As we gear up for another year of our highly anticipated placement scheme, we took the opportunity to reconnect with some of last year’s participants who have now returned to their university studies. These students shared their invaluable experiences, the skills they honed during their placements, and their aspirations for the future. We discovered how our placement scheme has shaped their career paths and what they plan to achieve after graduation.
Alice Allcock came from a rural farming background and has worked on a dairy farm. She had originally planned a future in rural property and estate management and is currently studying at Harper Adams University. She discovered infrastructure and utilities and decided to spend her placement year finding out what a career in the infrastructure sector would look like.
Alice knew of Fisher German and had heard of our reputation for support during the APC process and knew that we had a good pass rate. “I have learnt so much whilst I have been here, there has been a mixture of desk work and being able to speak to colleagues about the projects I have been working on. Working in the utilities team has broadened my knowledge of the utilities sector massively.
“I had never really thought about surveying in this sector and infrastructure certainly doesn’t feature as highly in the degree syllabus as the rural pathways do. After spending a year sampling what this sector has to offer, this career path would be something I would like to come back to as a graduate.”
Lydia Matthews found out about Fisher German at a careers fair at Nottingham Trent University where she is currently studying Property Development and Planning but was open to a placement year in any part of the business.
Lydia had heard about Fisher German through friends but didn’t know much about what we did, she said: “Everyone has been so helpful and welcoming, I have gained lots of experience and this is a great place to start your APC. I have been lucky enough to be involved in lots of different projects already which enabled me to go out on site with my colleagues.
“The support throughout the process was great. It was easy to navigate and understand and there was lots of contact before joining to make the transition into work as smooth as possible. When applying to multiple placements it can become overwhelming. I appreciated how straightforward the application and joining process was. Having a single in-person interview and receiving an answer days after was a refreshing break from automated assessments and emails. I would love to come back as a graduate!”
Gaia Sugden is originally from Newark and is currently studying Business Economics at Sheffield Hallam University, she had completed our Insights Programme before joining our placement scheme.
Gaia has always been keen to have a surveying career and before joining Fisher German, she hadn’t been exposed to commercial and building surveying, but she has thoroughly enjoyed learning about everything. She said: “It’s great that Fisher German welcomes placement students from non-cognate degrees, they have a great people culture and offer lots of support.
“I have worked on several schemes and have been exposed to a large variety of work which has given me a real insight into a future career in surveying. I joined one of the Insights Programmes and this encouraged me to apply for the placement scheme. The working environment is great, and I am surrounded by like-minded people and fellow graduates daily which helps to push myself.”
Ella White is undertaking her placement year in our commercial team in our Manchester office and has sat in both agency and valuation rotations. She is studying Real Estate and Urban Planning at the University of Manchester. Originally from a town in North Yorkshire, Ella was keen to experience the hustle and bustle of city life, she knew nothing of Fisher German before joining us in August 2023.
Ella researched placement opportunities on LinkedIn and came across some of the vacancies. She added: “I carried out research to learn about the wide range and diversity of work Fisher German does. I have gained invaluable experience throughout my placement year; I have enjoyed being able to assist with valuations and inspections and put into practice what I had covered at university.
“The team have been so welcoming and have always been happy to answer any questions I have had. They are so experienced and friendly, and I have learnt so much from them which has been invaluable so early on in my surveying career.”
Beth Davies also works in our infrastructure team in Market Harborough, she is studying Geography at the University of Birmingham but wanted to undertake a placement year which was a bit different.
Beth carried out research on the website before applying for our placement scheme as she had not heard of Fisher German before. Beth said: “From day one, I knew I wanted to join Fisher German, it was evident they invested a lot of time and effort into early careers. Everyone has been hugely supportive and welcoming of non-cognate degrees, and I have never felt at a disadvantage not studying a RICS undergraduate degree.
“I have also seen first-hand the levels of support provided to individuals undertaking their APC which is hugely reassuring and is something I would like to complete in future years.
As a non-cognate student, there are opportunities to complete a part-time RICS-accredited degree as well as the support provided to those undertaking the APC process.
“Throughout my year at Fisher German, I have been working on a range of contracts which ranged from large-scale infrastructure projects to smaller reinforcement works. I have also attended many graduate days, CPD (Continuing Professional Development) and training events throughout the year as well as attending and playing for the netball team at the Surveyor's Sevens in Richmond, Surrey.”
Find out more and apply for our next placement scheme which opens on 20 September 2024.
