A day in the life of a graduate at Innes England

Our latest graduates have settled in to working full time. Jeetpal Sev, one of our graduate building surveyors, reflects on why he chose a career in property and how he’s developing a head for heights

I joined Innes England in July 2018 after studying Building Surveying at Birmingham City University for three years. I wanted to do the course because the industry is so interesting. When I was younger, I had some work experience at a design and planning studio which persuaded me to find a career that wasn't going to be routine. I liked the prospect of never having the same day twice and having a variety of tasks and experiences. 

I really enjoyed university. I met lots of new people and also learned to cope with the pressures of academic studies. Learning how to balance studying with my social life has definitely helped with multitasking at work. One thing I’m really glad I don’t have to do any more is all-nighters. I couldn’t possibly function working from 10pm to 7am again!

I do miss the social life at uni. I’m a keen hockey player so I especially enjoyed meeting up with the team after games on Mondays and Wednesdays. Thankfully, I still find time to play now I’m working and I also coach younger players at my club, the Barford Tigers.

Impressed by the reputation

I’ve been aware of Innes England for a while as I’m from Leicester and often saw advertising boards on buildings around the city. When I was looking for a job I did some research and was impressed by Innes England's reputation in the East Midlands. My workload seems to be far more varied than other firms offer their graduates. Every day is different; one day I can be assessing a building site and another I’m in the office doing design work on CAD. When I came to the interview everyone was very relaxed and friendly. First impressions turned out to be correct so I feel like it’s an environment where I really fit in.

Improved confidence

Working with the Building Consultancy team has really improved my confidence.  I’ve learnt a lot very quickly and definitely had some interesting experiences so far, including being hoisted 20 metres in the air in a cherry picker. I’m not a fan of heights so it wasn’t my best experience, particularly as it had to tip slightly so I could get a better view of the building. I was definitely holding on pretty tightly at that point!

I feel that when you’re doing a job you enjoy, there isn’t much of a downside. Learning how to cope with different people from different backgrounds and working out how to adjust to those situations has been a bit of a learning curve, though.

Working towards APC

I’m working towards my Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) but it will be a while before I sit it. All the graduates on the scheme have regular meetings where we can ask questions and learn from each other. Mike Thorne, my manager and mentor, and Scott Osborne, the APC counsellor, are really approachable and always happy to help with anything, so I’m sure I’ll be well prepared when the time comes

We are always happy to welcome talented people to our team. Keep an eye on our vacancies page for opportunities