Sherise McKinnon

NAME Sherise McKinnon
JOB Commercial trainee
EMPLOYER Wates Group Ltd
QUALIFICATIONS BA English language and communication studies, Kings College London; MSc quantity surveying, London South Bank University

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after graduating but temping in an estate agency sparked my interest in property. The breadth of work quantity surveyors get to do appealed to me and I applied for my current job directly to Wates.

My role

I’m working on a new-build housing project in South London. I’ve been involved from the beginning of work on site. I’m responsible for selected ‘packages’ (parts of the project such as scaffolding and tower crane), choosing subcontractors, confirming orders, setting up payments and settling final accounts. I’m based in site offices and I’m often out valuing subcontracted works and taking photographs to show construction progress and for record keeping.

’I was worried I’d be at a disadvantage starting work without a surveying degree but this wasn’t the case.’

I was worried I’d be at a disadvantage starting work without a surveying degree but I feel that my employer has invested a lot of time in developing the technical knowledge I lacked to start with. This, along with the MSc conversion course that I’m taking while working, has helped to increase my confidence and understanding of the construction industry.

I like...

... the fact that no day is the same and I get the opportunity to work with a variety of people from different professions.

The tough bit is...

... getting used to wearing work boots instead of heels! I love working on site but it can be quite mucky.

Key tools

1. Scale rule – to measure work and check that variations in the invoices are right.

2. MS Excel – to schedule materials and invoices.

3. MS Outlook – to communicate with colleagues.