An end of year update. An end of year return.
You may (or may not!) have noticed that I’ve been a bit quiet on here for a while having taken a well needed sabbatical from the mayhem of running the QS desk here at Brandon James! Back in with both feet and loving speaking to everyone again.
However, I seem to be getting more questions about the market itself than ever before and get the sense that maybe this year has been slightly different to others……
The truth is I HAVE noticed one single difference to the market as it was at the end of 2022.
I’m busier.
I’m helping more clients and more quantity surveyors than ever before.
‘A recruitment Story – Chapter 1’
On my first Monday, a day notorious for getting through to voicemails as Directors and Partners have their typical Monday morning chats, I found myself getting through to clients with ease and in just one day I picked up 9 new Quantity Surveying roles.
But this wasn’t just the usual need for a newly qualified, MRICS QS in London (always a requirement). In fact my note pad was covered with detail about a diverse array of QS requirements across different levels and locations.
What did it include?
· An Assistant QS with 2+ years PQS experience,
· A couple of high-level Associate/AD roles in London and Southampton,
· An SQS (not MRICS) in the Home Counties territory,
· MEP QSs
· A Senior/Associate Director – retail and education,
· …and 3x Project QS roles in London.
I may wear glasses, but they aren’t rose tinted!
I have heard, and do understand, that some of your clients may have been a bit slower in making decisions or have been less proactive with new projects.
However, even over this 6-week period things are changing. It’s getting busier still, and more and more vacancies keep coming in each day.
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Great, but are there any more Quantity Surveyor’s on the market???
The answer is an emphatic YES!
After seven plus years of helping Quantity Surveyors, seven years of searching the deepest darkest corners of the globe for good ones, believe me, I know they are hard to find. But they do exist and for whatever reason I am fortunate to being working with some really great ones at the moment.
Need any of these for your team???
· A bright Assistant? TICK!
· An APC level QS who has good basic training? TICK!
· Cost Managers / Mid level QSs? TICK!
· Project QS – safe pair of hands? TICK!
· MRICS Senior QS (with some EA) – a good one TICK!
· Associate – Director TICK!
Don’t let the past define you.
Opportunity is everywhere.
Whatever has happened this year, put it behind and focus on the here and now.
I learnt that this year.
In closing, I can’t tell you how happy I am to be back helping Quantity Surveyors join PQS / Consultancy practices again. Feels like coming home.
If you are ever recruiting for a good QS, or you are considering a new opportunity, please never hesitate to get in touch.
Director, Brandon James LTD| 01628 367048 | LinkedIn Message Me
CTO at Brandon James
1yYour article offers a refreshing perspective on the dynamic nature of the Quantity Surveying market, especially in the context of 2023's unique challenges and opportunities. It's inspiring to see how your sabbatical has reinvigorated your passion and drive in this field. Your insight into the diversifying needs of clients and the broad spectrum of roles becoming available is particularly intriguing. It seems like the market is not just rebounding but evolving, presenting both new challenges and opportunities. How do you see these trends impacting the long-term landscape of Quantity Surveying, especially with the increasing emphasis on sustainable development and digital transformation in construction?