JNRQS

Hi, I am a trainee Quantity Surveyor currently half way through my third year of a five year degree programme to finish as a chartered quantity surveyor. I am looking for some general professional advice. Once I qualify as a quantity surveyor I have strong desire to work in the United States however I understand the role in the United States is different. I am aware my most likely option to be able to work out there is to be sponsored by a employer, I am aware of all the UK consultancies who offer this. However I am not aware of any US employers who will actively sponsor a UK QS?

In terms of the RICS I would like to understand how much importance is placed on this in the United States as I have read varying assessments on the role of the RICS in the US, is there an alternative which is desired by employers? Is there any roles within the QS umbrella which has a larger market in the US, such as Procurement, Contract Management or Estimating for example.

Any advice on the above or other information which is useful would be greatly appreciated,

Many Thanks.

Noorah101

What does a Quantity Surveyor do? I work for an engineering firm and have never heard of this title.

Rene

Noorah101

I would say even if this role fits the criteria for a work visa, it will be difficult to find a US employer willing to spend the money on your visa fresh out of college.

Best bet is to find employment in the UK with a company that has US offices, and after a year of employment, ask for a transfer.

Rene

JNRQS

Hi Rene, A QS is responsible for the commercial side of construction. Putting together the bill of quantities, assessing the costs of variations, assessing monthly valuations and agreeing final accounts (Some roles I have been involved in..)

christmasoompa

It would be worth searching the forums to find other threads from QS's that have asked the same question, unfortunately it doesn't seem to be likely that you'll find a sponsoring employer, but have a read and hopefully you can find out a little bit more about your chances.

Good luck.

md95065

The problem is that the specific "Quantity Surveyor" role doesn't really exist in the US as a separate recognized function handled by a single person.

As far as I know, pretty much everything that is done by a QS in the UK would be handled in the US bye some kind of project manager who (depending on the situation), might or might not also be a licensed Civil Engineer.

Noorah101

I agree. I work in a worldwide civil engineering firm, and those duties are handled by project managers who usually have a PE license.

OP, if you're curious, look at www.parsons.com employment opportunities.

Rene

Hotscot

They're not rare here. Can't really see anyone trying to go through the hoops to employ someone from another country.
What are job opportunities like in the UK for this?
Maybe an intracompany transfer would be more achievable.

scrubbedexpat099

Not uncommon to other Charted type qualifications, there is not a direct translation to the US as they do thing differently, now a prospective Employer may be interested in your work specialism and knowledge in their particular field but not in the particular qualification which most would need to google.

AdobePinon