Summer Scheme Student Review

I shadowed site visits, including surveys, dilapidations, and on-site meetings, as well as attended meetings for multiple current jobs ranging in topics from project management to safety certificates to emerging technologies. When I was not shadowing or attending meetings, I was working on a variety of reports for surveys and cost assessments, as well as writing up meeting minutes, reviewing documents for current and past jobs, and looking at the yearly metrics for the department to develop an understanding of the clientele for the offices across the UK.

I was able to gain a comprehensive understanding of the roles involved in building surveying and see how actual surveys on sites were undertaken. I was able to develop my knowledge in material and building structure through the building surveys I was involved in. I developed my skills in report writing and taking minutes, as well as learn the vocabulary involved with the job, as I was coming in as a student on a non-building surveying degree.

Due to the short nature of the placement, I was not given responsibility for larger or more long form tasks, but did have the opportunity daily to write reports and take meeting minutes, which were then reviewed and sent to clients. These were useful for understanding the different reports the office review and create, and the meeting minutes helped me remember and process discussions, as well as feeling that I had involvement in the meetings.

I had a lot of guidance from the team and everyone was more than happy to explain things I did not know or answer any questions I had. Everyone was very friendly and created a welcoming atmosphere that made me feel like I could ask questions or ask for explanations. We had a lot of guidance about our futures, which was very reassuring. The placement offered zoom meetings with different divisions of the company throughout the week, which allowed us to all see the options of work we could potentially undertake with the company in the future. There was a lot of promotion for the graduate scheme and I was able to talk to many staff members who were on the graduate scheme and gain their insight.

Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. Staff members from other departments across the different Scottish offices introduced themselves to me and staff on the graduate scheme sat down with me and discussed their process to get on the scheme and their career paths. The offices were all very productive but also relaxed, which made it a very welcoming atmosphere. I can not speak for the other divisions or offices in the UK, but I really enjoyed how interconnected my division was across the offices as it created a great sense of community and I was able to get involved in projects that took place across the country and work with all three offices extensively. The company culture is what draws me most to Savills as a top choice for future employment.

I really enjoyed the work atmosphere at Savills and the friendliness of everyone I met. I found the placement to be really rewarding and eye opening to a new industry I did not had previous experience in. My only critique is that a longer placement would be beneficial because a month is very short and moves very quickly, especially when you are in a new environment. However, I feel very optimistic about further opportunities with the company through their graduate scheme and that they are very keen on promoting the scheme to us, even when we are only involved in the company for such a short time.

Yes

Ensure you understand current developments/news in the specific sector you are interested in going into. Make sure you know the company, its offerings, as well as its response to current developments/news and its goals. Relax and be confident in your skills and how you present yourself.