7 typical interview questions that Quantity Surveyors should expect

Quantity Surveyors have to deal with a number of technical interview questions (Shutterstock.com)

You won't find a better preparation guide for your upcoming job interview as Quantity Surveyor.

Sometimes it’s hard to let your brilliant abilities shine through when you’re nervous, sweaty and paranoid  in a job interview. And if it's a Quantity Surveyor job, it means you'll have to deal with technical questions too. Your hiring managers want to know how well you know your field on top of judging you, your personality and suitability for the vacancy.

Luckily, you can prepare properly by perfecting the answers to these typical interview questions.

What you’ll be asked

1. Do you prefer being office or site based? Why?

2. How would you measure a gross internal area of a building?

3. Could you tell me some procurement routes you are aware of?

4. How do you resolve the cost problems to meet the project deliverables, when your cost forecast is wrong?

5. Talk me through how you would go about determining an initial timescale for a construction project.

6. What is the process to follow for party wall agreements?

7. Describe a recent project you led a team on and tell me what was most and least successful about the project.

Stay up to date with engineering Career Advice tips and the latest jobs in engineering and construction here.

Bonus Tip: Really impress the interview panel by making sure that your answers take commercial concerns into account where appropriate. If, for example, they ask what about the pros and cons of using different material, don’t forget to factor in the cost and time consideration too.

What you should ask:

1. How do you tackle sustainability? Is it important for your organisation?

2. What landmark projects has the company been involved in?

3. What do you enjoy most about your job?

Bonus Tip: If you want to impress, formulate a question about their company specifically: “I know that you’re working on ABC, how does that affect XYZ?”

And finally...

Remember that a company is just looking for potential. They’re probably prepared to train you for the specific role. It is always best to be honest in an interview. If you do not know an answer, do not attempt to make something up – it is always better to just admit not knowing, and show you’re open to learning. Online institutions like Udemy, offer the best place to grow your skill set and advance your career.