General

Jack's first 100 days at NG

As a placement student I didn’t know what to expect when starting NG, I was hoping to have a job which I would gain experience in all areas of the industry.

I was warmly introduced by my team on my first day having headshots and team photos taken for the website. I then received a mug with a popart of me on it  and a portrait which made me feel really welcomed.

Everyone was very friendly; I was able to experience a valuation at a land site where NG Managing Director Richard Sutton showed me the process.

In the same week I travelled with Charlotte Steggles to a site where we worked out the  zoning  on a former  cocktail bar. I found it is a lot easier to understand the process of zoning in person then with lectures at university where we were just shown slides how to do it.

In my first 100 days I learned a few valuable lessons, one big one was to always check email senders thoroughly, I was unfortunate enough to fall for a scam where they saw I was new in the team and pretended to be a director of someone who also works at NG, learning the hard way to not be so naive and always be vigilant of people’s requests.

I found out all EPCs and their importance; we made an excel sheet of every single landlord’s property we manage and found their EPC certificates. It was important ones that were still valid and rated G or F needed to be made aware that they cannot continue to lease their property out until the rating has improved starting from April. We then typed up letters specific to the class rating their properties were based in.

I also have had valuable experience with clients whilst doing several viewings, the property I inspect once a week at Maycroft Gardens was brilliant as I go their regularly so know the property well.

I hope to gain more experience visiting sites and practicing an in-person valuation. I have also enjoyed the building surveying aspect of it too looking at repairs to roofs and being on site. With Paul Rogers, I always enjoy the mathematics side of the surveying, from working out the building costs from the areas that specific material would take up.

I look forward to experiencing new challenges here at NG as I get edge to my last four months before my placement finishes.