CV and LinkedIn keywords for a Quantity Surveyor
The skills, tools, standards and professional registrations South African recruiters search for when they fill quantity surveyor roles (also advertised as QS, Cost Manager, Cost Consultant). Copy what is true for you, then check your CV against the list below.
Professional registration
| Body | Designation recruiters look for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SACQSP | Professional Quantity Surveyor (PrQS) | Candidate Quantity Surveyor while you log experience |
| ASAQS | Member of the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (MAQS) | Voluntary association membership |
Write the category and status exactly, for example "Candidate" or "Professional". A registration body on its own, with no category, tells a recruiter very little. Never list a registration you do not currently hold.
Core skills
Tools and software
Standards, legislation and contracts
Check your CV or LinkedIn profile against this list
Headline examples
The pattern: role, registration, sector or speciality, one proof point. Keep it under 220 characters so it shows in full on mobile.
How to use these keywords
- Put the rand value of the work you measured or certified in the first line of each role. 'Final accounts on R180m of civil works' beats 'prepared final accounts'.
- Name the contract forms you have administered, exactly as the advert writes them: 'NEC4 ECC Option C' is a different keyword from 'NEC'.
- If you are a Candidate QS, say so in the headline. It answers the registration question before the recruiter asks it.
- Mirror the advert. If it says "JBCC", write "JBCC", not a shortened version. Applicant tracking systems match words, not meaning.
- Only use keywords your experience backs up. An interviewer will ask about every one of them.
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Which keywords should a Quantity Surveyor put on a CV in South Africa?
Start with the skills recruiters filter on: cost planning, bills of quantities (BOQ), measurement, tender documentation, tender adjudication, valuations. Add the tools you use (CCS Candy, Buildsoft, WinQS, Bluebeam) and the standards or laws you work under (JBCC, NEC3 / NEC4, GCC 2015). Use the advert's exact wording wherever your experience matches.
Does a Quantity Surveyor need professional registration?
SACQSP registration as Professional Quantity Surveyor (PrQS) is what South African recruiters most often look for in this field. Candidate Quantity Surveyor while you log experience. Put the category and status in your headline, for example "Candidate" or "Professional".
Where do the keywords go on LinkedIn?
Headline first, then the first two lines of your About section, then the Skills section and the first bullet of each recent role. Recruiter search weights the headline and current job title most.
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