Summer Scheme Student - Development Review

Day-to-day activities have included: - Attending site visits to collect property measurements and take photos for valuations. - Collecting property information and facts about its locality to create marketing material. - Finding details about similar properties to create comparables lists. - Consulting local authority planning applications to search for sites with development approval. - Attending departmental catch-up meetings. There have also been opportunities to attend networking activities and the Royal Norfolk Show here at the Norwich office.

There has been good opportunity to learn industry-specific skills such as knowledge about what forms property valuations, regulations that affect development such as nutrient-neutrality, and what goes into creating a successful marketing brochure. Additionally it has also been a fantastic opportunity to develop more general skills such as communication and establishing professional connections.

I think my level of responsibility was proportionate to the role I had within the business. The work I did was important and useful, but I was not put in a position where the full burdens of the job were placed on me.

Colleagues were always willing to answer my questions and were patient and approachable. Occasionally tasks were not explained in their wider context so it was sometimes difficult to understand the purpose of what I was doing. However this was mostly early on in the placement and wasn't helped by the fact that I had no prior experience in property.

Overall the Norwich office is very welcoming - staff are approachable and the atmosphere is comfortable where you can have general chats with colleagues. Having absolutely hated the idea of going into a corporate style no-fun office, it was a relief to find that the office was quite a small and relaxed team.

Overall a fantastic opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes in managing land/ property development in a region I have lived most of my life in. There was a good balance between office-based and on-site working which meant that it didn't get repetitive or boring.

Yes

Being someone who is still unsure about what to do career wise, you can feel out of place when going into companies who sometimes assume you are set on pursuing a certain career and are only interested in hiring those who are. As long as you have some interest in property or at least are prepared to engage and get involved in learning about it you should be successful in the Summer Scheme.