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Natalie

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Finally accepted a job offer.

 

Was a toss up between a development consultancy and Berkeley - St James.

 

Had a great interview with St James, great feedback, was told I am the 'front-runner', until on their last interview they met another great candidate. Fine, but only one of the two directors interviewed her and they're dragging their feet to completely arrange the second meeting. I felt she'd get it in the end, having more experience and all so I played it safe.

 

Had interview with consultancy a day later and got the role same day, chose them in the end as to not take another risk.

 

Pension plan, private healthcare, annual holiday to the Caribbean, bonus, nice pay packet, chartered within two years, tiny team, good prospects and I'll be near my ex-colleagues on Pall Mall.

 

Really wanted Berkeley but cant take that risk again, though having the likes of the Candy brothers as clients is a nice consolation.

 

-

 

Can finally start realistically considering buying a flat.

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Well done CP. What's your title?

 

(I don't know of any industry there other than tourism)

 

This doesn't surprise me. I imagine you get most of your mainstream knowledge from mainstream sources, and your leftfield knowledge from Vice Magazine...expand your mind.

 

On a serious note, when you're in business, you can do what you want.

 

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Finally accepted a job offer.

 

Was a toss up between a development consultancy and Berkeley - St James.

 

Had a great interview with St James, great feedback, was told I am the 'front-runner', until on their last interview they met another great candidate. Fine, but only one of the two directors interviewed her and they're dragging their feet to completely arrange the second meeting. I felt she'd get it in the end, having more experience and all so I played it safe.

 

Had interview with consultancy a day later and got the role same day, chose them in the end as to not take another risk.

 

Pension plan, private healthcare, annual holiday to the Caribbean, bonus, nice pay packet, chartered within two years, tiny team, good prospects and I'll be near my ex-colleagues on Pall Mall.

 

Really wanted Berkeley but cant take that risk again, though having the likes of the Candy brothers as clients is a nice consolation.

 

-

 

Can finally start realistically considering buying a flat.

 

Props bro.

 

Really happy to hear how well things are going for you.

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Finally accepted a job offer.

 

Was a toss up between a development consultancy and Berkeley - St James.

 

Had a great interview with St James, great feedback, was told I am the 'front-runner', until on their last interview they met another great candidate. Fine, but only one of the two directors interviewed her and they're dragging their feet to completely arrange the second meeting. I felt she'd get it in the end, having more experience and all so I played it safe.

 

Had interview with consultancy a day later and got the role same day, chose them in the end as to not take another risk.

 

Pension plan, private healthcare, annual holiday to the Caribbean, bonus, nice pay packet, chartered within two years, tiny team, good prospects and I'll be near my ex-colleagues on Pall Mall.

 

Really wanted Berkeley but cant take that risk again, though having the likes of the Candy brothers as clients is a nice consolation.

 

-

 

Can finally start realistically considering buying a flat.

what do u do?

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:lmao:

Some things will never change

  

Insulted the guy and didn't even answer his question

So sad.

The predictable posters show up right on cue (or should that be queue, Afroman :rofl:)

I bet you will both continue to post and follow me around, when the sensible solution would just be to put me on ignore. Bane too. Like a trio of faggots.

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Thanks for the congratulations all!

 

serious benefits as well

 

what were the risks of st james?

 

Forgot to mention the backdrop.

 

Basically in January I passed the Savills grad programme, I didn't actually want the job as it wasn't property development (or development consultancy) per se, but everyone on the course was applying to these surveying grad schemes so I went with he flow. Savills are a reputed property services company and the role would have been rotations around 5 departments for two years, which I felt was a waste of time since I had two years of solid experience in the industry already, and I knew what field I wanted to go into for sure,

 

So when I got the offer, I tried my hardest to stall cos I had other interviews with actual developers and Savills wanted a response ASAP. Eventually I rejected them thinking I'd bag a job with Quintain doing the Wembley Park regeneration following that interview, needless to say I didn't get that role and I started regretting my decision.

 

So I was left in the lurch for some time, bagged a few jobs with similar pay packets to Savills but without the name on the CV and the contacts. I was a bit despondent until I met one nice, niche trio of recruitment consultants who set me up with the two roles.

