I initially applied for work experience at Clowes because of its reputation as a successful local company and also because of its connection to Derby County Football Club, a team that means a lot to me personally. 

I expected to gain some insight into the world of finance, but I never imagined I would learn as much as I have in just one week. 

My time here has opened my eyes to the wide range of opportunities within finance and has given me a real sense of what my future career could look like. I’ve discovered that finance is far more varied and engaging than I had previously thought. The team was incredibly supportive, always willing to answer my questions and explain things clearly. 

One of my favourite tasks was reviewing payment runs and submitting invoices. I found that process particularly interesting, but honestly, I enjoyed every aspect of the role. 

I’d like to thank everyone I had the chance to work with at Clowes Development’s head office, Ednaston Park. Everyone was so welcoming and made my experience truly enjoyable. 

After three years of working as a Utility Coordinator, transitioning into the role of Technical Assistant has provided a fresh perspective and new challenges. In my previous position, I was responsible for overseeing and managing the utility operations across the group, ensuring that all processes ran smoothly and efficiently. This experience has allowed me to develop strong organisational and communication skills, as well as a keen understanding of the business’s operational needs.

Now, in my new role as Technical Assistant, I’ve been able to leverage this background while delving deeper into the technical aspects of our projects. The shift has been exciting, as it’s allowing me to develop a more hands-on understanding of the technical requirements and challenges the group faces. I am looking forward to expanding my skill set and contributing even more to the business, building on my previous knowledge while gaining valuable experience in a new area of the company.

The move has been a great opportunity for both my personal and professional growth, and I’m eager to continue learning and adapting as I take on this new responsibility.

I chose Clowes Developments for my work experience placement because I had heard and seen many positive things about them in recent years. The wide range of roles within the industry intrigued me, and during my time with Clowes, I gained valuable insight into the various responsibilities each role entails. This experience has definitely sparked my interest in potential future career opportunities within the property sector.

During my placement, I gained a deeper understanding of the day-to-day operations that contribute to Clowes’ high-quality property developments. I worked closely with Tom and Jenny in the Land & Planning department and they helped me understand how properties are allocated for different uses and how critical decisions, like the placement of buildings and roads, are made in a development project. Getting out and attending site visits to Dove Valley Park and Fairham gave me a clearer picture of the lengthy process a development project undergoes, from initial planning to the final stages of construction.

The Clowes team were incredibly welcoming and always willing to provide detailed answers to my questions. I also spent time with Kevin, a developer, who gave me valuable insight into his responsibilities and how he entered the industry. We discussed the various roles and routes available for those interested in starting a career in property, which inspired me and made me start to plan my own path.

Overall, my experience at Clowes gave me a comprehensive understanding of the roles, responsibilities, and opportunities within the property sector. I highly recommend Clowes for work experience placements, as the team creates a comfortable, engaging, and supportive environment.

I chose to complete my work experience with Clowes Developments because I wanted to learn more about the local business and how the property industry works.

On my first day, I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to Kevin Webster, a development surveyor at Clowes. He gave me a great overview of what the development process of commercial property looks like from start to finish.

During my time at Clowes, I joined the marketing department and was able to attend an onsite marketing meeting at Beauchamp Business Park, located in Kibworth, Leicestershire. The new business park is due to achieve practical completion in the next couple of months, where a range of units from 1,270 to 10,085 sq ft are being marketing for sale or lease. I got my PPE on and completed a walk around the site with the marketing team and Kevin where we went through the different stages that the units were at in the construction process. Some properties were built and being furnished by the owner/occupier. Some were just being finished off and snagged by the lead construction contractor, TanRo.

After the site visit to Leicester, I went to see the Fairham project. This blew my mind on how big some developments can really be. The 606-acre site boasts the best of both worlds with a million square foot of commercial properties and 3,000 new homes.

I would like to say a big thank you to the Marketing team for teaching me how important Marketing really is. From social media posts to signage on site, I think that the marketing team deliver important promotional projects for each department. Digital marketing gives people an idea of what Clowes are up to through press, social media and websites, whereas signage onsite helps people in the area understand what’s going on.

I particularly enjoyed assisting the marketing team with a feature they hadn’t used before on google maps which allows people to add up-to-date photos to the Beauchamp Business Park google maps search return.

