Jordan George MRICS is a Plymouth Based Chartered Building Surveyor for the Bailey Partnership and is also a Matrics Committee Member and a tree planting volunteer! Let’s meet Jordan :
It keeps me on my toes, broadens my knowledge and keeps me interested in what work is coming in.
Surveying is an interesting and varied career, can you tell us why you decided to specialise in building surveying ?
I’ve always been interested in construction, from my fascination with diggers when I was a toddler to Lego when I was a child, so after my GCSEs had applied for a BTEC at my local college in Architecture, Surveying and the Built Environment whilst working part-time as a labourer. I loved the course and the pathology element really appealed to me, I liked the idea of diagnosing, understanding and remediating defects. It wasn’t until I joined Bailey Partnership that I realised that Building Surveying was far more than just building pathology but a vast spectrum of services including contract administration, project management, design and specification and the like.
What are some of the most significant professional challenges you've faced in your surveying career so far and how did you tackle them?
By far the most challenging hurdle I've had to overcome was passing the APC. I hit the books hard when I first started in an attempt to sign off all of the level 1 competencies and burnt out. At the same time, COVID hit and everything slowed down. This combined with guidance from friends and colleagues allowed me to add structure to my studying and I ended up passing first try in the summer of 2022. Since I’ve assisted the newcomers at Bailey Partnership with a structured study programme via a fortnightly ‘APC club’.
What aspects of the job do you find most exciting?
The variety; my workload is really varied. I can undertake an intrusive inspection via a cherry-picker on a 15-story apartment block to inform a FRAEW in the morning and design a small package of works for a gutter replacement scheme for an industrial unit in the afternoon. It keeps me on my toes, broadens my knowledge and keeps me interested in what work is coming in.
Can you tell us about your role as a Matrics committee member and significant role the Matrics community plays within the profession?
I was introduced to Matrics through a colleague when I first started working at my current practice fresh out of University and attended all their events. A year later I became a committee member and assisted with setting up networking events, early engagement opportunities and CPD events. I have recently picked up the role of chair of RICS Matrics Devon and am currently working on building the committee and bolstering the network.
Matrics offers more than just networking opportunities for early-career surveyors. It's also a valuable platform for professional development and staying industry-informed. Some of my highlights over the last few years have been curry and a quiz, the summer soiree and tree planting.
In your experience, how can the surveying profession attract the next generation?
Early engagement with schools, colleges, and universities is crucial for raising awareness of building surveying as a career. While the RICS has made significant strides in recent years with the introduction of T Levels, advanced apprenticeships, and degree apprenticeships, there's still room for improvement. I personally had no idea about building surveying until I was applying for university.
Work experience placements at our firm are consistently positive, but we've noticed a decline in student participation over the past few years. A platform connecting local schools with surveying companies would be a valuable tool to address this issue and increase work experience opportunities.
How can myRICS Community help surveyors?
I’ve been part of the community since the Yammer started, I took part in some of the early testing and thought it was a great way for young surveyors to keep up with the industry. I personally found it particularly useful for keeping up to date with RICS guidance notes, consultations and the like when preparing for the APC.
I currently manage the CPD hub, a platform designed to support RICS members in meeting their CPD requirements. The hub provides resources, guidance, and a space for members to share free CPD opportunities to benefit the wider community.
And finally, where do you see the future of surveying?
Following the publishing of the ‘Entry and Assessment into the Profession’ I can see the process in which surveyors undertake the APC changing to a less formal assessment opening the profession and membership up to a more diverse range of individuals.
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