 

I had my interview with Berkley on a Tuesday, the same day recruiter feedback said they want me in for a second round. Then I had my now current firm the day after and I got that role the same day.

 

So I had a job offer whilst Berkeley were still interviewing people and I was waiting for them to finish the first round to have my second interview. I was trying to keep these people sweet, so I delayed by arranging a second meeting for after exams. Then one day the recruiter calls me and says there are two interviews to go with Berkeley, the panel said I'm frontrunner, and they said the first candidate they will see looks not-up-to-it, but the last female candidate looks 'interesting'. Now one of the panellists was a woman, head of planning and instantly I though she like this candidate, since were in a male dominated industry she must be good and the woman interviewer would definitely take a liking to her.

 

And exactly that happened in the end when I heard that the last person they interviewed was good, but that only one of the interviewers saw her, the female one. I'd have to wait until next week for the male interview to take place, I cut my losses. What was said was she had a better rounding of experience though weaker on the financial side, the issue with me is that the CV I submitted was very financially orientated and so I needed to work hard to convince them that I'm a property guy and not a numbers guy, which they got in the end but still property experience is important for such a big scheme. Deep down I think I may have got it, but it wasn't worth the risk after what happened in January.

 

Berkeley are doing a 4000 home regeneration scheme is Southall (future Crossrail Stn) over 98 acres of brownfield site, and they have a team of only 12 people to do that. It would have been an epic job spec, great experience with epic pay, but an odd commute due to an office on site in Southall (where 9/10 people are south Asian).

 

The role was as an assistant (until chartered) development manager, which is basically everything associated with delivering a development. It's a great position that blends finance (building complex spreadsheets, running Monte Carlo risk analyses etc.), leading teams (architects, planners, etc), construction, marketing and are generally entrepreneurial (making sure unit designs are right for the target market etc.).

 

But this position is essentially the same, on the consultant side. The door is open for Berkeley anyway since quantitative skills are very rare in property so I will get chartered in two years and get back in touch then, I've got all the right contacts now and technically I wasn't rejected.

 

For those asking, my current title should be something like assistant (until chartered) development surveyor, I've got some clients to bring them over as well from my own business exploits so progress should be quick.

 

/

 

Also currently laughing at all the rich boys and girls on my course who joined surveying firms (often through nepotism and connects) for 23k pa salaries since our masters fees were 18k up front, so you figure that out. Those who have waited have got massive pay packets and big companies like private equity and institutional funds etc.

 

Cool story.

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Thanks for the congratulations all!

 

serious benefits as well

 

what were the risks of st james?

 

Forgot to mention the backdrop.

 

Basically in January I passed the Savills grad programme, I didn't actually want the job as it wasn't property development (or development consultancy) per se, but everyone on the course was applying to these surveying grad schemes so I went with he flow. Savills are a reputed property services company and the role would have been rotations around 5 departments for two years, which I felt was a waste of time since I had two years of solid experience in the industry already, and I knew what field I wanted to go into for sure,

 

So when I got the offer, I tried my hardest to stall cos I had other interviews with actual developers and Savills wanted a response ASAP. Eventually I rejected them thinking I'd bag a job with Quintain doing the Wembley Park regeneration following that interview, needless to say I didn't get that role and I started regretting my decision.

 

So I was left in the lurch for some time, bagged a few jobs with similar pay packets to Savills but without the name on the CV and the contacts. I was a bit despondent until I met one nice, niche trio of recruitment consultants who set me up with the two roles.

 

I had my interview with Berkley on a Tuesday, the same day recruiter feedback said they want me in for a second round. Then I had my now current firm the day after and I got that role the same day.

 

So I had a job offer whilst Berkeley were still interviewing people and I was waiting for them to finish the first round to have my second interview. I was trying to keep these people sweet, so I delayed by arranging a second meeting for after exams. Then one day the recruiter calls me and says there are two interviews to go with Berkeley, the panel said I'm frontrunner, and they said the first candidate they will see looks not-up-to-it, but the last female candidate looks 'interesting'. Now one of the panellists was a woman, head of planning and instantly I though she like this candidate, since were in a male dominated industry she must be good and the woman interviewer would definitely take a liking to her.

