I join Clowes Developments as an Assistant Surveyor Graduate Placement Student. I will be here for nine months in between my second and third year at the University of Leeds, where I study Politics & Philosophy. As I am writing this, I am in my first week of working at Clowes and whilst feeling slightly out of my depth, all the staff have been so welcoming and helpful in explaining various terms and procedures to me!

I feel especially lucky to have been given this excellent opportunity to gain real, first-hand experience from this large property investment and development organisation, getting an insight into the various facets of the company, namely the Finance Department, Asset Management, Land and Planning and Marketing, which I will be most actively involved in. Moreover, I look forward to the upcoming site visits scheduled for the year, which I believe will be a great way to observe the practical manifestation of all the various departments’ work.

By the end of my time at Clowes, I hope to have a strong understanding of various business functions and their interconnectedness, and to have under my belt a breadth of experience in a working role, taking on any challenges that come my way.

I first came to Clowes on placement while studying for my degree. Fast forward a couple of years and I am now embarking on the next steps of my career as a Graduate Surveyor. I graduated with a degree in Property Development & Planning from Nottingham Trent University and a bucket load of hands-on experience gained whilst working with Clowes.

I feel incredibly lucky to continue my employment with Clowes after a successful placement year. I joined the Land & Planning Team to assist Robert, Ali & Thomas on a wide range of projects varying in size and complexity. I worked closely with Thomas, who, in particular offered immense support through my final year at University. I was able to draw on the experiences through my time at Clowes to help in my studies and vice versa.

The advantage of working closely with the Land and Planning team means I have a sound understanding of the day-to-day expectations and the importance of good management of the varied projects. I will continue to assist Thomas and the wider team on exciting new and existing projects.

For this next chapter, I am particularly looking forward to continuing to work within my existing team and gain further experience. I can’t wait to get out and network after a year of ‘Teams’ meetings! It will be great to have face to face meetings with varying stakeholders allowing me to continue my development as a surveyor whilst also playing my part to help the company grow.

I live locally and used to pass this building every day. When I saw that Clowes had bought and refurbished the place I just knew I had to work here. I dropped off my CV and just kept calling until I was given an interview! So, to actually get a job here was a dream come true.

My background in professional services means I have a good understanding of how to ensure operations run smoothly and how a smile and a positive nature can go a long way. I absolutely love working here and think this is a wonderful business to work for. They have local roots but national coverage and a wide range of different projects.

We care about what we do and the historic building we occupy here at Ednaston Park. It’s a real community of people working together to support each other and get the best out of one another. We all work for our customers, which in my case means the tenants of our serviced offices which are almost 100% let after just the first year of operation.

Gina lives in Brailsford, Derbyshire and has worked in sales, business development and office management roles for several years.

I first worked at Clowes more than ten years ago so this is now my second stint at the business and I’ve seen a lot of changes in that time. Where the business is now compared to where they were back then is massively different. The scale of the projects and the value of the work being completed is a world away from what it was.

My own role illustrates that – I look after a portfolio of assets that generate more than £10 million of income and ensure the risks associated with the management of those assets are minimised. The family-owned nature of the business makes Clowes a great employer to work for and one which has an excellent reputation in the regional and national marketplace.

Kevin was born and bred in Derby and has worked as a management surveyor at a range of East Midlands chartered surveying firms as well as at Clowes.

I first came to Clowes on a placement while studying for my degree. I am now completing my final year of study at Nottingham Trent University as well as working as a training surveyor.

Throughout my time at Clowes, I have found my colleagues to be friendly and supportive. The individuals and the environment are extremely positive and there is always the opportunity to contribute to projects. From small developments to working on projects like the £800 million Fairham scheme, no two days are ever the same.

Tom has been studying at Nottingham Trent University for a BSc in Planning and Development. He lives locally and wants to see Derbyshire – and the East Midlands in general – prosper and increase its profile.

Managing my own list of properties is a huge responsibility but one I’ve really enjoyed since I moved across from the admin and reception team to become a trainee surveyor. It’s opened up a whole new world to me and I love every day. As part of my new role I started studying for a degree last year and spend one day a week going onto campus and I feel my learning path has really taken off. I’m really thankful for the chance to develop my career and make the most of the opportunities open to me here at Clowes.

Emma lives in Ashbourne and is studying for a degree in Management Surveying at Nottingham Trent University.