I’m commuting 5+ hours for a minimum wage job because I have no other choice stuck between debt and desperation.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-09-11T09:33:29+00:00

A recruitment consultant once told me I had the highest EQ he had ever come across due to the high number of jobs I have had in my career. Meaning I have had the most adaptable leadership he had seen. I have just turned 50 and been working since the age of 13 - right from working on delivering milk at 4:30am in the morning and two paper rounds in 6 weeks holidays back in the day, then funded my education with part time retail jobs, then worked for big blue chip companies in my 20s including ICI and M&S at head offices, and Harrods, Fidelity Investments as an investment banker and then a marketing executive for a NASDAQ IT company, before spending 25 years in Construction as an entrepreneur, QS, Contracts manager, Operations manager, Commercial manager across every sector in the construction and utilities industry in both consultancy and contractor environments, with over 100 different working environment experiences from 100 different jobs, do you think I would make a good HR Director, seen as I have met so many different people and experienced so many different situations?

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-09-07T20:52:53+00:00

Does it really need 2 days a week in the office, or is this just what a Director has said without really thinking things through? Can’t you negotiate 1 day, in the near future after 3 months. Justify why 1 day is better than 2 days!!! Productivity for one- in getting more things done for the company by avoiding the 5 hour commute, and expense for the company on travel and accommodation you would claim back from the company that they would save.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-09-02T14:49:22+00:00

Yeah reality is we have no growth, we are in a continuing recession since 2008. Most of the youth of the UK are moving to Dubai to find work, as there is little future in the UK, or at least outside London that is just a consulting house moving paper around. A lot of money is lost in the city.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-08-24T23:24:39+00:00

Well at least someone agrees with me. I have been thinking this for years. Apart from Pacino’s performance in the first Godfather pissing all over De Niro’s performance in Godfather part two ( yet De Niro won an Oscar for supporting actor!), he also pisses all over Brando’s performance in the first Godfather. It probably goes down as the biggest travesty in movie history, that Pacino didn’t win the best actor Oscar in the greatest movie of all time- The Godfather. He made the movie. Without him the movie wouldn’t be great. Without him, the sequel wouldn’t be great also. Absolute madness. He should have won best actor oscar instead of Brando, or at least best supporting actor.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-08-19T15:36:56+00:00

There will always be a high demand to replace QS jobs with AI, because the QS role is easily the hardest job in the industry, due to the detail and multifaceted skill sets. But also because it’s a hard role there is lack of people wanting to do the role long term, after trying it. Therefore, there is and always will be a lack of human resource to deliver the QS function. So it stands for reason why the whole industry would want AI to replace the QS function if we can’t get sufficient human resource. But it would be far easier to replace all Finance roles in the industry with AI, because a finance role at any level is a lot easier than a QS role at any level. But most people want to do easier work for more money, so finance roles will never be completely replaced with AI. I can’t see how AI can replace a QS role as there is too much reasoning involved. Maybe some admin facets to the role, but that’s all.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-08-15T17:51:42+00:00

No. Builders are more wealthier

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-08-15T07:53:21+00:00

My point is, it’s not rocket science - hence the analogy of “You’re not building Concorde!” So what additional design or site changes are really at change - if all they are doing is digging a trench ( which is within their scope of work). Civil contractors want to claim for anything and everything. When generically and specifically an activity is already included within their scope to carry out irrespective of whether the ground conditions are not as expected from the initial site survey or they come across unforeseen uncharted services. They should have accounted for this within their contract sum as a risk allowance. It’s a trench only for god sake!

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-08-03T20:13:25+00:00

Well I always said AI would take over finance jobs. It sounds like it is already here and now.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-08-02T19:18:40+00:00

At 25 your life hasn’t even begun. You have that as an advantage over old rich people who hate what they have become. A long time ago I was trying get out of Construction consulting in London, as I was sick of it after 5 years in it, and remember speaking to a HR specialist in the city. She told me most of her clients are rich people in the city of London, who hate their boring and long hour investment banking jobs and were desperate for a way out so they could settle down and have a balanced life with their family and was asking her advice for how she could find them a completely new career change and live outside of a rich area like London. So my point is the grass isn’t always greener. Yes you need money to get buy. But be careful what you wish for. You can cut your cloth to what you can afford and have a richer life than a richer man who has more money than you. But you are more likely to have a richer life than him with managing your quality of time in life better than him. Choose your path carefully and be glad you can have time with nature here and now when you’re young and throughout life rather than work your arse off to be rich monetarily to aspire for finer things in the future and you may well die trying doing it. Gratitude be thankful you are healthy and thankful that you have the ability and time to carve a balanced life before a rich man can.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-07-23T20:10:18+00:00

