Case studies: Graduate surveyor: Stephanie

Stephanie graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2012 with a BSc (Hons) in Planning and Development. She is now working for Savills as a Graduate Surveyor in their Nottingham Development Team.

My degree was the best foundation for the work I do in my current role. As part of my degree, I did a 14 month work placement with the estates department of Domino’s Pizza UK and Ireland. In my final year, I secured a work experience placement with Savills in their Nottingham office. This was a brilliant experience and I subsequently applied for their graduate programme and successfully secured a position.

A typical day includes attending and participating in meetings and site visits, assisting with ongoing projects and maintaining my commercial awareness by keeping up to date with market news. I get involved in a range of activities including valuation inspections and reports, site sourcing and disposals, comparable analysis market reports, chairing team meetings and meeting with clients to secure new business.

Every day is different in this job and I enjoy the variety of valuation, agency, strategic land, planning and consultancy work. One of the best things about this sector is the variety of areas that you can get involved in and the range of different employers you could work for.

It is also a ‘people’ industry and I enjoy the social networking element of the role. This is an important part of the profession, as building sound relationships with clients and colleagues is crucial to generating new business. I have had the opportunity to get involved in several social networking events and I am a member of the local Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Matrics group for new entrants to the profession, which means I meet weekly with other property professionals.

Generating new business and meeting targets is challenging. However, the prospect of these challenges motivates and excites me and the support that I get from the team means that I look forward to exceeding my targets.

I am growing in confidence all the time and I am excited by the prospect of becoming a chartered member of the RICS. I hope to specialise in valuation, although there are also a wide range of opportunities available to me, which will help broaden my horizons.

My advice for students and graduates thinking about this career is that work experience is crucial if you want to enhance your prospects and improve your chances of making successful applications.