This exam results day we've asked our younger colleagues about their journey from school to working in the property industry and their recommendations to school leavers making decisions today.
Experiences are mixed and for many it wasn’t a direct route. Some studied a completely different subject that touched on real estate, or they knew someone who was working as a surveyor, and that small piece of early exposure caught their attention.
It seems people find our industry by chance. We want to help them find it as an appealing choice.
Some other common themes emerged:
- Jobs in surveying are not talked about in school as part of careers guidance. School leavers have little understanding of the roles available or what a surveyor does.
- Schools prioritise going to university or college and helping with those applications rather than exploring alternatives such as apprenticeships.
- Finding a first job in the property industry is challenging. Work experience will help your application stand out. Even working in a completely different field can give you transferable skills.
For today’s school leavers our team recommends looking at apprenticeships as an alternative to full time higher education. For property, a range of Graduate Apprenticeships are offered through Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University and Napier University in Edinburgh
They also say don’t worry if you don’t know what you want to do. Neither did many of them and they found their path.
“Greater exposure at school to professions such as building surveying would help more students recognise how their skills and interests align with such a vast industry. Many would be drawn to careers which offer a well-balanced split between office-based tasks and on-site work.”
Louie Buckley, Apprentice Building Consultant, Ryden
“I would highly recommend the General Practice surveying pathway. It’s a great starting point because it gives you exposure to a wide range of areas without having to commit to a specific specialism right away. This flexibility is really valuable, especially when you’re just starting out and still figuring out what suits you best.”
James Gordon, Graduate Apprentice Surveyor, Ryden
“There's a lot of pressure to make a decision when leaving school but it’s always possible to change your path and it’s ok if you do.”
Sarah Hay, Newly- qualified Surveyor, Ryden
We’re proud of all the young people we have supported through their training over the years. We don’t always have graduate, apprentice or internship opportunities available but anyone in Ryden is happy to discuss surveying as a career, so please don't hesitate to get in touch here.
