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I chose an apprenticeship pathway over the conventional route of university as I was eager to be immersed in the world of property sooner rather than later. One of the main benefits of a degree apprenticeship is the opportunity to gain both working experience and a degree qualification with no debt. Rather than only focusing on the theoretical aspects at university, this apprenticeship gave me the immediate opportunity to accelerate my career in commercial real estate, gaining hands on experience with clients at an earlier stage in my career while being surrounded by a number of seasoned professionals, ultimately pushing me to my greatest potential.
I am currently completing a five-year degree apprenticeship in commercial real estate with Savills in the Workthere team, which includes two years of relevant work experience and qualifications to become a Chartered Surveyor (MRICS).
As a degree apprentice, I am required to complete a minimum of 7.5hours work a week, and I dedicate 20% of the week to my studies, learning enrolled modules, studying for exams, and completing assignments.
I was quite familiar with residential real estate due to taking on a number of work experience opportunities before starting this journey with Savills and Workthere, however my knowledge on the commercial property industry was limited hence my decision to venture into a sector that would broaden my understanding and awareness of the built environment as a whole.
Savills is a global brand that has been running apprenticeships for a long time, so I knew I was joining a company that had the structure and resources in place to guide me through my apprenticeship journey. As I grew to learn about the company culture at both Savills and Workthere, I discovered that it aligned well with my career goals and values so I knew it was the perfect fit. The role itself really interested me as it entailed client management, sales and negotiating alongside collating data, which meant no two days would be the same.
I chose the flex office sector because it was more suited around my skillset - fast paced and client facing with a bunch of sub-sectors that you can learn and grow in which keeps you interested on a daily basis. It’s a sector where you aren't at your desk every day, you get to meet new people, experience developments together, network to build strong working relationships and increase your profile within the industry.
My role is split between consultancy and research in the flex market, so my day to day does vary a lot. It will typically start with checking the website inbox and reaching out to clients who have enquired about our services, noting down their requirements, sourcing suitable options and finally securing viewings. On the data side of things, I research markets as requested by clients, presenting the data on spreadsheets and maps where necessary.
Since starting this role, I have won two awards – the Savills “Apprentice Ambassador of the Year” and the University College of Estate Management (UCEM) “Rising Star of the Year”. UCEM is the university that I attend for my degree.
It was a great feeling knowing my efforts are appreciated within two different organisations and I am looking to keep striving towards more awards and milestones.
As mentioned, my role is pretty varied so managing expectations across the business can be challenging as it can get busy. However, I ensure to complete workload on the level of priority. My team supports me by simply asking what my capacity is and transparency is key. Being honest about my workload allows my colleagues to give me ample time to complete tasks. Even when I have deadlines at university, they allow me to focus on my studies and then once I have completed them, I let the team know and resume work as usual.
Seeking feedback regularly will make sure you are continually on the trajectory of growth and give you the opportunity to manage the expectations of everyone in your team. An apprenticeship can be a massive transition but having that conversation whether it’s on a monthly or quarterly basis will really help you accelerate in your journey.
I would also encourage active networking. When I first started my apprenticeship journey, I was solely focused on making sure I understood my team, my day to day role and how to balance it all alongside my studies, which meant networking fell to the bottom of my agenda. However, making it a priority means that I now have a great and growing network both internally and externally, from which I have gained a number of opportunities and exposure. Networking also gives you opportunity to experience other parts of the industry - that you may not otherwise have access to – which gives you some insight into how the business works as a whole and who knows where that might take you.
The journey so far has been great. It has been insightful and key to my personal and professional development. I learn something new everyday and benefit from opportunities to keep putting myself out there. I have the opportunity to add value not just within the business but in the built environment as a whole and garnered the respect of many within such a short amount of time.
Savills and Workthere have been instrumental in this journey, and through the two, I have seen more perspectives of the property industry than I would have had I not chosen this pathway and it has ultimately been an incubator for me to keep growing as an industry professional.
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