I went back to University after taking 2 years out to travel, and completed my studies in November 2017 and started my graduate role at Kier in March 2018. I returned to University as a mature student after being a Property Manager for 5 years, I came to Kier on a placement following the completion of my MSc in Sustainable Development to explore the industry. After completion of this, I was offered a role with Kier within the graduate programme.
As a graduate design manager, I work within the Design and Build Team. Often when I’m asked to describe my job I struggle, as it’s different every day. Primarily, my role is to support, manage and collaborate with the design team during the pre-construction phase of a project. This involves reviewing and co-ordinating the design, liaising with our planning and commercial teams to ensure we are offering an efficient and accurate design. We promote strong consultants and client relationships and maintain the values of Kier.
I’m so grateful to Kier for giving me the opportunity to find my place within the industry. Everyone I have worked with is willing to help and teach me new things. My role is flexible, and I’m empowered to ask questions and explore the roles within the business. The graduate programme offers you a semi-structured and valuable experience whilst you develop within the business.
My advice to anyone applying is to be yourself – don’t sell yourself short, you have more skills than you know. And remember, you’ll never know everything - not knowing the answer doesn’t mean it's wrong, just find someone who does.
