Technical interviews for surveying jobs: what graduates should expect

Technical interviews are more common for jobs in building surveying than quantity surveying but some quantity surveying employers may include technical questions as part of their assessment process. However, as careers in both quantity surveying and building surveying are open to graduates from all degree backgrounds, many employers in this sector tend to focus on soft skills and the ability to develop technical knowledge rather than testing technical skills specifically.

Where they do occur, technical interviews are used to assess your fundamental knowledge of surveying and to see how you approach solving problems. Technical interviews will normally take place at second interview stage or part of an assessment centre.

What to expect in technical interviews

The typical starting point for a graduate technical interview is a discussion of project work you have completed. You’re also likely to explore subjects from your degree that you are particularly interested in or are relevant to your chosen sector. In a building surveying interview you may be presented with photos of buildings and asked to point out defects or make suggestions for remedial works. You may also be asked how you would tackle some broader surveying problems or hypothetical situations.

What graduate recruiters are looking for

Technical interviews are as much about communication as they are about giving correct answers. In fact, getting the right answer isn’t necessarily as important as demonstrating the approach you take: to an extent, it's not what you say, but how you say it. Explain your reasoning as you give your answer. Even if you are presented with an unfamiliar topic or subject area, have a go. Explain what further information you need, what you deduce are the key issues to follow up on and the logical steps you would take to get to an answer.