Q&A with Cody – Apprentice Quantity Surveyor

What made you take up an apprenticeship?

The reason why I decided to look and take up on an apprenticeship is because it gives you not only the knowledge of a certain skill, but it also provides you with the experience of going out there and maybe getting out of that comfort zone to speak to clients, subcontractors etc. Being in the position I was, I know it isn’t an easy choice to decide you want to take on an apprenticeship as it might feel quite daunting with not having any knowledge or very little experience in the skill you want to learn but I knew that it was an opportunity I am willing to take and have a feel of the different environments that come with being in the outside world. I feel like for me taking on an apprenticeship has been one of the best things I have done as I now have an amazing team behind me and can teach me their knowledge of what they do and how they do it.

What is your favourite thing about your apprenticeship?

Personally, my favourite thing about my apprenticeship is the relationships you build with people. At the start it may be tricky to come out of your shell but the more time you spend with the people around you, the more you learn about each other. Being with the same people and talking every single day creates a bond with the people around you where coming into work every day takes a lot of pressure off your shoulders. The best thing for me is the sense of feeling like I am part of the Novus family, to me family is so important and to get that from my workplace means a lot to me where I can trust everyone around me, and they can trust me. I also enjoy the scheme of an apprenticeship, as where there is one day in your week when you still need to sit down in a university or a college to gain a better understanding of the skills you will be getting, and it all helps and makes it a lot easier in the long run.

Would you encourage others to go down the apprentice route?

If I was to speak for myself and to encourage others on why to go down the apprentice route, I would say that it is the perfect mix of experience and learning in a workplace. For some people, learning and being in a classroom isn’t their cup of tea and I believe by doing an apprenticeship you have that freedom in a sense and don’t feel like you need to be trapped in a classroom to learn stuff as you can do it elsewhere whether that is on site or shadowing your fellow work friends. I would encourage anyone to think about approaching an apprenticeship and it gives you an understanding on what to look forward to day in day out as the team around you will set you goals, and every individual will help you to achieve those goals and you will start to see the progression day by day. I can understand that maybe people are put off by going down the apprentice route as it may feel like there is a lot of change and pressure from going from school/college straight into a job but I can only encourage one to try something new and to maybe get out of their comfort zone and experience what it is like to have a supportive team around you every day and take every day as it comes and to learn new skills.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

In the future I see myself as a fully qualified quantity surveyor who is confident in themselves in order to complete several tasks without needing the aid of asking what to do or if its right etc. I know that I will still have a lot of questions that I will want to know but I know that in the future I will have a lot more experience and I will certainly have a much better understanding of the job role and what sort of activities a quantity surveyor will do in a day-to-day life. I would and can also see myself in progressing to the higher ranks within the company as I believe that with the work ethic you put in every day doesn’t go unrewarded. I can see myself getting along and building relationships with clients and other people who I may work with along the line.

How long have you been with Novus? What attracted you to Novus?

I have been with Novus now for just under 18 months and I can say that it has been the best 18 months having met a lot of new faces, speaking with directors etc, and just generally getting a feel of what the working life is about. I can say there is one stand out thing about why I was attracted to Novus and that is family. While researching and looking up about my company before I had my interview for my apprenticeship, I could see that Novus is a huge family-based company and the backbone of the company residing to working as a family. As previously mentioned about how I have grown as a person speaking to my team every single day, I can say myself that there has been a family created in a sense. A sense of where I can pick up the phone or go into a meeting room if I did have a problem for example and just take 5-10 minutes to just talk to my team and it just makes it a lot easier and feels like there has been a bit of pressure has been taken off of my shoulders. I can certainly say there are many things that attracted me to Novus as now I know how driven they are into making sure everyone feels comfortable, and everyone gets the help they need and also I can now see how driven they are into creating a strong healthy business and making sure the quality of work delivered is to the best of their ability.