Student Insight Scheme - Building Consultancy Review

An enjoyable insight into the inner workings of the business, a mix of time spent inside and outside the office which included going on-site to take part in surveying as well being taken on a number of tours around the Kings Cross development and parts of the city. Long days with extra activities did however leave little time for anything outside of the placement, such as university coursework.

Made to feel like part of a group who the business sees potential in, good to see that the business sees value in interacting with students who are at the very start of their job/career searches and that they take something even as small as a week-long insight seriously, such as introducing board members and showing genuine projects and documents that are being worked on. Perhaps could have been offered tasks relevant to work going on when in the office, even if it was the most menial of tasks - just to feel like a contributor.

Range of departmental overviews and presentations helped to paint a picture of the structure of the business and the process of becoming a qualified surveyor. Always had the opportunity to ask any questions about any aspect of the business or job. Unfortunately my personal mentor was not available during the first part of the week so there was less guidance during the introduction and familiarisation.

Information received on the insight will help enormously with decisions about what to do next, and how to get there. Received information on next steps with the business in terms of summer placement opportunities, networking and how to make yourself as attractive to potential employers (e.g. what to include in essay answers to placement applications), as well as the requirements to become a surveyor, for example an explanation of the APC, which hadn't even been mentioned on the university course. The placement also has given context to university degree studies - how what is learnt in lectures will be applied in the workplace. Can't see much room for improvement in this respect, other than perhaps reflectance on personal performance during the week and feedback about how to get the most out of placements.

A well-structured insight process with a well populated timetable and consistent communication streams about details of events and travel, as well as any changes to proceedings. The less structured part of shadowing could see some improvement, maybe greater communication with teams in the departments to arrange work visits and set up material and tasks for placement students to look at and complete.

A very friendly team of people who are approachable and always willing to strike up a conversation and get to know you. An eventful and varied schedule which was well paced and spread across the week to keep things interesting. Experiencing being around a working office and in boardrooms was enjoyable and the sociable atmosphere of networking was a good part of the placement.

Given that the placement was only a week long, the investment into providing guidance to students on how to follow the business's training pathway was exceptional. Actual training and development was of course minimal given the very short time there, but it is a good step to future placements - mainly what to expect if returning in future years and connecting to a team of a specific discipline.

Being right in the action and attending for the full working day and expected hours for an employee, including the extra social and networking events helped in gaining an understanding of what it was like to work at the business, over and above just the work you would do. Seeing parts of the business where you are facing clients was informative and overall the experience helped in understanding expectations in terms of conduct and professionalism.

Company culture was a key aspect emphasised in talks and presentations, learned a great deal about the culture of the business just from being around a team and finding out more about working as a part of the business whilst talking to people from within it. Difficult to think of much improvement in this aspect.

This particular insight week was the first in surveying for myself, it was exceptionally informative and a highly valuable experience into the nature of this particular career path, and will certainly help students in being more confident when choosing not only what to do, but the type of business to go with (city based corporate firm versus smaller equivalents) after graduating university. It has given a highly detailed insight into the true nature of the profession, much above simply a brief overview - the types of documentation and reports that are used, the amount of collaboration with other disciplines, the types of client you engage with, etc. which all goes to help in determining whether the job would be engaging and enjoyable. Again, I couldn't ask for much more in this respect, all questions were answered and there is now plenty of food for thought when continuing on with the surveying degree course and job pathway.

Reimbursement for travel expenses and food was provided. It did not cover the full cost of commuting by train for a week, let alone the cost of food, but by no means was the amount inadequate. As a student it was helpful to have assistance in offsetting the cost of the placement as it was in London and it can be very expensive. The free lunch plus drinks/snacks throughout the week were much appreciated.

Good networking opportunity as part of a large group of other students on similar career pathways and courses, with socials as well as other chances to interact. Got to meet fee-earners, those on the current graduate scheme and some of those in higher position in the business both in the professional environment and in a more social scenario.

Plentiful with free drinks, a relaxed attitude and no obligation to attend if you have other commitments. Coordination was very good, with directions, timings and details of the events being communicated well to ensure they ran smoothly.

Found information on the activities that employees can get involved with communicated though presentations and Q&A's, as well as in the office. Lots of sporting and social events opportunities for employees and well advertised to get as much involvement as possible. Also saw less formal activities within teams and departments.

The insight was an eye-opening experience of the industry and is really important for gaining a perspective of how the content learned in lectures will apply to a future job. Is a perfect opportunity to gain a much deeper understanding of what happens in a surveying job, something you can't get by reading a description on a piece of paper. The complexity of construction and surveying can be quite overwhelming, and this insight programme has made it a lot clearer. Of course there would be an aspect of self-promotion during an insight week, however this was not over-bearing on the experience as a whole and the advice on a surveying career was unbiased. There wasn't a huge amount of 'doing' surveying itself, with exception to site visits (there is only so much you can do as a first year student), but if you want to find out about the plethora of options in surveying and planning from the people who specialise in it or you want to learn about what it is like to be a part of a large company who carry out high profile, big jobs then I would highly recommend it.