 

And exactly that happened in the end when I heard that the last person they interviewed was good, but that only one of the interviewers saw her, the female one. I'd have to wait until next week for the male interview to take place, I cut my losses. What was said was she had a better rounding of experience though weaker on the financial side, the issue with me is that the CV I submitted was very financially orientated and so I needed to work hard to convince them that I'm a property guy and not a numbers guy, which they got in the end but still property experience is important for such a big scheme. Deep down I think I may have got it, but it wasn't worth the risk after what happened in January.

 

Berkeley are doing a 4000 home regeneration scheme is Southall (future Crossrail Stn) over 98 acres of brownfield site, and they have a team of only 12 people to do that. It would have been an epic job spec, great experience with epic pay, but an odd commute due to an office on site in Southall (where 9/10 people are south Asian).

 

The role was as an assistant (until chartered) development manager, which is basically everything associated with delivering a development. It's a great position that blends finance (building complex spreadsheets, running Monte Carlo risk analyses etc.), leading teams (architects, planners, etc), construction, marketing and are generally entrepreneurial (making sure unit designs are right for the target market etc.).

 

But this position is essentially the same, on the consultant side. The door is open for Berkeley anyway since quantitative skills are very rare in property so I will get chartered in two years and get back in touch then, I've got all the right contacts now and technically I wasn't rejected.

 

For those asking, my current title should be something like assistant (until chartered) development surveyor, I've got some clients to bring them over as well from my own business exploits so progress should be quick.

 

/

 

Also currently laughing at all the rich boys and girls on my course who joined surveying firms (often through nepotism and connects) for 23k pa salaries since our masters fees were 18k up front, so you figure that out. Those who have waited have got massive pay packets and big companies like private equity and institutional funds etc.

 

Cool story.

Yes!

 

#blacksuccess 

 

I'm looking to get chartered myself in a few years but i did my degree in an unrelated subject to property so im going the AssocRics route first.

 

I work for JLL there quite a few jobs here.. did you try them as well?

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Ah yeah, the conversion is a pain, Assoc sounds a good plan, much cheaper and less stress than a MSc.

 

I applied to JLL but got absolute air, I really wanted to rotate through the strategic asset management team, I would have probably met you if I got in. I also hear they carry that hot reputation as the 'Eton of the property services industry'.

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flopped on my leaving speech, I was working all day like 9am-10pm+ the last few days and just wasn't prepped when they actually paused work at the end of the day and the MD dropped a little speech with a gift for me leaving, then said "how about a few words..." - thing is the words for my leaving email had been running about my head for a minute but I just couldn't recall anything on the spot

 

the appreciation is a lot, and couldn't ask for more from these lot

the professional development has been great, if you see my CV you'd probably think I was lying

 

but on to the next country

next month can't come sooner - 2/3 weeks and I'm so ready to jump

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shuda told them man skurrrr n bounced dub

 

 

Finally accepted a job offer.

 

Was a toss up between a development consultancy and Berkeley - St James.

 

Had a great interview with St James, great feedback, was told I am the 'front-runner', until on their last interview they met another great candidate. Fine, but only one of the two directors interviewed her and they're dragging their feet to completely arrange the second meeting. I felt she'd get it in the end, having more experience and all so I played it safe.

 

Had interview with consultancy a day later and got the role same day, chose them in the end as to not take another risk.

 

Pension plan, private healthcare, annual holiday to the Caribbean, bonus, nice pay packet, chartered within two years, tiny team, good prospects and I'll be near my ex-colleagues on Pall Mall.

 

Really wanted Berkeley but cant take that risk again, though having the likes of the Candy brothers as clients is a nice consolation.

 

-

 

Can finally start realistically considering buying a flat.

 

goin in

 

Insulted the guy and didn't even answer his question

 

normal

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  • 1 month later...

Its mad how some companies think they can offer such undervalued offers.

Like if you're going to cut 1/3 off my given expected wage why not make that clear instead of putting me through another interview stage?

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