Assistant Design Manager Review

My time at Mace was thoroughly enjoyable! I was working on-site for the majority of the year where the environment was lively and filled with individuals who understood when to have a laugh and when to focus on work. From day one I was made to feel a part of the team and I was able to contribute toward the project on which I was working directly within the first couple of days. Mace as a company have a vast range of projects on which you may work, each with a different and exciting element from which you can build your knowledge; some of the types of projects I've seen placement students on include residential skyscrapers, airport terminals, football stadiums and retail fit-outs.

In my experience, regardless of my role or age, everyone at the company has viewed me as an equal and fully valued my opinion. In fact, the majority of staff on my project were surprised to find out that I was an industrial placement student and not full-time staff. I was given full responsibility for my time management and some specific work packages and was fully trusted when communicating with the client, consultants and sub-contractors.

I was placed under the supervision of a senior member of staff who fully supported me initially and then slowly gave me more and more independence. Whenever I had a question however my line manager was always able to assist or at least point me in the right direction. Staff at Mace in general are all very approachable and I found that I was often asking for guidance from other members of staff for queries in relation to their specialist topic. The only criticism I have is of myself! I wish that I'd asked more questions during my time at the company to maximize on the amount of knowledge gained.

To begin with I was unsure of what to expect from my placement in terms of workload. I'd heard stories of people who had been solely making tea for the year and I'd also heard of placement students who'd been given way too heavy of a workload. However, I found that whilst it was slow to begin with (only the first couple of weeks), my day was soon packed with activities and task to complete. At times the amount of work did out weigh hours in the day but there was always support to get it back to a manageable amount.

As previously touched upon, my responsibility on the project was gradually increased from helping in design meetings to reviewing design information. By the end of my placement I was looking after the design elements for multiple work packages. This required communication with other individuals both inside and outside of the company for which I was given full reigns. It should be noted that this was all under guidance my line manager who was able to give me advice from past experience of other projects.

As a civil engineering student working as a design manager, the technical skills that I gained are unlikely to shape my degree. However, the soft skills and knowledge of the construction industry gained are likely to greatly improve my work mentality and ethic when I go back to University. During my time at Mace I was able to undergo some professional training including SMSTS which will be crucial going forward into construction and working on different sites.

The atmosphere in the project site office was lively but professional. Personnel changed on a fairly regular basis but everyone who came on to the project was just as friendly and helpful as the last. Everybody was up for a laugh but understood when work had to be completed; this contributed towards a relaxed but productive environment that suited my style of working.

Although it took a little time for my position at the company to be confirmed, once I was an employee the organization of the industrial placement programme was excellent. Our group were introduced to the company with a day long induction where topics such as Mace values, sectors and projects were covered; on this day we were also given our respective projects where we'd be based for the year. After 1 month we received a phone call from the emerging talent team to check that everything was O.K. Subsequent to this we had half yearly reviews to catch-up and reflect on working techniques. We were also helped to organize a volunteering day for Mace staff to attend.

Mace offer a wide range of training opportunities for all to get involved with. Despite being a placement student, Mace were completely on board with investing in to my future. In my time at the company I took and passed my SMSTS (Site Manager Safety Training Scheme) as well as attending lectures on topics such as legal adjudication, sustainability, BIM 3D modeling and much, much more. They have an internal database of training courses that you may attend if interested as well as also organizing external speakers to come in from time to time.

From the feedback received during my placement it was clear that my work was valued by the project and the business. It was made clear from early on that should you put in a good performance throughout the year, get on with colleagues and clients then there was a likely chance of being offered a position on their graduate scheme. This acts as a great motivation throughout the placement and means that you're always wanting to do your best to impress. The decision as to whether or not you will receive this offer typically occurs at the final placement review.

Between the placement students and colleagues on my project there was definitely a good social scene; we often went to the pub after work or took on other companies in 5-a-side matches. However, because I was quite distanced from head office and other Mace projects, our group of industrial placement students only met up with one another after events at head office.

Living in London, the placement year was certain to be expensive. Rent took up roughly 2/3s of my monthly wage with the rest going on food and nights out. However, most placements do offer additional pay for working in London; this helps cover some of the extra costs that come with day to day life in the capital.

I was working on the outskirts of central London so there was little in the way of good nightclubs; however there was an abundance of pubs and breweries in the local area that were frequented. Outside of drinking, Westfields shopping centre was very close. Here they had bowling, a cinema, multiple restaurants and an array of shops. Central London was also only a short tube journey away.

Mace have communities on their intranet that you can join; some of these include after work football clubs, cycling clubs and hobbies. The company often likes to organize events for it's staff so you'll find that you never don't have something to do. Outside of the company, London offers a multitude of opportunities. There are clubs, gyms, music events, sporting activities and more to get involved with. I've found that the placement year is a great platform to try new things in a fresh city.