Hollis is a people first company, and one about creating opportunities. Whether offering training courses, the opportunity to attend networking events or being rewarded with promotions, we know that our professional development is prioritised. This has always been something I have admired about the company I work for, but I appreciate it even more so now.

Many of my colleagues had undertaken secondments to work with our clients and spoken so highly of the experience, so I was delighted when I was presented with a secondment opportunity of my own. And looking back, I am even more delighted I said yes.

From London to Dublin

I had the opportunity to undertake a six-month secondment which involved staying within my measured surveys team but relocating from London to our Dublin office to help with workload. Having never been to Ireland before, I thought this would be an exciting new adventure to move to a completely new country whilst also making great strides in my career.

Since beginning my secondment, I have been able to develop my skills within areas that I hadn’t previously gained much experience, such as area referencing, boundary surveys and legal maps. I have also been trusted with increased responsibility dealing with clients, attending events, and even training and mentoring our graduates – something I have taken pleasure in doing. I have also been able to grow our measured surveys offering in Dublin, which was primarily area referencing focused, and expand our presence in Ireland.

With new exposure comes new experiences, giving me a well-rounded understanding of our service offering here at Hollis but also of the real estate industry as a whole. I truly believe this newfound knowledge and expertise helped me to pass my APC qualification and become a chartered land surveyor.

From colleagues to clients

But it’s not just within the Hollis network we offer this opportunity. We also offer clients the ability to second Hollis professional consultants on placements into their companies, providing specialist knowledge and a fresh perspective. By allowing us to work in-house with our clients, we’re able to gain a fuller insight into our clients’ ways of working, any challenges, opportunities, and strategy goals. It helps us take our client care one step further; with this insight we can provide more informed, bespoke, and commercially focused advice helping clients get the most out of their real estate.

Our secondment service provides short-term help rapidly with minimal fuss, plugging skills gaps while removing some of the difficulties surrounding recruitment and retention. Simply, secondments help us to help our clients. It also provides us at Hollis with a great learning opportunity and exciting new experience.

Just say yes

My advice to anyone presented with an opportunity to second, take it. If the opportunity is in a new city or country, what a brilliant chance to live in a new location and unlock a whole host of opportunities; new friends, career progression, and new sights, just to name a few! I have worked with a fantastic group of people throughout my secondment in Dublin, from colleagues I had only met virtually to new clients I had never had the pleasure of meeting. You are given a chance to truly explore different parts of the business and get to know more people across the company and its many locations.

I’ve also got to see a side of Dublin that a tourist or visitor wouldn’t necessarily get to see, especially as I have now decided to extend my stay in Ireland and remain in Dublin past my secondment. And without Hollis presenting this secondment to me, I wouldn’t have had to chance to see that. It has been eye opening to see the shifts and differences between the UK and Irish market alongside learning how to cater to this; I’ve become more knowledgeable and confident in working across the two markets now.

However, I think my biggest takeaway from this experience is to say yes to opportunities, and to try new things! Not even just for secondments. Whether it’s visiting a client, attending an event, starting a new training course, or upskilling in a new area, say yes! Opportunities are a chance to stretch yourself and grow, whilst having some fun along the way. You never know where they might take you, and you’ll never find out if you don’t give it a go.

And if a client would like to learn more about our management consultancy and secondments service, do get in touch.