u/No_Leadership3770

Hi all,

I'm in London, 10 years in finance and accounting, most recently a Financial Operations Manager in tech (lots of automation and data work, SQL, dashboards etc). I never went to uni as I was a professional athlete until 23, then went straight into finance. I've got an NVQ Level 3 from school, AAT Level 3 and part-qualified ACCA (not planning to finish it).

Got made redundant in the spring and I've interviewed at about 20 companies this year with no offers, so I'm rethinking things. QS really appeals to me. Stable career, decent money once you're experienced. I keep seeing Assistant Cost Manager roles going and I could easily do the cost/accounting side, but I've got zero experience in the rest (measurement, contracts, the technical stuff).

Would really appreciate some honest advice from people actually in the industry:

1. Is it a wise move, and is the job security real? Is QS still in proper demand in London and the UK? After a redundancy and a rough year job hunting, my main pull is stability and being able to find work. Is that reputation actually true, and is the pay good in a few years?

2. Best way in from a finance background? 10 years in accounting plus the SQL/data side, but no degree and no construction experience. What would you actually do? Go for assistant cost manager/assistant QS roles and learn on the job? Or will I just be screened? A degree apprenticeship? Whilst in the job, work towards AssocRICS?

3. Will I be taken seriously, and is contracting right for me? Will employers actually take a career changer from finance seriously for an entry level QS role, or is the background a hard sell? I'm also more drawn to the contractor side than consultancy, don't think I fit the consultant mould. Does a finance/commercial background suit contractor work better, or am I reading it wrong?

Happy to work hard and start low to retrain, I just want to aim at the right thing. Is QS the right call for someone like me, or should I look at something else? Cheers.