Sean Jessiman started his career with blu-3 in 2017 as a part time intern whilst completing his Quantity Surveying degree at university. Thanks to his hard work and keen eye for detail, Sean has been promoted four times over the past six years and is now the youngest Managing Quantity Surveyor at blu-3, aged just 26 years old.
According to PCB Today*, the average age of a surveyor is 55, however, over the last six years, the number of young people, aged 18-30, qualifying as surveyors has steadily increased year on year. In 2013, 1,125 18–30-year-olds qualified and in 2018 this increased to 1,520.
Sean states: “I consider myself immensely fortunate to occupy the position I do today. My trajectory here has been shaped by unrelenting determination, coupled with the progressive ethos of blu-3, which extends its opportunities impartially, regardless of age.”
However, securing such a senior role at such a young age has presented Sean with several challenges. Sean comments: “Transitioning into an international managerial role has presented exciting challenges in understanding each countries way of operation whilst maintaining the blu-3 core values. The cultural, and legal differences are vast across Europe and require the highest level of collaboration to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget for our clients. Additionally, my progression into a managerial role has been supported by blu-3’s Leadership Development Programme enabling me to provide my teams with the support they require to operate at their highest efficiency”.
Sean’s role as a Managing Quantity Surveyor involves supporting project teams’ business strategies and plans, working closely with the teams to roll out key initiatives and achieve strategic goals and providing comprehensive commercial advice and guidance. Sean is responsible for a team of six people and has an overview on a wide range of international projects where he manages risks and reduces costs where appropriate.
Over the last year Sean has been involved with a number of international projects. He comments: “Project AMS13/14 located in the Netherlands stands out as my favourite so far because of the challenges it has presented. Thanks to the difficulties I faced, I was pushed to be the best I can be, not only on a professional level but on a personal one. I had to adapt under problematic circumstances and come up with unorthodox solutions which forced me out of my comfort zone. Looking back, I now feel more confident and more capable thanks to these challenges.”
To those considering a similar career, Sean concludes: “If you enjoy fast-paced surroundings, an ever-changing environment and a keen eye for numbers then this is the best job in the world. If you are prepared to work hard, a managerial role in this industry is achievable at any age.”
If you are interested in a role at blu-3, check out our current vacancies here: careers.blu-3.co.uk
