Life as an Approved Inspector provides a stimulating, varied and flexible career for suitably qualified men and women.
Here's just one person's story:

Robin Dean works as a surveyor for longstanding ACAI member Carillion Specialist Services.   Robin joined the firm three years ago after completing a Degree in Building Control Surveying and undergoing two years' further training to gain an Assessment of Professional Competence certificate.  

While no two days are the same – in fact, the variety of work is one of the things Robin most enjoys - this could be described as a typical day . .

08.30 hrs
I’m home-based and Carillion trusts me to manage my own hours as long as I’m available to clients and my work gets done, but this is around the time I start my working day.  I turn on my laptop to check emails that have come in and updates on applications I’ve made then spend an hour checking plans before leaving for my first appointment of the day.

10.30 hrs
I jump in my company car and set off on the day’s visits.  As Carillion is one of the bigger Approved Inspectors we tend to get involved in fairly large, complex projects so I could be talking about anything from fire engineering solutions for a multi million pound office and retail development to access proposals for a leisure complex, hospital or school.  The variety is one of the things I love about my work. 

11.15 hrs
I arrive at my first appointment and meet with the architect.  We run through the plans and I suggest a slight reworking of the design I’ve been considering that will improve the building’s structural stability without increasing the cost.  After a much-needed cup of coffee we don hard hats and go out on site.  This is a pretty active job and I spend a good part of my time climbing ladders and clambering down holes.  (Thank goodness for machine washable suits!)

13.00 hrs
After a busy morning I’m always pleased when lunchtime rolls around.  I must head for my next appointment though so I can’t stop today and just grab a sandwich.

14.00 hrs
Traffic is light and I arrive at my second appointment of the day with 20 minutes to spare so I return calls I missed during my meeting this morning and chase progress on another job.  I even have time to discuss the Senior Building Control Surveyor job I saw advertised internally with the HR department.  One of the things that attracted me to this profession is that there are good opportunities for career progression and this would be the logical next step up the ladder.

15.30 hrs
Having spent half an hour standing on the roof of a 40 storey building with the builder’s project manager, I realise it’s quite a windy day.  This was a fairly short meeting to check on progress and, satisfied that the building work is going to plan, I head off for my last appointment.

17.30 hrs
Even though I’ve still got some report writing to do, it’s always nice to return home.  The kids are back by the time I get in and I generally take an hour off to catch up with their news and help with homework.

18.30 hrs
I start on my reports.  Although at Carillion we follow a standard template to ensure consistency and maintain professionalism, each job is unique so the report content varies considerably.  Reports are created directly on the computer so the client account manager and anyone else involved in the project can access them online.  That way everyone knows what’s going on and we can all work as one team.

19.30 hrs
Satisfied I’ve done a good day’s work and everything’s in order for tomorrow I turn off the PC and head in for dinner with the family.

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