Quantity Surveyor

Tell us about your industrial placement

After leaving school Nathaniel completed a BTEC National Diploma in Construction. Upon completion of his placement, he was promoted to Assistant Quantity Surveyor whilst continuing his studies on a part time basis at Northumbria University. Following a year working on that basis Nathaniel transferred to our Newcastle office as a Quantity Surveyor and is currently in the process of completing the final year of a Quantity Surveying BSc degree. Nathaniel is originally from Sunderland and initially made the leap of faith and moved to York in order to kick start his career with Barratt Developments. He says it’s one of the best decisions he’s ever made.

“Barratt has a great reputation in the industry, and I was very keen to gain experience in Quantity Surveying; particularly within housebuilding. After consulting with lecturers and professionals within the industry, I carried out some of my own research and was very impressed, not only with how vast the company is but the professionalism and quality of the brand.

Whilst there were various other companies comparatively similar in size operating in various sectors of construction, the main difference that stood out for me was the emphasis on development and training. Whilst a number of other companies had a similar initial façade for training and development, none matched up to that of Barratt Developments. The programme was clearly defined on the website with allocated coaching, development and departmental rotations planned.

The reality of working for Barratt has significantly surpassed all of my expectations. I genuinely look forward to coming to work each day. For the duration of my placement I was allocated a buddy, and numerous other experienced professionals were always on hand to provide help and advice when it was needed. To this day the team continues to work in a collaborative manner which helps everyone involved to develop very quickly.

The level of responsibility the company have been willing to place on me throughout my tenure has also been very reassuring and emphasises the trust that Barratt has in its young professionals. The beauty of the placement programme is the exposure it gives to various roles, within my first few months with the company I worked closely with the Buying team, which resulted in us receiving a quarterly team award in the process.

Throughout my time with the company, I have asked for, and been given, increased responsibility. During my placement I was assigned my own site in York, allowing me to carry out the role of a Quantity Surveyor within the department under the guidance of seasoned professionals. This gave me the opportunity to develop my skills and prove myself to be a reliable member of the team. Barratt have provided all the tools I need to progress and achieve my ambitions.

The placement programme is a unique opportunity for any aspiring young professionals to gain first-hand experience. This programme has given me an overview of the company and how all departments interlink via rotations in each department. This allows for a clearer perception of not only my own role, but how my role contributes towards the overall end product. Looking back on the programme, I now appreciate the benefit more than ever. The rotations in each department in particular helped me to understand the business in a way that wouldn’t be possible when confined to one department alone”.