The questions people ask about careers, answered plainly.

How do I find out what a job is really like before I commit to it?

Ask people who do it, and ask two of them: one senior, and one only a few years in.

Job adverts and careers pages describe the best version of a role. People in the job can tell you what an ordinary week looks like, what the pay really depends on, and what they wish they had known at the start.

Ask both because they see different jobs. A senior person knows where the career leads. Someone a few years in still remembers what was confusing about getting in, and entered the same job market you are about to. That pairing is the whole idea behind ExpertLinc sessions.

What should I ask someone about their job?

Five questions cover most of it: what it pays, what an ordinary day looks like, what the interview really tests, how people get promoted, and what they would do differently.

Ask for specifics, not impressions. "What did you do last Tuesday?" gets a truer answer than "What is the job like?" Ask what the worst part is, and how pay is made up, not just how much it is.

How do I know which career is right for me?

You usually find out by testing a job, not by thinking harder about it. Narrow it to two or three options, then gather real evidence about each one.

Talk to people doing them. Read real adverts for entry-level roles, which show what employers actually ask for. Try work experience, shadowing or a related part-time job if you can.

Notice which day-to-day work you keep wanting to hear more about. That tells you more than a job title or a starting salary does.

Is it too late to change career at 30 or 40?

No. People change careers in their thirties, forties and later, and some industries, including estate and lettings agency, hire on attitude and people skills rather than a specific degree.

The real question is what the move costs you: a lower starting salary, time spent retraining, or starting below your current level. Talk to someone who made the same switch before you decide.

How do I get into real estate in the UK?

Most people start in an entry-level role at an estate or lettings agency, such as trainee negotiator, and learn on the job. Agency roles do not usually need a degree.

Surveying is different. Becoming a chartered surveyor usually means an RICS-accredited degree, a conversion master's or a degree apprenticeship.

Decide which side of property you want first: agency (sales or lettings), surveying, property management, or development. They are different jobs with different routes in.

Can I get into real estate with no experience?

Yes, for agency roles. Trainee negotiator and lettings roles are often open to people with no property experience, because the job is learned on the job.

Employers tend to look for confidence on the phone, good organisation, and experience dealing with customers, for example from retail or hospitality. Many agency roles also ask for a full UK driving licence, because you drive between viewings.

Do I need a degree to work in property?

Not for most agency roles. Estate and lettings agencies hire many people without degrees.

Chartered surveying is the main exception. The usual routes are an RICS-accredited degree, a conversion master's after a degree in another subject, or a chartered surveyor degree apprenticeship.

What does a lettings negotiator do?

A lettings negotiator finds tenants for rented homes and gets tenancies agreed.

Day to day that means answering enquiries, booking and doing viewings, matching applicants to properties, negotiating rent and terms between landlord and tenant, and moving the paperwork through: referencing, legal checks such as Right to Rent in England, and the tenancy agreement. Many also look after landlords and win new properties for the agency to let.

How do I become a lettings negotiator?

Apply for trainee or junior lettings negotiator roles at estate and lettings agencies. Most train you on the job, so property experience is not usually required.

Show customer service experience, confidence talking to people, and good organisation. A driving licence helps, as many roles involve driving to viewings.

Once you are in, Propertymark offers recognised qualifications in residential letting that build your knowledge as you progress, though they are not usually needed to start.

Is a lettings negotiator a good job?

It suits people who like dealing with people, are well organised and are motivated by targets.

Pay is usually a basic salary plus commission or a bonus, so part of what you earn depends on results. Many agencies work some evenings or Saturdays. There is a clear ladder, from negotiator to senior negotiator to lettings or branch manager.

The most honest answer comes from someone doing the job now. That is what our lettings session is for.

What is the difference between a lettings negotiator and an estate agent?

A lettings negotiator works on homes to rent: finding tenants and agreeing tenancies. A sales negotiator, which is what most people mean by an estate agent, works on homes for sale: finding buyers and agreeing sales.

Both often work in the same agency. Lettings deals usually complete faster. Sales deals are bigger and take longer to go through.

Do lettings negotiators get commission?

Often, yes. Many lettings roles pay a basic salary plus commission or a bonus linked to lets agreed or targets.

How it works varies a lot between agencies, so ask at interview: what the basic is, what commission is paid on, and what people in the role actually earned last year.

What does a chartered surveyor do?

A chartered surveyor is a property professional accredited by RICS, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

There are several kinds. Building surveyors inspect and assess buildings. Quantity surveyors manage construction costs. Valuation and commercial surveyors value property and advise on it. "Chartered" means they have passed the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence, known as the APC.

How do I become a chartered surveyor?

Get an RICS-accredited qualification, then pass the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (the APC) after a period of structured work experience.

There are three common routes: an accredited degree, a conversion master's if your degree is in another subject, or a chartered surveyor degree apprenticeship, where you work and study at the same time.

Can I become a chartered surveyor without a degree?

Yes, through a chartered surveyor degree apprenticeship. You are employed and paid while you study for an accredited degree, and you do not pay the tuition fees yourself.

RICS also has routes for people with substantial experience in the profession. Its website sets out each one.

What is ExpertLinc?

ExpertLinc runs live online sessions where UK students and early-career people hear from two people at different stages of the same career, answering the same questions side by side.

Both answer the same five questions, then take questions from the room. Sessions are two hours on Zoom, one industry at a time, starting with UK real estate.

Is ExpertLinc the same as ExpertLink?

No. ExpertLinc, spelt with a c, is a UK careers platform at expertlinc.com. ExpertLink, Expert Link Pro and The Expert Link are separate companies with no connection to us.

If you were looking for live career sessions with people who do the job, you are in the right place.