Sample Surveying Personal Statement
I have always been fascinated by the built world around us. As a child, this took the form of being awestruck by large buildings and structures. As I grew up, I developed an interest in not just buildings in their finished form, but the process of their construction as well. The UK has undergone a great deal of development over the past decade, and I was always interested in watching the gradual process of construction that took place in my home town and places nearby. My understanding of both architecture and construction has naturally become more and more sophisticated as I have matured. In parallel with this passion for buildings, I have also always been interested in the business world. I have wholeheartedly enjoyed business studies at both GCSE and A-Level, and have supplemented this interest by reading the business sections of the main broadsheet newspapers.
My original ambition in life was to become an architect. However, it is perhaps unsurprising that when I discovered the overlaps that exist between buildings and business, my career aspirations would change in this direction. Now it is not the process of designing buildings that most interests me, but the costs and management side of building. After immersing myself in the blogs and resources of RICS’s surveying-360.com, I have become fascinated by all of the behind-the-scenes work and logistical considerations that go into creating buildings. As a result, I am now set upon becoming a quantity surveyor.
Over recent years I have developed my interest in the building industry and gained a practical experience of it through two different work placements. In May I did a placement at a local architecture firm. I learnt a great deal about the processes behind bringing a building project to fruition. In particular, I learnt about the numerous factors that have to be taken into consideration, whether they be design-related or issues such as planning regulations. I also gained experience in using CAD software, as well as a deeper appreciation of the design process. In July, I did a second placement at another architecture firm. It was here that I reached the final conclusion that it is the surveying side of the industry that interests me. I was involved in the creation of a three-dimensional model of a tree house; I came to realise that model making required a different set of skills than those that I wanted to base my career around. In the placement I spent a significant amount of time with both architects and quantity surveyors. Whilst I admire and respect the work of architects, I found myself much more interested in the work of the surveyors. Inspired by the experience, I have made quantity surveying the subject of my Extended Project Qualification, and have loved every minute of the work that I have put into it.
In addition to the world of buildings and surveying, I have been involved in a wide range of activities which I feel have helped to give me the skills for life in a demanding profession. I was a house prefect at my boarding school. In this position I played an important mentoring role for younger children, and this has helped shape me to be a responsible person. The experience of living in boarding school has also encouraged a sense of independence within me. Outside of school, I spent a summer working as a waiter in the Las Iguanas restaurant chain. The job helped me become accustomed to working under pressure, and also complimented my love of world cuisine.
The sum of these school and work experiences has helped to encourage me to always strive to be a responsible, hard-working person, as well as teaching me important skills such as good organisation and problem solving. I see these as important qualities for quantity surveyors. I look forward to the opportunity to be able to apply them, and of course indulge my great love of buildings, through first a degree in quantity surveying, and then a career in the profession.
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