PROFESSIONAL
Workplace
Careers|Management|Moves
Sociable Surveyors goes fully comp Number of internships rises to 45 and includes all-expenses-paid global and multidisciplinary placements. Hardeep Sandher reports
Sociable Surveyors, the property industry internship programme set up by former Kingston University real estate students, Elliott Sparsis and Sebastian Abigail, this week launched an enhanced allexpenses-paid global programme. This year Sociable Surveyors will offer 45 internships for real estate students in any year of study — up from 30 last year — at more than a dozen property firms. Land Securities, Bouygues, DTZ UGL, CBRE and Savills are some of the organisations providing internships this year (box, right). All internships are four weeks long and pay £250 a week. However, this year, in addition, a six-week “hybrid” internship for students to gain a more “rounded” experience is available. This consists of two weeks at a law firm and two weeks at a Londonbased developer, followed by two weeks at a property services firm. The Sociable Surveyors scheme was started three years ago by Sparsis and Abigail. Both now have graduate positions at Savills and Knight Frank respectively, but they have maintained their commitment to expanding the internship scheme. Now three years in, their efforts were last week
recognised by mayor of London Boris Johnson, who said in an interview with Sparsis and Abigail ahead of National Apprenticeship Week — which ends today — that he was “very pleased” to hear about their work. He told the surveyors and the property companies involved: “The best way for getting young people into work is to get them into a place of work, one way or another. That means supporting apprenticeships, internships or any kind of programme like that. “Well done to all you interns for taking part. It is the right way forward, tackling unemployment, but more importantly still, it’s brilliant for firms that take part.” The application process opens on Monday 18 March and closes on Tuesday 20 April. Students are invited to submit a two-minute video describing their motivation for a career in property with their CV. These will be judged by a panel of property professionals, both independent and from participating companies, who will then shortlist candidates for second interview. Candidates must pay a £10 application fee, which will contribute towards the costs of their internships, such as flights. All 15 of the 2011 internship winners now have jobs in property, while 10 of the 30 winners from 2012, most of
2013 Sociable Surveyors programme
Global internships 10 international, all-expenses-paid, four-week internships are available at six firms: Savills, Knight Frank, Bouygues, CBRE, DTZ UGL and Cushman & Wakefield London internships 20 four-week London internships at: Savills, Knight Frank, CBRE, Jones Lang LaSalle, DTZ UGL, Cushman & Wakefield, Capita Symonds, Bouygues, Hammerson, Berkeley Group and Malcolm Hollis Hybrid internships 15 six-week internships will comprise two-week placements at: Nabarro or Berwin Leighton Paisner, Hammerson or Land Securities, and Savills or Knight Frank
whom are still studying in their final year at university, have accepted early job offers. Abigail says the video in itself is almost an interview and makes students’ lives easier, while it also allows recruiters to spot raw talent. Sparsis adds that the video gives candidates the opportunity to demonstrate their “passion for the industry, their presentation skills and allows them to be creative beyond the confines of the traditional application form”. The winners of the internship will be announced at an awards ceremony on Tuesday 15 July, at which David Atkins, chief executive of Hammerson, John Slade, chief executive of BNP Paribas Real Estate, and Michael Newey, president of the RICS, will be guest speakers. Land Aid chief executive Joanna Averley will also be present. The scheme is sponsored by the RICS, Land Securities, Hammerson, BNP Paribas Real Estate, London South Bank University, Routledge and Deverell Smith Recruitment. 9
Sociable Surveyors @
Social workers: Abigail (left) and Sparsis have launched “hybrid” internship this year
propertyweek.com
063_PROPWK10 WORKPLACE.indd 63
Sparsis and Abigail have spent the past six months interviewing Land Securities chief executive Rob Noel and other senior partners, managing directors, journalists and lawyers involved in the property industry about their predictions for 2013, advice they would give graduates and their own recollections and mistakes made as a graduate. You can see a selection of these videos on propertyweek.com/careers, where you can also find out more about the internships and how to apply.
15|03|13
63
13/03/2013 14:14