| Personal details |
|---|
| Degree: | Environmental Biology and Geography |
|
| School(s): | School of Biology, School of Geography and Geosciences |
| Year of Graduation: | Jun-2011 |
| LinkedIn: | |
| National of: | United Kingdom |
| Employment details |
|---|
| Organisation: | The Building Research Establishment (BRE) |
| Job title: | BREEAM Communities Senior Consultant |
| Occupational Sector: | Sustainability Consultancy |
| What has been your route to getting your current position? |
|---|
I applied for the role of BRE graduate during my final
semester of university. My application involved the submission of a CV and
covering letter, followed by selection for an assessment day. The assessment
day entailed; numeracy and literacy tests; a group challenge; delivery of a
presentation and an interview. Key to a successful application was an
enthusiasm for sustainability and the built environment which was demonstrated
through academic achievement and work experience.
My career at BRE has been
varied, having started with BRE on their graduate scheme, I have quickly
progressed to senior consultant level within the BREEAM Communities team. This
progression is largely down to an enthusiasm to learn and seeking good
mentorship from those within industry. |
| What does your job involve ? |
|---|
As part of a relatively small BREEAM Communities team, my
role gives me exposure to a wide range of business areas from finance
management to the technical research, development and maintenance of the
scheme. On a daily basis I balance providing technical support to our assessor
network with the operational project management aspects of the scheme and
strategic business planning, to support its long term growth.
As a lead trainer for the scheme, I deliver BREEAM
Communities training to professionals across the built environment, including planners,
sustainability consultants, architects, developers and engineers. In additional
to this, I am regularly asked to present at conferences and to design teams,
planning groups and local authorities, to communicate the benefits of using the
BREEAM Communities scheme. This requires
me to effective and dynamic in my presentation and training style.
This role also requires me to be up-to-date with current
policy and legislation surrounding communities and planning, to ensure that the
BREEAM Communities scheme continues to align with and complement the
requirements of our planning system and wider construction industry.
During the two year graduate program I undertook four six
month placements across different areas of the business. The BRE graduate scheme
gave me a good grounding in numerous business areas across BRE, enabling me to
develop strong commercial awareness of the sector and strengthen my ability to
adapt and pick up new and complex projects effectively. My placements included:
These placements enabled me
to further strengthen my knowledge and experience in a range of areas from
energy modelling, to community engagement and sustainability assessment scheme
development, both within the UK and internationally. The graduate scheme
provided me with intensive training opportunities to support my development in
management and leadership. |
| What are the best bits of your job ? |
|---|
| I
could not even begin to try to single the best bits of my job. However working
with likeminded people who are motivated and committed to improving the
sustainable and safe performance of the built environment makes working at BRE
very satisfying. Furthermore the varied nature of BRE’s business activities means
there is never a dull moment; every day I learn something new from our hundreds
of experts. |
| Why were you successful? |
|---|
Being able to demonstrate my commitment to sustainability
and environmental issues during my academic career through; sitting on the
Geographical society committee, attending conservation work camps during my
summers, focusing my dissertation on topical conservation and ecological issues
and membership to the Society of Biology.
Vital to any success is an enthusiasm for what you do. This
in turn motivates those around you and demonstrates you would be a valued team
member.
Finally the graduate scheme
gave me exposure to multiple business areas, each with their pros and cons,
these observations have supported me in contributing more in my current
position. The scheme has also meant that I have made lots of contacts from
around the business, this is key in terms of knowing the best people to advise
and support you. |
| What skills/ knowledge from your degree have you found particularly helpful in this role? |
|---|
| There
are many obvious links between my current job and the modules I undertook at
university such as the climate change module and modules linking to
sustainability and environmental biology. However perhaps some of the most
useful skills I have applied from my academic career are those gained from the
numerous statistical courses which formed part of my degree. Furthermore the
transferable skills that I gained from St Andrews are invaluable, such as the
delivery of presentations and scientific report writing, although intimidating
at the time they have served me well in my professional career. |
| What advice would you give to students wishing to follow the same path? |
|---|
Stick
to the academic subjects you enjoy (which aren’t always those you are best at),
this is straight forward advice but it means you are far more likely to end up
in a job you enjoy. Gain as much experience as possible and don’t be afraid to
contact those in the industry you are interested in. Lastly don’t be put off by
an unsuccessful application, this often is not a reflection on your ability but
rather it has come down to having to select ‘like over like’ due to high
numbers of applicants. |