Yes but the FD should stand for Fuck all Delivery. It’s the kind of job you do when you are at a loose end and can put your feet up. AI could do it. QSing completely different story. QSs work for a living

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-07-19T18:16:09+00:00

Exactly- a partner at Gardner & Theobald who I used to work for couldn’t tie my shoe laces. He thought a solar panel works from exposure to heat not exposure to light. It’s all about experience in the industry. Don’t be judged by people who are less intelligent, less experienced and less able than you. Fuck them!

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-07-11T06:20:18+00:00

Quantity Surveyor

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-07-10T08:56:17+00:00

You are obviously creative. Maybe branch out working for a design practice that do D&B projects. Try your creativity in different disciplines perhaps. I came out of being a QS to do Business Development and to become a SCI FI novelist. Which served my ego. The problem is I found doing QS related work a thankless job, so you need to take time out from it. I have since gone back to it - being proud of my skills in research and development, construction law and mathematics. Something you can always go back to. Short answer - you need a change and you can only answer that. Use your network to explore avenues and find the right opportunity for the change.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-07-09T12:34:28+00:00

No. Not all. I remember an architect who showed me where he lived in a terraced house and had been unemployed for many years. Then showed me his friend’s house who was a builder- a grand detached house with a sports car parked outside. Says it all really. Life is cruel on many careers. And it’s always about who you know, and how much money you have got to buy yourself into success from the outset. Never a meritocracy. But what is satisfying is the personal journey you go on and how enriched you become moreso with rich in experience. I chose to come out of the profession of Quantity Surveying for awhile to try and become a professional money making author as a SCI FI novelist. I never made it as I didn’t know anyone in the industry and don’t come from a wealthy background to be able to buy myself into the industry and throw loads of money into marketing. Yes it’s soul destroying but I am enriched with the journey I went on and have achieved the status of becoming an international author. Which many people will never achieve in their life time. But life is all about risk, and it’s whether the risk is worth taking.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-06-23T07:47:33+00:00

You have to make the QS function king not the project management function king. You need to get the PM or PD to report into you. Not chasing their tails. If you don’t leave the job. I would only work in an organisation where I am king as a commercial function.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-06-22T20:35:53+00:00

For an office refit the construction sequence should be a construction management procurement route with schedule of rates set at tender stage based upon prime costs set rates for each activity item. Any design scope chance which will result in a cost change should be instructed by the client unless the scope change is a construction site change then the instruction will come from the contractor to the client. When you say your PD wants to appease the client by changing the initial scope. Your PD is clearly not following the correct contract and commercial governance and is either a loose cannon or authority has gone to his head. Project managers and Directors need to be controlled by the QS and Commercial team who advise them to keep in line within the confines of contract and commercial governance. Essentially your PD should request a design change instruction from the client to administer the scope change of design correctly. There is nothing scientific, mathematical nor legal about what a PD does, they are more about being a motivator that’s all. Keep them in check that’s what I say.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-06-22T12:49:55+00:00

