Apprentice Surveyor Review

My day changes every single day. I'm in an agency role so a lot of the time I will be conducting viewings to show prospective tenants around our buildings, other days I may be preparing documents for pitches. I also help advise our clients on what they should do to increase the liklihood of their offices securing a letting.

I have learnt a wide variety of skills. I have developed my negotiation skills by being actively involved in deal negotiations with tenant representing agents. I have picked up lots of knowledge on how client advise emails are worded, writing some myself. I have also developed my communication skills being in constant communication with agents across the markets.

The programme is very enjoyable. There are great social events at the beginning of the programme which allows you to network with other apprentices to form a connection in your cohort where everybody can assist with job/study concerns. From day one you are given a lot of responsibility within your team, which makes you feel like a valued team member.

The study day allows for the perfect balance between university studies and workload within my job, I rarely find myself having to work past my normal hours on study days unless there is a large assignment due. There are regular meetings with a programme coordinator to make sure the structure of my programme is being met.

Within my team there are regular catch ups to make sure my balance is working between studies and my role within the team. There are also regular catch ups with members of the HR team for the same reasons. There are great support networks if anybody has any concerns regarding workload and/or mental health.

We have regular meetings with our Apprenticeship Outcome Office (AOO) who works for the university. The AOO meetings are every 10 weeks and we discuss my progress along the course. There are regular webinars and forums where module leaders can respond to any questions you may have. You can also set up 1-to-1 calls with module leaders to discuss your progress.

The level 4 modules in the Real Estate course are broader knowledge, setting the foundations for all different types of roles within real estate. The level 5 modules have been a lot more relevant to my job role, especially the property law module which I have used some of its content in my daily role.

Within Savills as a company there are lots of networking events such as lunch and learns where you can meet people from across the business. There are sports teams for football, rugby, netball and some others, which can create a lot of relationships between teams. Within the apprenticeship network there are annual award ceremonies where all apprentices nationally are gathered, providing great networking opportunities.

Yes

Savills is a great company to begin your career with as well as to stay with to grow your career too (although I can only speak for the early stages first hand). As there have been so many apprentices previously, the training and support comes from experience which makes the process feel very professionally organised.

Research the team that has a vacany. Savills offer apprenticeships fixed in one team, non-rotating so have a look at the team online, try to identify who is in the team and have a look at their projects to see if it interests you. This can also help in interviews to show extra-curricular knowledge and impress your interviewers.