Building a career in rural surveying

Listen: Rural practice surveying has evolved significantly over the past few decades, with the introduction of milk quotas, the rise of renewable energy as an income stream and changes in valuation practice. The pathways into the profession have changed significantly over that time too, with a rise in the number of institutions offering rural surveying courses, the emergence of the post-graduate course and the recent launch of the apprenticeship. Who is suited to this pathway and how do candidates stand the best chance of securing training and qualifying in this field? In this episode of Bricks and Mortar, Charles Cowap, rural practice consultant, draws on over 30 years of experience to answer these and other questions on the profession. He reflects on the importance of relevant work experience, the need to hone soft skills and developing a passion for the countryside. After all, he says, rural surveying is a career that “does get you out and about in some very pleasant areas of the countryside” and for some, that is a “powerful attraction.”