Additionally, I was able to sit in on an online training session with RICs to learn more about Environmental, Social Governance (ESG). ESG is a key focus for the group moving forward, meaning that they are looking into making their business and buildings more sustainable in the short and long run.

Jenny McCrea, a new recruit to Clowes as a graduate surveyor very kindly had a conversation with me about the work experience, she had completed at my age and how she pursued a career in the property sector.

I also had an interesting talk with the asset management department. Emma Purdy talked to me about the processes of what happens with properties once they are finished/rented out and sold.

On the whole, I’ve had a very informative few days’ work experience with Clowes and I now feel I understand the business and would like to continue looking at potential career paths within property.

After completing my second year of Bsc Real Estate at Nottingham Trent University, I recognised the importance of combining theory taught in the classroom with practical real life-experience. Being from Derby, I was aware of Clowes Developments strong reputation and vast portfolio, and therefore saw it as the perfect place for me to gain valuable exposure to the property industry.

Over the course of the internship, I was fortunate enough to work alongside land and planning, development, management, and marketing departments. With some of my favourite modules at university including development, management and valuation, it has been a rewarding and enlightening experience to channel these topics into real-life situations. Attending meetings, visiting sites, and talking to new people, in and out of the office, has all been very beneficial.

In visiting Clowes’ completed sites such as EMDC, Ivanhoe, Crown Park and Castlewood, I learnt the true magnitude of Clowes’ portfolio, and how they’re overseen by the asset management team. Additionally, visiting sites undergoing construction such as Fairham, Studbook, and Beauchamp Business Park has been fascinating, especially witnessing how each department collaborates and utilises external architects, engineers, contractors and agents to get the job done.

The people at Clowes are exceptionally friendly and welcoming. The honesty, integrity, and supportive atmosphere within the office makes it a very admirable place to work. I would like to thank all the Clowes employees for making the experience enjoyable as well as useful, and hope I can work with the group again some time in the future.

My career at Clowes began in January 2022, as an Accounting Apprentice studying at East Midlands Apprenticeship Training Provider. In this time, I have completed both Level 2 and 3 Assistant Accountant courses (AAT), and I have recently embarked on Level 4: Diploma in Professional Accounting.

My favourite module so far has been Management Accounting: Costings. This module clicked with me as I could relate it to the work I have been doing at Clowes and subsequently ended up being my highest graded module.

My role at Clowes covers a wide range of tasks and responsibilities including, daily reconciliations, services charges, year-end activities, overseeing the company credit card and completing payment runs.

The people here at Clowes are great, everyone is passionate about what they do which creates a positive and supportive environment for me to learn and grow in. My team allow me to tailor the work that I do on a day-to-day basis around what I am learning at college which allows me a deeper understanding and chance to excel in both my qualification and my career.

I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone who is keen to gain valuable experience within a workplace environment alongside working towards a nationally recognised qualification – with the bonus of being paid to learn. I struggled initially, balancing studying, and working, as it was new to me and unlike anything I have done in the past. Organisation is key!

I hope to continue growing from strength to strength in my career at Clowes furthermore I believe from the support and encouragement from my colleagues I will succeed in progressing on to eventually achieve a chartered status in accounting.

The Marketing industry has always piqued my interest, so when I was looking for work experience, Clowes Developments was the most intriguing option. Generously, the Marketing department took me in for a week long placement. My first impressions were that there is a constant sense of ‘hustle and bustle’, I knew instantly I was in the right place.

For the week I attended, I learnt more and more about the working environment, dynamics, and the various roles of people you may come across in the Marketing industry. I now understand that these types of jobs are not restricted to being in an office all day every day. What I like about Marketing is the freedom to complete varied tasks such as attending meetings with clients and colleagues, hosting events, and completing marketing reviews on site. We visited EMDC, Fairham, Stud Brook, and Stadium Retail Park. I had the opportunity to visit a plethora of Clowes sites that were in progression, Kate, the Marketing Manager, explained the backstories and future plans for each site.

On my second day with the team, we visited an active construction site and were accompanied by the Site Manager. I had never been on a building site, so I felt incredibly grateful that I was able to embark on this opportunity.

By the middle of the placement, I was tasked with researching and suggesting road names for a new business park in Beauchamp. To do this, I looked at historical and environmental inspiration from the wider area, along with reading and sticking to all of the legislation rules from Leicestershire Council – producing 6 names in total. These were presented to the development team, of which all the name suggestions were put forward to the local authority for approval.

