues.

 

Contact information

At the top of your CV sits your personal information, where you give your name, job title, address, email, phone number, and LinkedIn profile. This is the first place a hiring manager will look to if they need additional information or want to schedule an interview. It’s important the contact details you give are up to date and correct, the last thing you want is to be uncontactable because of a simple spelling mistake.

 

Building surveyor personal summary

Residing just below your contact details is your personal summary, which serves as an introduction to your CV. It’s a short paragraph in which you can have a direct ‘conversation’ with the hiring manager. If worded correctly, it can set a positive tone for your job application and motivate the reader to keep reading your CV.

Use this section to market yourself as an experienced and fully qualified applicant capable of meeting the role’s demands.

 

Example:

“Maxine is an expert at assessing and reporting on construction related defects and on ways to improve building projects.

As per your requirements she has over 5 years’ experience of determining the condition of existing buildings to identify issues and then analysing these and finally coming up with proposals for repair. Furthermore, she is an expert in energy efficiency, environmental impact and sustainable construction.

On a professional level she is always learning and committed to maintaining up-to-date knowledge of industry standards and best practices.

Right now, as an ambitious individual, she is seeking an exciting and rewarding new opportunity with a thriving company like yours.”

 

Work experience

As a direct link to your past employment, this is one of the most visited parts of your CV. It can lay the foundation for your future career path, because it’s here that you can highlight your previous work achievements. A compelling description of what you’ve previously done can significantly increase your chances of being shortlisted.

Given its importance, you need to highlight experiences from your past jobs that demonstrate your ability to perform tasks and responsibilities listed in the job description.

Try to illustrate how your contributions in previous positions positively impacted on building projects and achieved the desired outcomes.

 

Example:

BUILDING SURVEYOR – Start Date – Present
Employers name – Location
Responsible for overseeing the delivery of repairs projects to mixed tenure tenements across a wide geographical area.

Duties;

  • Advising on the feasibility of a building project, and how much it might cost to carry them out.
  • Assisting architectural colleagues with design work and CAD drawings as and when required.
  • Working alongside an established team of knowledgeable professionals.
  • Attending and actively contributing to regular team meetings.
  • Assisting in preparing and reviewing project documentation, including drawings and reports.

 

Building Surveyor Skills

Building surveyor wear many hats and have to possess a wide range of skills needed to identify defects and advise on repair, maintenance and restoration options.

An often overlooked one is having a reasonable level of fitness and mobility. This is physical job that involves working on building sites, scaffolding, and in difficult spaces.

All in all, an impressive skills section can greatly improve your job prospects and increase your chances of being interviewed. If you have the required skills, then ensure they are prominently featured in your CV.

 

Skills to mention in your CV:

Report writing

Project costing

Condition surveys

Access audits

Feasibility studies

Site inspections

Technical reports

Planning applications

Advising clients

 

Examples of skills to include:

  • Overseeing building work on a busy site.
  • Fire safety assessment and remediation projects.
  • Physically fit and able to climb up ladders and scaffolding.
  • Ensuring compliance with all regulations, standing orders and procedures.
  • Experience of working in a complex and dynamic environment.

 

Education

To become a Building Surveyor, job applicants need a degree in a relevant subject such as building surveying or construction management etc.

In addition to this, they need certain qualifications and certifications related to building surveying, construction management, or other related fields.

Chief amongst these is having chartered status with a relevant professional body such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and having memberships of professional organizations.

All of these academic qualifications go in the education section of a CV, which goes at the bottom of your CV, below everything else.

 

Example of layout:

University name          Degree details             Study Dates

College name              Qualifications              Study Dates

School name               Subjects / Grades       Study Dates