Undergraduate Building Surveyor Review

I enjoyed my placement at EC Harris very much, it provided me with a year of useful experience that I can take forward into my final year of university and in my future career.

I did feel valued within the office and by my colleagues, I felt that the work I was given was important and my opinions valued.

I was given a great deal of support by my colleagues and my supervisors, I felt comfortable asking for help when I needed it.

My day-to-day activities varied throughout my year but for the majority of the year I would say I was busy most of the day. There were some occasions when my workload would be lighter and so I would be struggling to keep occupied but these occasions were few and would only last for a day or two before I was given more work to do.

I was given a great deal of responsibility on my placement, I undertook a large number of surveys unaccompanied and was solely responsible for managing the data I collected. I was also given the opportunity to write a number of survey reports which became official documents sent out to clients.

I feel I have a much greater awareness of the industry than I did prior to my placement. I now have a better understanding of how a project is run from initial conception to delivering the end result. I have also gained knowledge on how a business is run, knowledge I did not have previously. The experience I have gained from my placement will not only help me in my final year, but it has also changed my attitude to approaching work with regard to preparation and organisation.

The atmosphere in the office was generally very comfortable and welcoming. It was usually very busy with lots going on. The office employs a 'hot-desking' approach so nobody has their own desk and you integrate with people of all levels and all professions.

The organisation of my placement was good, however I do feel there could have been a more structured approach towards the work I was involved with.

While on placement I began my APC training, which the company paid for. The department also paid for employees to attend external CPD sessions and for presentations by external companies; all of which I could attend if I wanted to.

A large number of previous placement students have returned to the company and years later are still there. The training available which helps towards the APC is considerable, the department offers regular training sessions and the company as a whole offers learning seminars every month. While on my placement, all the candidates who had recently passed or were working towards their interview were highly competent and very knowledgable. This is just one of the many appealing factors including the enjoyable social atmosphere and the numerous benefits available.

I was the only placement student in the department however there were a number of graduates, work experience students and apprentices, all of whom I integrated with both work-wise and socially on a daily basis.

The office is located in central London and I lived within a 30 minute tube commute. The area had a number of shops, cafes and bars and the prices were reflective of what you would expect in London, however with several chain supermarkets and cafes located nearby buying lunch was no more expensive than it would have been elsewhere.

The nightlife in the area is ok, there are a number of bars and pubs nearby but with the tube located only a few minutes away going into more central areas is not difficult.

There were many opportunities to get involved in out-of-work activities such as team social events, quizzes, charity events and sports teams.