Turning a RICS Referral into a Step Forward — Starting with Your Wellbeing
- sarahchaudhry0
- 3h
- 2 min read
Receiving a referral following your Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors assessment can be tough. After months of preparation, the result can feel discouraging—especially when accompanied by detailed feedback on where you didn’t meet the required standard.
Before anything else, it’s important to pause and consider your well-being.
Put Your Wellbeing First
A referral is not just a professional setback—it can feel personal. Reading a report that focuses on gaps or weaknesses can be mentally draining and, at times, overwhelming. Give yourself time to process the outcome.
Step back if you need to. Talk it through with someone you trust. Don’t rush straight into fixing everything immediately. Looking after your mental resilience at this stage is just as important as preparing for your resubmission.
Approach the Feedback with Balance
Once you’re ready, return to your referral report with a balanced mindset. While it will highlight areas where you didn’t meet the assessors’ expectations, it will also indicate where you performed well.
Remember, assessors’ opinions are independent. Another panel might have reached a slightly different conclusion. Use the feedback as guidance—not as a definitive judgement of your ability.
Recognise Your Progress
It’s easy to focus only on what went wrong, but that doesn’t tell the full story. You will have met several competency requirements—that’s a clear sign of your capability and progress.
Take a moment to acknowledge those successes. They are an important foundation to build on.
Work on What Needs Refinement
With a clearer, calmer perspective, you can begin to improve the areas identified in your report.
Work closely with your counsellor to refine your competencies, strengthen your examples, and develop more depth in your responses.
This stage is where you turn feedback into measurable progress.
Reframing the Referral
It’s important to shift how you view the outcome. A referral is not a failure. The only real failure is deciding not to try again.
Many successful professionals have faced setbacks like this. What defines them is their response—learning from the experience and returning stronger.
A Valuable Lesson in Growth
While difficult, this experience can become a defining moment in your career. Disappointment, when processed constructively, often leads to greater resilience, deeper understanding, and ultimately a stronger sense of achievement.
It doesn’t just help you pass—it helps you become a better, more reflective chartered surveyor.
Embrace the Opportunity
A referral is not the end of your journey—it’s part of it. By prioritising your wellbeing, reflecting with balance, and acting on feedback, you give yourself the best chance of success next time.
Take your time, look after yourself, and when you’re ready—go back stronger.
Contact us for support.
Sarah Chaudhry MBA FRICS
Director
Surveyor Store Ltd
07521 085400
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