Whilst we all have dreams as children of becoming a train driver, astronaut or perhaps a movie star, some people are lucky and really know exactly what they want to do in life from an early age. However, for many of us this is a dilemma that can linger throughout the GCSE, A-Level, and university years and beyond.

More people now are changing their career path at a later age meaning that graduating in one subject may not force people in a particular direction. For example graduates interested in pursuing a career in quantity surveying do not necessarily have to have a degree in that subject.

Employers are now more inclined to offer a quantity surveyor job to candidates even if they don?t have a quantity surveying degree, so long as they are clearly intelligent graduates, keen and willing to work very hard. New recruits will be required to complete a conversion course, which some firms will sponsor.

This can be comforting as these days there is much more competition for university places and getting on the right course isn?t easy. As an addendum, for those who have chosen a surveying degree, some employers may be open to sponsoring students through their final year with a view to employing them afterwards.

Graduate quantity surveyors would normally expect to earn between ?20,000 and ?26,000 per year rising to over ?30,000. This compares favourably with the average starting salaries of lawyers and accountants with the added bonus of not being stuck behind a desk all day.