Graduate Planner Review

My day to day responsibilities include: monitoring local plan updates; writing representations to local plan consultations; writing planning statements, pre-application reports, covering letters and Green Belt statements; attending pre-application meetings, design meetings and client meetings; monitoring applications post submission; attending public consultations; and project management.

I have developed my understanding of the planning system and legal frameworks. I have also developed my project management skills.

I have enjoyed the graduate scheme. I have had a diverse range of experiences and learnt a lot about planning. The work load can be a lot and has been very challenging to balance against university work at times.

Savills run a lot of CPD and training events for all graduates which is excellent. Savills also provided a mock professional discussion as part of the APC process which was very useful. There have been some organisational issues which delayed me passing through Gateway where Savills HR incorrectly completed our forms for the RTPI and then when our applications got rejected LSBU never informed us.

There is a lot of support available at Savills if you ask for help. Resourcing can be an issue but there is a lot of support from senior staff on how best to complete tasks and develop individual learning.

Some of the university modules were very useful for my APC as we started our reflective journals and did draft PDPs. In terms of other modules (such as dissertations), I felt that there was very limited support and involved no communication from supervisors throughout the whole process.

I'm not sure many of the modules relate specifically to my day to day responsibilities but it is interesting to have a wider understanding of planning and urban design.

There is Women in Planning Kent which runs several events a year. There are also RTPI CPD events available. There is very limited office or team social events. However, there are a range of sports teams available if you can commute to London for them.

Yes

Savills provides a range of experiences and opportunities for someone starting out in the planning industry. Working at a large organisation means there is more support and awareness for the chartership process.

Make sure you understand the local constraints of your area for development as there are often theoretical questions on this in interviews. It is a great experience but you have to be organised and prepared to work hard to essentially balance a full time job and a masters.