I’m a QS working for a main contractor and have been for about 11 years. I joined the company when they were targeting non-cognate graduates (my degree is in Geochemistry) but this was during a recruiting drought so there was a big push for encourage people from all backgrounds.
One thing to consider is if you will be a site based QS as this has a massive affect on work life balance. I’m currently commuting 70 miles each way taking around two hours which has made childcare very difficult. I only work three days a week but will be upping that shortly as the work loads can be intense.
I find the majority of my day to day work is managing and dealing with subcontractors so if you go into this role you need to be ok with confrontation. It can be very stressful and challenging.
However, on site you will often find that it’s a work hard play hard type atmosphere and with the right team it’s great. It’s still rude, sweary, crude, inappropriate and very, very funny. This part of the job I love.
If it’s a bad project everything can be a battle.
I’ve been on sites where I’ve been the only woman, so you need to be ok with working with all men. I’ve not really come across a lot of sexism but have certainly progressed slower than my male counterparts.
I’m very lucky that I work to a very supportive region but the gender pay gap report for his company rates us one of the lowest so they still have a long way to go.
It’s also a very reactive industry to the economy and I have been put on redundancy notice several times. Luckily as QS’s there is usually work in the office you can do to help win work but when things are very quiet (Brexit I’m looking at you) everyone is at risk and there is no security.
I honestly don’t know whether I recommend it as a career (sitting in a shitty pub missing bedtime because I have to lodge as the commute is killing me) but there are definitely positive aspects of the work. Some of my projects are regularly used on promotional material and like childbirth, eventually you forget the pain.
I suspect though at some point my needs won’t have match with the business needs and I’ll have to call time. PQS work is an option but it’s a very different role.
Sorry for the long post! It’s definitely possible to be a QS with a non-cognate degree. I’m not chartered as to be honest after several years on the role I just couldn’t be arsed and it hasn’t held me up. Being part time has.
Good luck!