Apprentice Quantity Surveryor Review

My role is to aid Senior Quantity Surveyors, this involves subcontract management, subcontract payments, setting up enquires working with the design department and managing different cost associated with projects. I will regularly go to site although I am based to the office. While on site will be able to see how the project is progressing. Another positive of attending site regularly is I am able to speak to site based colleagues who are based on the same project, this will help produce Cost to completes. This will enable me to see what previous costs was incurred and what costs we will incur in the future.

Since I have started my apprenticeship it has developed and improved a number of skills. One of the main skills I have developed is my organisation skills, I have to be organised so I get all me work done, attend site when required and attend meetings on time. If I'm not organised it maybe effect colleagues negatively and not just myself. I have also improved my people skills. On a daily basics I have to speak with new people this may be internally(Admin) or externally(Subcontractor).

I very much enjoy my Apprenticeship programme that I am currently undertaking. One of the main reasons for this is due to the responsibility I have been given in such a short period of time, I enjoy this as when I attend site and see the work I have done office come into place. Another reason is it's different every day, there is always something changing or I am learning something new off my fellow colleagues.

I attend work 4 days a week and attend college 1 day a week. While at work I am progressively given more responsibility and given new tasks. This means I am able to develop my skills as a Quantity surveyor at a good manageable pace. At colleague I am given topics to work my way through and given deadlines to hit.

I am given a great deal of support, there is also someone I can see to help me with any problems I have. My mentor and line manager are always on hand to help me out and give up time to guide me what to do. If I come stuck with an issue they try to use their knowledge and experience to aid me.

My training provider will always help and speak to me while at college. As soon as I submit my work he will try to mark and provide me with helpful feedback. He provides me with achievable targets and deadlines to hit to make sure I stay on track and therefore mean I will be successful in achieving my qualification.

My qualification helps me gain a basic understanding of construction work in general, for example the different types of plant and when and what situation it is best to use them. So when I meet the Site Agent to prepare a cost to complete and he informs of the plant different required I will have an understanding of what plant that is and why we need it.

5 a side is often the go to extra-curricular activities, after work 10-14 of us go to the local 5 a side pitches and play for a hour. It's a good laugh and get to talk and see people outside our work team. We have even done interoffice competitions. Another social activity we do is one Friday every month we pick something to do as a team, this is often in are dinner so most of the time it involves food.

Yes

I would recommend JN Bentley for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons is as soon as you start you feel part of the team, you don't feel new or not as valuable as other parts of team. Another reason is that colleagues such as your mentor and line manager will always make time for you, if you don't understand something they will help until you do understand. I would also highly recommend JN Bentley as there is a good working environment, you get your work done but you can always have a bit of banter and have laugh.

My first bit of advice is to be honest to who you are, don't make yourself out to be someone your not. I would also advice you to be confident, if you are successful in getting to the interview it's because your application was good but that doesn't matter unless you make yourself stand out and show yourself off when it comes to the interview. It does matter if you feel like your making yourself look a bit of an idiot as long as the employer is impressed. You won't feel an idiot if you get the job.