Becoming a chartered surveyor takes hard work and dedication. As we have discussed in a past blog, the initial process is called the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) Training Programme. To give you a better insight of what it is like to undergo the APC training at AWH, we caught up with Graduate Surveyor Jeremy Boustead, and asked him to give us an insight into what the training programme involves.
Jeremy joined AWH just over a year ago and is therefore about halfway through the APC programme. All of our graduate surveyors are assigned to one of our Directors and work closely with them on any inspections and reports that are required. In Jeremy’s case, he works alongside Mandeep Jhita, who undertakes valuations in a wide range of asset classes. The work includes many portfolios in an around central London.
Jeremy loves the fact that, as a graduate surveyor at AWH, he is exposed to so many different asset classes and is not limited to a single type of property.
I feel that the broad variety of asset classes I am exposed to is something that really sets AWH apart. I get to join Mandeep on all the inspections he carries out, so I am constantly learning something new.
Preparing for his final interview
Throughout the APC programme, graduate surveyors are required to keep a diary in which they demonstrate how they are achieving the 14 core and mandatory competencies of chartered surveying. This diary is then presented to a panel of RICS qualified surveyors who will perform the final interview, where they question the graduate surveyor to test that they really know and understand the specialist areas.
Jeremy therefore spends some of his time each day ensuring that his diary is up-to-date, and asking questions of Mandeep and the rest of the AWH team to ensure his knowledge is as rounded and complete as it can be.
While we often work remotely, I can always reach out to any of the Directors or other members of the surveying team, who are always really happy to help answer any questions. And when I am in the office, I learn so much. Just being exposed to what the other surveyors are working on is extremely helpful. But I also think that you only really understand the topic when you have physically done it, which is why I am grateful to be able to go out on so many different kinds of inspections.
A fully integrated member of the team
In addition to going on inspections with Mandeep, Jeremy enjoys working alongside Paul Tebbutt, who specialises in development valuations. Jeremy gets to visit development sites with Paul, providing reports for lenders demonstrating that the developer’s projects are on-track and that their development GDV’s are realistic and to provide residual values
For Jeremy, this hands-on approach goes a long way to make him feel like a full member of the team and although he does not have the title yet, he feels like he is already being treated like a chartered surveyor in his own right.
Having been in business for around 25 years, AWH has successfully helped dozens of graduate surveyors achieve their qualifications, something that Jeremy puts down to their inclusive attitude and the fact that the Directors give so much dedicated and focussed time to the graduate surveyor.
The Directors really understand that to become a successful surveyor, you need to be exposed to as much of the role as possible from the very beginning. I have been invited to client meetings and social events, being given the opportunity to speak to clients and discover what they want or need from their valuations. This is especially true for clients in the lending market, where it is really important that the valuers work alongside the lender in partnership, ensuring reports are compiled with the right information.
Final thoughts
Jeremy is already a highly valued member of the AWH team and is on track to becoming a very experienced and capable surveyor. He loves working as part of the valuations team, especially because of the broad range of asset classes he is being exposed to and gaining experience in.
If you are considering becoming a chartered surveyor and would like to join the ranks of successful graduates who have been through AWH’s APC training programme, please contact us on 0800 071 5517 or email admin@awh.co.uk.