Graduate Surveyor Review

As a graduate in commercial valuation, my day entails doing due diligence, collecting comparable transactions and speaking to local agents. We will also calculate the value using a programme called Argus Enterprise and peer review the figure with another member of the team. As part of the valuation process, we inspect each property we are valuing which means we get to go out to the properties.

I have learnt a lot about the theory behind valuation as well as transferable skills such as time management, report writing, analysis of evidence and communication skills. My role involves direct communication with clients, so I have developed an ability to approach clients and present the figures and the reasoning behind each decision we have made.

I thoroughly enjoy my programme. Savills offers an unlimited network of support, from the apprenticeship team, to graduate HR to your APC mentor within your team. There is also an emphasis placed on networking among your peers in your cohort, which is equally as important when progressing through the APC and your wider career.

The programme is very well structured, my team is very understanding about my masters day and never send so much as an email to allow me to study. There is a vast network of support from graduate HR who are also very approachable and supportive and have your best interests in mind.

My employer gives me a great amount of support, from help with my university modules to my everyday work. They are very understanding of the importance of my day to study. They also take the time to go through my progress towards the APC and what I need to do to progress.

Savills offers a well structured training programme when working towards the APC. Each graduate has a designated supervisor and counsellor who will talk through our options for rotations, competencies and teams. We also have a designated APC mentor within each team who signs off on the competencies and ensures that we have a sufficient number of examples. The programme also involves training days in which we meet with the other commercial graduates and have different training sessions.

Working towards the APC shows the importance of each competency that you can obtain with each team, and how they all relate to each other. The training structure at Savills means that you get enough support to support your training alongside working, and advice about potential career paths within the company and the industry.

Savills has a netball, rugby, football and hockey team that you can get involved in. There are also opportunities to get involved in triathlons, charity events and the graduate committees hold a lot of networking events. There are also events by department to get involved in such as client events or sporting events.

Yes

Savills promotes a positive working environment. Not only do you receive a lot of support from your team, but you have support from graduate HR and the apprenticeship team at Savills. Savills is also a fun company to work for, there is an emphasis on the importance of networking, team building and forming strong relationships with your peers.

In your application, it is important to show why you want to work in the property industry, why Savills specifically versus the other firms and then why you. Do some research into the company and be aware of some key projects various teams you are interested in have been involved in. It is also good to go through the Savills research and be aware of what is going on in the market.