Jack Tasker
Quantity Surveyor at Vital Energi
How I got here
When I left school, I wanted to be a plumber. I was always interested in building and construction, but I couldn't get a plumbing apprenticeship at the time - nobody was taking people on. So I ended up managing a fish and chip shop instead. They put me through a management training course, which was good experience, but it wasn't what I really wanted to do.
When I was even younger, I'd wanted to be an accountant. My granddad was a bank manager and I remember driving past these flash offices thinking that looked interesting. So I'd always had this interest in the financial side of things as well as the building side.
The turning point came when my wife decided to do a nursing degree. I thought, if she's going to do that, I'll go and do my quantity surveying degree at the same time. That way we could both do it together rather than one being dependent on the other financially. I was 30 when I started - it was a three-year accelerated degree. I paid for it myself at first, worked part-time while I was studying, then managed to get a company to sponsor me to finish it off.
As soon as I finished the degree, I went straight into work with the company that had sponsored me. Then I immediately started my Masters in Construction Law - literally went straight from QS into that. I stayed with that first company for a few years, then moved to another business and progressed from there. Now I'm an account manager, which gives me different opportunities, but I started as a quantity surveyor.
What I actually do day-to-day
The simple version is: I buy major equipment and manage the contracts to make construction projects happen.
Here's how it works. Say we're installing a heat pump system at a hospital. The client wants to hit their carbon goals, we say we can help with that. We put together a cost plan and a programme of works, then create a procurement schedule.
As a QS, I get the specification from the design team and send it out to suppliers - can you give us a price for these heat pumps? I review all the quotations, assess them not just on price but on longevity and serviceability. Then I draft a purchase order and send it out.
But it's much more than just buying stuff. You're working with everyone - the design team, the construction team, the programmers, the accounts department. You're having discussions with clients about contract terms, managing variations and compensation events. You do site visits. You make sure people get paid on a monthly basis.
You're kind of the glue trying to keep it all working together. One minute you're pushing the design team because you need drawings to place orders before you miss the programme. The next you're negotiating with suppliers to improve delivery times because you're already running late. Then you're having discussions with the client about costs and changes.
The other part of the role - and this is where it gets interesting - is the contract side. You're drafting contract terms, managing risk, making sure the wording protects your business. Sometimes clients make mistakes that cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. You need to be able to have that conversation without rubbing it in their face - explaining the impact, the costs, the delays, but doing it in a way that maintains the relationship.
What I enjoy about it
It's so varied. You're not stuck in your own little bubble just working away - you're in it with everybody. You get to go to site, understand the designs, see how everything fits together.
I love the contract side of it. I'm a bit of a stickler for going through contracts and working out how to use specific wording to manage risk - moving it onto their side rather than ours. I enjoy those little discussions, the negotiations where both sides are trying to get to the best position. It's about finding the resolution.
What made me choose this path is that it combines the two things I was always interested in - the building side and the financial side. When I found out what quantity surveying was, I thought: those are my two interests right there. It just worked out really well.
Now I'm in an account manager role because I realised my strengths were in the client-facing side - building relationships, having those contract discussions, creating trust with clients. But it all started with quantity surveying.
What you learn on the job
You need to be organised and have a keen eye for detail. If you put the wrong word in a contract, it can drastically change what you're doing. The financial implications are massive.
Good literacy and numerical skills matter, but you don't need to love pure maths. You need to be comfortable working with numbers, understanding costs, spotting when things don't add up.
Being personable is huge. You're telling clients they've made mistakes that will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. You need to do that without making them feel terrible about it - explaining the full story, the impacts, helping them understand rather than just sending a formal notice and seeing what happens.
You can't be afraid to stand your ground. If you think you're right about something contractual or commercial, you need to be able to have that discussion and not just be a pushover.
Teamwork is essential. You're working with design teams, construction teams, clients, suppliers - all the time. You need to understand what everyone's doing and keep it all moving forward together.
My advice
Show commitment and do your research. Understand what quantity surveying actually is - most people who apply don't. Look into bodies like RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors). Have aspirations to be part of that. It shows you've done the work to understand what's needed to be a good QS.
Get some work experience that shows you can work in a team and graft. Something like working in a fast-paced restaurant where you're serving tables, being part of a team, dealing with an end goal for delivery. That shows teamwork and that you know how to work hard.
Think about short courses that are relevant - report writing, presentation skills, maybe project management. These are things we do all the time and they'd show you understand what the job involves.
The covering statement matters more than the CV when you're coming from school. Your CV won't have much on it - you're selling the person, not the experience. Make your experiences relatable to the job. If you worked in a restaurant, explain how dealing with difficult customers relates to handling difficult conversations with clients or suppliers.
Have a career plan. Understand that QS might be a means to an end - maybe you want to end up in adjudication, or construction law, or something else. Having that insight and being able to articulate it makes you stand out.
The key is showing you're interested in this specific job role, not just sending applications to see what sticks. Be engaged, be switched on, show genuine interest in what you're applying for.
There's a massive shortage of quantity surveyors at the moment. It's unbelievable. If you've got the right mix of skills - comfortable with numbers and literacy but also good with people - and you show commitment and understanding of the role, the opportunities are absolutely there.
