Quantity surveyor

Laura Thorpe is a quantity surveyor with Seddon Construction.

How did you get started? 

I decided that I didn’t want to go straight to university. I wanted to embark on a career with training. I wanted to gain work experience as well as studying at college or university. I saw an advert for a trainee quantity surveyor with Seddon Construction and was lucky enough to get the position. They have offices all over the country. I’m based in the Bolton office, which covers the North West.

What new skills do you have?

One of the skills I’ve developed since starting as a quantity surveyor is working as part of a team. You have to work closely with the site manager and also the contracts manager who is responsible for the whole project. You do have to talk to each other and if anything changes on the project make sure your colleagues are kept in the loop.

Proudest career moment?

Probably achieving my degree. I had to do it over five years part-time as I was working at the same time. I used to do a full day at work, 8.30 to 4.30 and then go home, get my coursework out and start writing an essay or doing drawings. So my degree is my greatest achievement.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

There is definitely a positive about being able to learn and also bring home a wage. All my friends were at university. They were living away and having the time of their life but they were all skint! They had no money whereas I was working. I was also studying for a degree, which my company provided, and I got a wage at the same time. I earned money so I was able to go out and enjoy myself and not be poor like my friends.

What’s it like being a woman in construction?

Being a female construction worker is generally perfectly fine. People have this misconception that it’s a man’s world – which it is to a certain extent, but women fit in fine. You find that more and more women are choosing to take up construction careers and construction apprenticeships, which is definitely a good thing.

Any advice about how to get into construction?

I would definitely tell people to do it! It’s a great industry to be in. There are so many different types of construction jobs. There are trades such as bricklayer, plasterer or joiner, or the professional side such as being a quantity surveyor or architect. Every day is different. You’re meeting lots of different people. To see a project coming to an end once you’ve completed it is very rewarding.

Where next for your career?

The career progression in my job would be to develop more skills as a quantity surveyor and eventually go on to be a managing surveyor or a chief surveyor, and in time to become a surveying director.

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