Basil Conroy runs his own business, Basil Conroy and Company, Chartered Quantity Surveyors. "Running your own business is never a nine-to-five job because you're responsible for meeting deadlines and getting the job done," he says, "However, the financial rewards can be good when the economy is in good shape."

As a chartered quantity surveyor, he describes his job as being a building cost consultant. "You're working as part of a design team for a building project alongside the client, architect and building contractors," he says. "You have to look at the time scheme for completing a job, look at the cost of working on site, assess from the architect's drawings what facilities are required, figure out the cost of building materials and make recommendations for payment."

The range of structures that a quantity surveyor works on is immense, and the variety of career paths is wide. "Basically if you build it, we can price it - schools, houses, banks, civil engineering projects - the list is endless," says Conroy. "On qualifying as a quantity surveyor you could set up a building company or get a job in a large corporation."

Basil Conroy had considered a number of courses at DIT Bolton Street, including architecture and quantity surveying, which appealed to him because they were practical in nature. Eventually he plumped for a four year degree course in quantity surveying which led to a bachelor of science.

"It was a very tough, demanding course which included law, accountancy and economics amongst others," he says, "It was a really excellent course and on finishing you are accepted to the Society of Chartered Surveyors and are exempted from all their exams except the APC - the Assessment of Professional Competence."

With Basil Conroy's practical nature the quantity surveying choice worked out well for him. "The job suits those who are interested in project management as it is the most practical role in a design team for a building," he explains "We chair the site meetings and deal with all the issues arising from them. You are working with numbers all the time, so although you don't have to be a brilliant mathematician, you do need to like figures."

The job offers the chance for travel. When Conroy finished his studies, work was not as plentiful as now, so he went abroad. "I spent two years in Iran and two years in Zimbabwe and I had a wonderful time - experiences I am so thankful I had."

On any given day he may be on site assessing ongoing work, preparing tender documents for building contractors and holding meetings. "One of the best bits about the job is the people you meet in the building industry - it's full of characters; practical, good natured people," he claims. "Another aspect of the job which I enjoy is the satisfaction of handling other people's money well for them and sorting out their problems."

The downsides, according to Conroy, include the fact of the building business being so dependent on the economy which introduces an element of stress and pressure to the job. "People's expectations of what you can do for them are huge," he says, "Furthermore we're responsible for handling disputes arising in the process."

On balance though, it is a career path which Basil Conroy feels has opened many opportunities to him, and he is a man well satisfied with his job.