Mark O'Sullivan

Mark graduated from the BSc Building Surveying programme in 2012. He now works for AECOM, on a range of national and international projects.

Can you tell us about where you work and describe your role?

I was fortunate enough to start working as a graduate Building Surveyor for AECOM immediately after graduating from Heriot-Watt. Since then, my role has included working on a wide range of projects from surveying, specifying and managing maintenance scheme projects for Royal Mail and Aberdeenshire Council, to carrying out condition surveys of buildings around the UK, France and Adu Dhabi. The most interesting being a condition survey of the new World Trade Centre in Abu Dhabi.

Why did you choose Heriot-Watt and the programme that you studied?

Having researched the different universities in Scotland, I found Heriot Watt had one of the best reputations in the industry for producing quality graduates. For me this was the most important aspect when choosing where to study. Choosing a programme was simpler, as I wanted a career that would offer me a range of employment options and that would offer me a diverse workload.

What was your experience of doing a degree at Heriot-Watt University?

I really enjoyed my years studying at Heriot-Watt, and found the lecturers and staff supportive and engaging. I must say, as a mature student, the support in completing my degree was fantastic.

How has your degree helped you in your profession?

Through gaining my degree at Heriot-Watt, I found employers were interested in employing me and I was invited to interview for several positions prior to accepting my current role. I graduated in 2012 which was a low point for the construction industry, and still found that I had options due to the esteem in which my degree was held within the industry.

Do you have any advice for students interested in working in your field?

Unfortunately, studying Building Surveying is no longer an option at Heriot-Watt, but for any students interested in working in the construction industry, I would recommend getting as much experience of the industry as possible. For me that meant working on construction sites during my summer breaks, but there are a lot of companies willing to take on students for work experience now that the recession has come to an end. It will give you a taste of what you will be working on in the future, while also getting paid, and employers love to see it on a CV.