Marianne LK Chong

NAME Marianne LK Chong
JOB TITLE Quantity surveyor
EMPLOYER Franklin + Andrews
DEGREE BSc quantity surveying, University of Greenwich

During my degree I had an industrial placement with my current employer. After graduating I went home to Malaysia for a gap year before joining their graduate scheme. It was great to have a professional career with the opportunity to use the skills I learned at university.

My role

I’m project surveyor on a £2.5 million restaurant fitout. I’m currently preparing the tender document and I have interviewed contractors for the suitable list of tenderers. Upon receiving tender returns, I’ll analyse them and prepare a report with recommendation to the client. I’ll also be responsible for all the postcontract works: attending progress meetings, valuing work as it progresses, assessing variations and settling the final account. Another project I’m working on is a new-build factory in Taiwan for a German client. I liaise with colleagues in our Taiwan office and I’ll be spending a week or two over there to oversee the contract signing. I’ve just passed my APC, which was a huge step forward. I’ll continue to develop my skills and think about broadening my experience into different areas.

I like...

… working with other professionals such as architects and engineers.

The tough bit is...

… keeping on top of variations – some of the postcontract works can be repetitive.

Key tools

1. The computer – to produce reports, estimates and cost plans.
2. Calculator – for costings.
3. Digitiser – to measure plan areas quickly.