Quantity Surveyor CV Keywords: Skills & ATS Terms to Include

Quantity surveyor CVs are screened on contract forms, measurement standards and chartership. Show project values, sectors and your role on each scheme from pre- to post-contract.

Not sure which of these your CV is missing? Upload it with a quantity surveyor job description and get your ATS score and missing keywords free.

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Quantity Surveyor hard skills

Core competencies recruiters and ATS filters search for.

Cost planningEstimatingBills of quantitiesTenderingInterim valuationsFinal accountsVariations and change controlCost value reconciliation (CVR)Value engineeringSubcontractor procurementMeasurement (NRM)Commercial management

Quantity Surveyor tools & software

Use the exact product names from the job ad.

CostXCATOBluebeamCandyExcel (advanced)BIM / NavisworksPrimavera P6

Quantity Surveyor certifications & qualifications

Write the full name and the acronym, with the year.

MRICS / AssocRICSMCIOBRICS-accredited Quantity Surveying degreeNEC4 accreditationCSCS card

Quantity Surveyor soft skills

Show these through achievements rather than listing them alone.

NegotiationCommercial awarenessAttention to detailClient managementReport writingConflict resolution

Quantity Surveyor action verbs

Start each bullet with one of these instead of "Responsible for".

ManagedNegotiatedPreparedDeliveredAgreedReducedValuedProcuredTenderedSettled

Weak vs strong quantity surveyor CV bullets

Worked on commercial projects.

Managed commercials on a £22M residential scheme under JCT Design and Build, agreeing the final account within 2% of budget.

Did cost plans.

Prepared NRM1 cost plans for 6 schools totalling £48M; value engineering saved the client £1.9M.

Examples are illustrative. Only use figures you can back up in an interview.

ATS tip for quantity surveyor CVs

Write contract forms by name (NEC4, JCT, FIDIC) and state project values. Gulf and UK recruiters filter on both.

How to use these keywords

  1. Start from the job description, not this list. Keywords that appear in the ad matter most — paste it into the job description keyword extractor to pull them out.
  2. Only include skills you genuinely have. You will be asked about them.
  3. Put the most important keywords in both your Skills section and your experience bullets.
  4. Use the employer's exact wording (e.g. "CostX", not a synonym).
  5. Keep formatting simple: single column, standard headings, no text inside images.

See exactly which keywords your CV is missing

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