Additionally, I was given an assignment by my work experience leader, Kate, to create a marketing strategy for the Ednaston Park Business Centre, and to present it in front of her at the end of the week.

In this entire experience, Clowes Developments has provided me with a friendly, professional, and comprehensive team to work with. Kate and Lucy have been delightful and incredible teachers. I felt very taken care of by all of the team, yet they still allowed me to have some independence and work on personal projects. I am extremely grateful for this experience, and I cannot thank Kate, Lucy, and all of Clowes enough!

 

Clowes Developments were on my radar when school first mentioned the upcoming opportunity for students to proactively secure a work experience placement. As a keen Derby County fan and someone with an eye on what’s happening within my home city, Clowes was a first choice for me. Their portfolio of developments and assets are fascinating, and I have learnt so much about the property industry on my week here.

My week with Clowes has shown me how quickly things move in the “big shed” and logistics industry. I have enjoyed the variety of working in the office and being out on site. During my time in the marketing department, I was tasked with coming up with ideas for road names for a new development in Kibworth, Leicestershire. I researched the local area looking at local wildlife, habitats and history to kick start the thought process. I was also taken to a practical completion of an impressive 342,000 sq ft facility at East Midlands Distribution Centre, it was interesting learning about the process of planning the unit to it then being developed and completed.

I spent some time with Tom, a surveyor within the Land & Planning department and he gave me an insight into his role within the company. He talked me through his route into the industry and he took me into Derby to show me the various sites that they own, including the iconic Friar Gate Goods Yard.

I received a wide overview of the different roles and responsibilities within Clowes which has helped me start to think about my own career and what opportunities are available. The most enjoyable part of my time at experience at Clowes was visiting the different sites and watching the planning, delivery, and execution processes which is why the job of a surveyor has interested me the most.

I chose Clowes Developments as my work experience placement because of the variety of projects across their portfolio. Even though the business is small in scale in terms of the number of employees, the turnover of the company is large and they are involved in some impressive schemes across the UK. The vastness of the experience I could gain from completing a placement at Clowes caught my attention, as I knew this would show me the scope of the property sector.

My time at Clowes has demonstrated the fast pace within the ‘big shed’ and logistics sector in particular. The Clowes team were very helpful answering questions and guided me on what was happening throughout meetings. This has helped me understand the multiple roles involved in developing property and I have a better insight into opportunities which might suit me in the future. The most unique thing about Clowes, from a work experience perspective was travelling to the sites and witnessing the planning, delivery and execution process.

I would highly recommend work placements at Clowes to anyone looking for a career within the property sector. Clowes provided hands on experience in all the roles involved in developing a site and helped me to understand the different processes necessary to deliver world class developments.

I have wanted to complete the RICS (Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors) qualification for some time. Having a recognised qualification from the world’s leading professional body for surveyors would help me develop personally in my role, as well as giving confidence that clients are in safe and competent hands.

Going back to studying for the first time since leaving school was a daunting prospect and so, with some trepidation, I began my qualification for RICS in October of 2019 with the goal of completion within a 3-year time frame.

It was only a few months later that the COVID-19 Pandemic began. I was initially worried that it would affect my progress, but in actual fact, working solely from home helped! I found the balance of working and studying far more effective with the move to online CPD (Continuing Professional Development), mainly with the many hours of travel to seminars and training saved. I found that I was able to dedicate time to focus on the qualification, that otherwise would have been difficult to balance with a busy job and a demanding family!

The process for completing this qualification was quite complex. Due to COVID, It was all completed online and involved:

1. 8 mandatory competencies, totaling 1,000 words,
2. 6 technical competencies, totaling 2000 words, ensuring all elements required by RICS were covered off by documenting tasks completed that clearly evidenced the skills and experience achieved,
3. A 2500-word case study, again giving a good example of a job that I had completed within a certain time frame. This also had to cover a certain amount of the competencies, whilst giving examples of my achievements,
4. CPD had to be undertaken and logged,
5. And finally, I had to take an ethics test.

Once all areas were ready to submit, I submitted in early July of this year (2021).

The wait until receiving my results on 6th September was excruciating. It must have been the longest wait of my life! I am very proud to have achieved AssocRICS in less than 2-years!