Intern Review

The surveying summer scheme at Savills offers new opportunities everyday from visiting sites, to sitting in on meetings, conducting research, and attending departmental presentations to learn about other areas of the business. I spent my time at Savills in the Valuation team. On a day to day basis this involved mostly conducting research and inputting it into an excel spreadsheet. However, I also attended countless site visits (some development sites too) and contributed to the writing of many Red Book Valuation reports. The main point I would like to convey is that no one day is the same working at Savills - the work was always changing which made the experience both exciting but also incredibly valuable.

I have learnt/developed plenty of new skills whilst I have been here. These include: improving my excel literacy, improving my understanding and communication in the work place, and also improving my confidence enormously. Most of all, I have gained a solid understanding of the valuation process and the factors that influence property values. Through site visits, I learned what to consider when attempting to value the property. I was also introduced to other software used in the valuation property including: Moliar, Rightmove Plus and LonRes.

Being in the office at Savills provided me with a view of the company's structure, and the various roles within the company. During my time here, I was able to meet people from other teams in order to gain a better insight into potential other departments and roles. Through the departmental overviews was able to see other potential roles to consider, such as property management, development, investment , and building consultancy. Being able to attend lunch & learns also gave me wider exposure to teams and other roles, such as residential property development. I found the breadth of the company exciting, with so many pathways to explore.

The atmosphere at Savills was my favourite part of the experience. The kindness and warmth of all the staff here is so lovely. My team in particular were incredibly sociable and bubbly. The office is definitely an environment that encourages teamwork and communication. Collaboration is also clearly a significant part of the company culture - especially in the valuation team. Knowledge-sharing was actively promoted, sharing comps was crucial to the success of the team. I am hoping to come back and work for Savills in the future, particularly because of the people and the work environment.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Savills. The experience was incredibly valuable, I was able to gain great knowledge about property valuation, the process and the factors involved. The departmental overviews and the lunch and learns meant I was also able to explore the wider company and get the most from the opportunity. The Savills programme Connect was a really helpful networking tool. But, the insight was mostly so enjoyable as the people were so welcoming and kind.

Yes

For an internship it is vital to be proactive, go and seek work, email people and attend events. This is crucial in order to make the most of the experience. I would also highly recommend making a work log to track your progress and what you have learnt. For the application process, especially the assessment centre, it is so important to be yourself and authentic.