Surveying is a graduate profession, but there are many routes into it, as graduate surveyor Leigh Nisbet of the Falkirk office of DM Hall Chartered Surveyors has proved.

Leigh joined the firm eight years ago as an administrative assistant in the commercial department of the Falkirk office, working with the surveyor who is still her immediate boss, Michael McIntyre.

After two years, with his support and encouragement, Leigh embarked on a challenging part-time graduate course in property management and valuation at Glasgow Caledonian University.

She said: “There is a huge amount to be absorbed and retained in the course and it was quite hard at times to carry on while holding down a full-time job with the firm.

“I was attending at Glasgow for one full day a week, for 24 weeks of the year. It took five years to fully complete the course and I graduated in the summer of 2013.”

Leigh, who currently is carrying out surveys and completing reports under supervision as a graduate surveyor, now has her eye fixed on this summer when she hopes to become fully qualified and start to shape her career as a professional surveyor.

She said: “I would strongly recommend that, if people find something that they really enjoy doing – as I did with surveying – they should pull out all the stops to gain qualifications and make a worthwhile career out of it.”

Eric Curran, managing partner at DM Hall, said: “We are very keen in the firm to spot and encourage upcoming talent. Leigh has shown a real commitment to the profession and has worked extremely hard to realise her ambitions.

“The world of surveying depends on new talent coming through and DM Hall will continue with its long-standing policy of support and assistance for the people on whom the future of the profession depends.”