Table 1Transition record

construction general contractortoquantity surveyor

A construction general contractor already meets 37% of what the quantity surveyor role asks for. The move turns on 13 required skills not yet in the profile.

From construction general contractor

37%

Overlap1

To quantity surveyor

17 Skills carried over

13 Required, not held

63.4 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 63.4

This move: 63.4 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the quantity surveyor role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the construction general contractor profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 17 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A quantity surveyor role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a construction general contractor background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held identify customer objectives communication, collaboration and creativity
already held audit contractors information skills
already held monitor construction site information skills
already held monitor parameters' compliance in construction projects information skills
already held communicate with construction crews communication, collaboration and creativity
already held check construction compliance assisting and caring

All 17 carried skills, including the 6 the quantity surveyor role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 24 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 management skills 4 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held finish project within budget required
required, not held manage budgets required
required, not held oversee construction project required
required, not held perform cost accounting activities required

optional, not held carry out tendering optional

02 information skills 3 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held calculate needs for construction supplies required
required, not held control of expenses required
required, not held prepare construction documents required

optional, not held advise on risk management optional
optional, not held estimate profitability optional
optional, not held provide cost benefit analysis reports optional

03 business, administration and law 2 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held cost management required
required, not held urban planning law required

optional, not held project management optional
optional, not held civil law optional
optional, not held quality standards optional

04 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held advise on construction materials required
required, not held order construction supplies required

optional, not held liaise with financiers optional

05 engineering, manufacturing and construction 2 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held building construction principles required
required, not held construction industry required

optional, not held civil engineering optional

06 assisting and caring 1 supplementary

optional, not held follow the statutory obligations optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a quantity surveyor role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 17 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held building codes knowledge
already held communicate with construction crews skill
already held identify customer objectives skill
already held keep records of work progress skill
already held manage contracts skill
already held quantity surveying knowledge
already held advise architects skill
already held audit contractors skill
already held check construction compliance skill
already held communicate with customers skill
already held contract law knowledge
already held coordinate construction activities skill
already held ensure compliance with construction project deadline skill
already held monitor construction site skill
already held monitor contractor performance skill
already held monitor parameters' compliance in construction projects skill
already held real estate market knowledge

The 1 learning area not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 supplementary

optional, not held Monte Carlo simulation optional

11 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held project management optional
optional, not held Monte Carlo simulation optional
optional, not held advise on risk management optional
optional, not held carry out tendering optional
optional, not held civil engineering optional
optional, not held civil law optional
optional, not held estimate profitability optional
optional, not held follow the statutory obligations optional
optional, not held liaise with financiers optional
optional, not held provide cost benefit analysis reports optional
optional, not held quality standards optional

22 held skills the quantity surveyor role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role construction product regulation knowledge
not needed by the target role coordinate marketing plan actions skill
not needed by the target role decommissioning knowledge
not needed by the target role design principles knowledge
not needed by the target role energy efficiency knowledge
not needed by the target role energy performance of buildings knowledge
not needed by the target role envelope systems for buildings knowledge
not needed by the target role follow health and safety procedures in construction skill
not needed by the target role green building practices knowledge
not needed by the target role inspect construction supplies skill
not needed by the target role manage health and safety standards skill
not needed by the target role perform project management skill
not needed by the target role perform quality control of design during a run skill
not needed by the target role plan allocation of space skill
not needed by the target role plan shifts of employees skill
not needed by the target role project commissioning knowledge
not needed by the target role quality assurance methodologies knowledge
not needed by the target role read standard blueprints skill
not needed by the target role renewable energy knowledge
not needed by the target role review construction projects skill
not needed by the target role use safety equipment in construction skill
not needed by the target role zero-energy building design knowledge

9 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held cost management required
required, not held building construction principles required
required, not held construction industry required
required, not held urban planning law required
optional, not held project management optional
optional, not held Monte Carlo simulation optional
optional, not held civil engineering optional
optional, not held civil law optional
optional, not held quality standards optional

Index

Other moves recorded from construction general contractor

Full index of moves from construction general contractor

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.