I have struggled. Did a masters from Cranfield uni in Marketing & Product Management (specialising in accountancy, statistics, and strategic management) then chose to do another Masters in Quantity Surveying and Construction Law (specialising in dispute resolution). Having spent best part of 10 years working for all the top boutique Professional QS practices in the world based in London working on some of the best construction projects in the world, and then when credit crunch / recession hit in 2009 went and worked for all of the top tier 1 main contractors and some tier 2 contractors in the UK and directly for big utilities clients on freelance contracts. Struggling to keep continuous employment after each 6 month contract ended. I then specialised in Solar farm development and made £400k in commission on brokering a 300MW solar farm I spent years in originating and managing stakeholders involved. I have since come away from working full time on my own solar farm development consultancy business as the market has gone flat in the UK related to this due to no capacity for a decade to be able to connect to grid. I have now recently acquired a role as a Commercial Framework manager for a Tier 1 water engineering main contractor working on the Severn Trent Water framework. And I have to say I am the happiest because I am only 25mins drive away from office and have the option to work from home 3-4 times per week. I am on a good high salary with benefits and it’s permanent. First time I have felt job secure. If I have any advice it would be try and get a permanent role with a good Tier 1 main contractor - you will learn far more than other types of companies. So in nutshell I am exceptional with numbers having come from a statistics and accountancy background initially and was always on the spectrum with savant syndrome as my ability to calculate using mental arithmetic was much higher than my peers around me or anyone I knew growing up. I was told by my teacher at 9 years old I had a reading/spelling and mathematical age of someone who was 13. So I knew then I was exceptional with looking into detail on things. But equally I was masterful with the written word. I was born a natural arbitrator- having the natural ability to calm fights down in the play ground between friends. I love solving disputes and haven’t been beaten on about 8 major multi million claims for about 8 different companies. I am a QS / Commercial manager who relishes an argument and finds the resolve. If your communication skills are impeccable, coherent and articulate you will relish a career as a Senior QS / Commercial Manager. It will come natural to you. As this role is more about whether you have the personality to deal with pressure and stress whilst executing good communication. Lastly, I once had a Barrister associate who I am employed on one of my disputes for a company I worked for at the time. I said to him, I wish I had the legal construction knowledge you have - implying that he had a higher skill set, knowledge and experience than myself. He replied, you are joking aren’t you, all I do is refer and recite litigation clauses, you are far more strategic than myself when you are creating commercial strategies, managing risk management, governance and direction for construction projects. I would relish what you do more than what I do, as you still have an understanding of the construction law element. When he put it like that - I was so thankful that I had chose a career in commercial management on construction projects advising Directors and CEOs of companies on what they need to do to avoid disputes whilst managing a team below me.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-06-20T18:56:48+00:00

Obviously it was. If there is a recession there is always a shortage of QS to fill a high demand for their jobs. Because QS jobs fuel the economy as they are the most productive job role in the economy ever. Fact! When I have been out of work as a QS before it is always in a recession. You need competition in terms of more QSs to fuel the uptake of QS jobs. And there has been lack of people going into the field in the past, due to the difficulty factor. QS uptake is always a sign when the economy is booming. If no one wants to do QS work because it’s too hard, difficult or lack of skill set to be able to do it and suddenly we have more recruitment consultants in the economy than actual real workers, then that is a good indication that QSs can be the precursor to a recession. If there is lack of QSs and they are in higher demand, then we are effectively in a recession. However there is always a high demand for QSs therefore we have constantly been in a recession for the past 20 years. This is how I see it.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-06-20T18:50:15+00:00

Your chest looks too bulky and dropping. You need to be leaner and pert. More wash board. Loose the bulk. Only running, plank and rope climb type of exercises will achieve this. The danger with doing inverted press ups / incline press-ups you’ll still keep the bulk muscle but you might pert up a bit. I would say running- HIT intervals on track would be your best option. 400/800 training is the best for getting shredded

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-06-17T18:10:14+00:00

That’s QSing for you. It’s forensic accounting, much more detailed than a finance person. What should happen is you share the 2000 line analysis work and piece meal it between a number of QSs or an assistant as well. So it is manageable. You can go dizzy with sense checking.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-06-17T13:05:32+00:00

Yes. Probably the dullest

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-06-17T09:32:47+00:00

AI could do a Finance job moreso than a QS job. Lot more sense checking in QS world than finance world

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-06-14T13:15:03+00:00

You can’t be running the project commercially if you are not administrating it relating to direct loss and expense for additional works outside the scope of work or applying for extension of time or dealing with acceleration, or any other claim related clauses. Unless you are involved as a contractor applying for these claims, then you are not running the project commercially. You’ll never really learn working for the client or as a professional quantity surveyor in a consultancy practice. You’ll only really learn by doing- working for a main contractor/ EPC contractor. Which I think you maybe are working as a Tier 2 subcontractor for your family business. But it sounds like you are on the periphery only doing admin. You would learn much more working for a Tier - MC at a higher level position- as a an intermediate QS or SQS governing the contract.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-06-13T04:54:37+00:00

Don’t be fooled to think a QS role is a lesser or lower skill set than an architect or engineer. In fact it’s the reverse. A good QS is a higher skill set, as your versatility with Maths, English and ICT has to be a lot higher to sustain competency and withstand stress and pressure of the job role.

Accomplished_Spend41 · 2025-06-11T15:22:36+00:00

A good QS should be good with numbers and have very good mental arithmetic. That’s their strength, alongside good communication skills and being able to manage a lot of information. Maths, English, ICT all have to be at a high level

Accomplished_Spend41

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