As published in BE News on 18 July

What I do: My day-to-day role involves undertaking building surveys and working within our dilapidations service. I attend sites with our clients – who range from asset managers to heads of sectors – talking through their projects and then advise and agree on next steps. I have learnt to write detailed reports and have recently negotiated dilapidations claims ranging from £500,000 to £4m. I am also committed to constantly learning new and innovative processes and keeping up with industry news and developments. I have been given a great deal of responsibility through my apprenticeship, and I am enjoying every step along the way.

Why I got into the property industry: That’s a pretty hard question! Amongst many reasons, one stood out to me in particular; as a building surveyor, no one day is ever the same, but a few things are always consistent. It’s exciting, interesting and varied, with many opportunities to challenge myself and learn. A typical day in a life of a building surveyor often involves heading to site and presenting to schools on the routes available into the real estate sector while proudly wearing my Pathways to Property alumni hat. Something that’s very close to my heart is promoting the incredible mission of LandAid, the property industry’s charity. There are so many avenues you can explore, different services and sectors within real estate, and the opportunities are really versatile.

How I did it: I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Pathways to Property Summer School programme at the Henley Business School, back in 2018. The funny thing about my journey is that I never expected to end up in real estate. Luckily for me though, my school had a separate careers adviser who sent me an invitation to attend the Pathways to Property Summer School. While working in property wasn’t in my initial career plan, it was fully funded so I decided to give it a go. Honestly, it turned out to be the best thing I ever did.

The summer school experience was incredible; I met so many like-minded people who I’m happy to still call my friends to this day, I spoke to experts in the field and forged a network of connections, opening my eyes to the vast and varied career opportunities available to me within real estate, so If I didn’t just go for it, then I would never be where I am now. After the summer school programme, I did further research into what career opportunities were available on the national government apprenticeship website. I also undertook work experience to get a better insight into the property industry and the opportunities available. Then, I looked into the Hollis apprenticeship programme via the company’s website and social media platforms such as LinkedIn and YouTube to get a feel for the company.

My first proper job: A waitress at a small Thai restaurant.

My first big break: Being nominated and shortlisted this year as a rising star at the Inspiring Women in Property awards.

My inspiration(s): The people around me. Having been in the industry for almost four years now, I’m always so surprised at how much I have learnt from the people I have had the pleasure to work with and meet in the real estate world. I still have much more to learn, which is exciting. Having access to industry experts has matured my personal career development massively. This is not limited to just my peers and mentors, who have contributed to my progress over the years, but to everyone that I’ve met along the way. There is something new that I pick up daily and every day I am evolving.

The biggest challenge I’ve encountered to date: Balancing work and university, especially approaching my final year, as both were priorities to me. Managing time effectively by juggling a full course load with a job that is at times fast paced has often left me feeling stretched and I’ve sometimes struggled to meet deadlines and maintain a high standard in both areas. The constant switch between academic and professional responsibilities requires not only careful planning but also the ability to adapt quickly to unforeseen demands from both sides. This balancing act has taught me the importance of prioritisation and resilience, but more importantly, being open and honest and asking for help from others when needed, to ensure neither my work performance nor my academic achievements suffer.

My greatest achievement/proudest moment to date: My proudest achievement to date is settling a dilapidation claim of £500,000. It was a prolonged process with lots of back and forth, liaising with the other side. There were times where I felt like it would never get resolved but I persisted, and it taught me so much. It can be hard to keep yourself positive in these challenging situations, which is why I’m grateful to have such a motivating team.

The biggest misconception people have about the property industry: That it’s just limited to one area or sector. There are a myriad of many roles and services out there. There are different types of surveying: measured survey, building survey, quantity survey, right of lights, to name but a few. With a consultancy you’re not just limited to one thing. There is project management, ESG, health and safety, and it all ties in with each other in one way or another and creates the dynamic world of real estate.

My biggest bugbear about the industry/the one thing I would change about the industry: The fixed mindset and outlook of how things are done. That’s why I’m keen to learn innovative new processes to keep one step ahead. For example, I have learned to operate a H360 camera to undertake site inspections – an alternative to data capturing from your standard digital or phone camera – and started to undertake ESG BREEAM training.

Why I’m so passionate about DE&I: Reflecting back to where and how I started my career, even though I was fortunate to fall into the path that led me to my role, through Pathways to Property, I had very little to no background or understanding of the industry. I didn’t have anyone around me with a background in property nor anyone in my family that went down the university route. I’m forever grateful to the people I met along the way and the support I was given – we all have a role to play when making a change in this industry. That’s why I have taken an active role in promoting the apprenticeship scheme route by sharing my personal experience, as well as creating awareness of the property industry and the Hollis brand. With the recent uplift of young professionals, taking different routes into the industry, all with different backgrounds and fresh mindsets, I am proud to say we’re slowly making progress with diversifying the industry.

Why I’m so passionate about ESG: ESG really does aligns with our own values of protecting the environment, supporting social health and vitality, and ensuring ethical governance. I strive to make a positive impact and leave a meaningful legacy for the future generations.

Where I’d like to be in five years’ time career-wise: Fully qualified as a chartered surveyor specialising in project management and dilapidation.

Who I’d invite, living or dead, to a dinner party: Princess Diana.

What I do in my downtime: Lots and lots of cooking. No page in my recipe book is left unturned and there’s no recipe on BBC good food I haven’t tried.

The job I’d be doing if I was not doing this: A chef!

My advice for someone just starting out: Just go for it. Take every opportunity you can and do your research. With hard work, you’ll get the most out of your apprenticeship and will be so glad you went for it. You really don’t know where it’s going to take you and even if something isn’t for you, the very least, you can say you’ve tried.

My motto/mantra: One step at a time, but always forward.