Welcome to the profession

Congratulations to all new Associates, Chartered Surveyors and Fellows.

A career in surveying offers a unique set of challenges and rewards and the range of opportunities open to surveyors is vast. Your status is a passport to jobs and markets that many other professions simply do not have access to.

Now, more than ever, clients are looking for greater certainty around professional standards and ethics, as well as the very best technical advice and guidance, lateral thinking and the skills to solve problems. Our focus is on achieving recognition of RICS and RICS’ standards in our world markets. We are in a unique position; establishing a global professional presence across land, property and construction is a realistic long-term ambition.

Our newly qualified professionals will go on to shape the world we live in. So, to all new members, we wish you a long and prosperous career.

Welcome to the profession!

Congratulations – your hard work and dedication has paid off, and you’re now part of a community that numbers almost 150,000 worldwide, a professional body that dates back to 1856 and a profession that goes back much further.  You are a Chartered Surveyor.

Today’s event is an important milestone. It’s the end of your formal training, but not of your education. Every day, you’ll learn and develop as you advance in your career and in your practice. 

Our profession is an amazing mix of specialisms, offering opportunities across the globe. Wherever your career now takes you, you will find RICS members who will welcome and support you. You will have access to a plethora of RICS events, from networking meet-ups and CPD sessions to large conferences. And you’ll be part of Matrics, our network for early-career professionals, which will help you through your first years as a Chartered Surveyor. I encourage you to make the most of it.

There’s also opportunities to get more involved in running RICS. We’re a member-led group, and we’re proud of and grateful to everyone who volunteers, whether at a local or a corporate level. In time, you can even be President!

Right now, though, take a moment to reflect on what you’ve achieved, and to thank those who have supported you to achieve it. To succeed in all that you do, be proud, be professional, but above all, be passionate.

Congratulations! Reaching the standard to be a Chartered Surveyor is a huge achievement, and a clear commitment to excellence.

You’re now part of RICS. We have a mission to advance the public interest, ensuring that our profession benefits people, communities and society just as much as our clients and employers. That’s why we take a lead on sustainability, tackling the climate challenge, and on increasing the diversity of this profession, making sure we recruit talented people wherever we find them and that we understand and reflect the places and peoples who depend on our expertise and professionalism. 

We’re a wide-ranging association. We have members on every continent, working in environments from the deep ocean to the skies above, throughout the lifecycle of buildings and infrastructure and across land and natural resources. Wherever you direct your career, it’s almost certain we have members working there already. 

RICS is there to support you. Our strategy focusses on improving the experience of members, making sure we’re delivering what you need to develop your professional skills and knowledge and advance your professional career. We rely on the insight of members to create our market-moving surveys, our policy-shaping research, and our globally-leading standards.  

We also rely on you to tell us what you need from your professional body. No matter where you are in your career, your opinions matter. You can take part in our Survey of the Profession, or raise issues or ideas through regional groups and at our AGM. The RICS today is a product of all its members, past and present. Its future is in your hands.

Today, we’re just asking you to enjoy the event and celebrate your fantastic success!  

Thank you for being a member. Well done on becoming a Chartered Surveyor.