Sadly, RICS isn't a recruitment consultancy. What we can do is tell you how to go about finding, applying for and getting a job.
RICS endorse TARGET Property and TARGET Quantity Surveying & Commercial Management magazines, published by GTI. Both publications give career advice and list graduate vacancies for students at university. The publications list important things for you like starting salaries, whether or not you get a company car upon RICS qualification and annual holiday entitlement.
You can find copies of all TARGET publications at your university library or careers office. Alternatively, you can log on to TARGET's website, doctorjob.com for full details.
Practically, I'm sure you are still asking how to find the right job and when do you need to start? Fortunately, we’ve spoken to someone who’s made a success of it. Liz Parsons, 20, starts as a graduate with CB Richard Ellis in September. We invited Liz to RICS headquarters in Parliament Square. Below she provides you with the 7 steps it took her to get her job…
Number 1 – The Graduate Fair
In October 2004, I attended the Careers Fair at Reading University and spoke to employers from ATIS to Savills. This was the first time I came into contact with CBRE. I picked up a copy of TARGET Property, which RICS endorses. This gives you information on all the companies you can apply for and vital things like their starting salaries!
Number 2 – Presentations
A number of the firms came to Reading University to give talks about their companies. Others invited us to their offices in London for the presentations. Uniquely CBRE held an 'investment game' whereby each team was given £10 million pounds to invest in property, the winner being the team with the highest return. All of these provided great opportunities to meet the people within each firm, find out about their experiences as well being able to ask them questions.
Number 3 – The Applications
Between October 2004 and January 2005 I applied to nine firms. Some firms had online application forms which asked ‘thinking outside the box’ questions. Others simply required a CV and a covering letter.
Number 4 – The First Interviews
After receiving phone calls and confirmation letters from various firms I attended first round interviews between November 2004 and January 2005. Most of these were at the firms’ offices. However, some employers, like Knight Frank conducted interviews on campus. I had to wear a suit for all interviews, which lasted between twenty and forty-five minutes. Most of the firms were keen to find out about me as an individual rather than asking me academic, technical questions for this round.
Number 5 – The Second Interviews
I received “no” answers from DTZ and Cushman & Wakefield after the first interview but all other firms asked me back to the second round. Some companies phoned me to invite me back on the same day as the interview which was encouraging as I felt like the company really wanted me as an individual.
In January and February 2005, I attended second interviews, which were much more intense. In some cases they were full days, which comprised of: Maths and English tests, lunch and a tour of the offices, meetings with the graduates and group work and presentations. For example, I worked with students from Oxford Brookes and Heriot Watt at CBRE on a hypothetical value add exercise. I then had to present this in the form of a marketing pitch to company directors. When I was at Jones Lang LaSalle I did a presentation on how to bake a cake!
Number 6 – The Offers
I got offers from three firms. Two from ATIS Real Weatheralls and Jones Lang LaSalle on the 28th January 2005 and then one from CBRE on 4th February 2005.
Number 7 – The Decision
I decided to accept the CBRE offer because they were both professional and friendly and I felt that I got on well with them at the interviews.
I start with CBRE as one of thirty-eight graduate trainees on 14 September 2005, less than a year after I first met them. I am really looking forward to getting my career underway and wiping out some of my student debts!
Liz gives you her four top tips for getting a graduate position…
Number 1 – Work Experience
This is probably one of the most important factors which firms consider when assessing application forms.
Number 2 – Talk to firms
Phone them up, meet with them at graduate fairs… just get to know people, basically. You can then name drop employees from the firm in your application programme to show that you have come into contact with them and have a relationship with them, however small it may seem. At many of my interviews I recognised the interviewer from fairs and talks, but more importantly they recognised me!
Number 3 – Look at a firm’s website
Many firms asked me questions about their website. They were looking for both positive and negative feedback – don’t be afraid to offer mild criticisms.
Number 4 – Read TARGET magazines
They are like a study guide for finding a graduate position! They give you excellent advice from making applications to going to interviews and provide a summary of about each firm.
My only other tip would be to wear rubber heeled shoes. I wore shoes with metal heels to one interview and the whole reception area was tiled so I 'clomped' everywhere I went!
