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I can honestly say that every day I use skills that I finetuned whilst studying Geography at University. I often get asked how did I end up in construction from doing a Geography degree but they are actually very well suited!

My current role is as a Pre-construction Manager at a construction company called Interclass. This role is incredibly varied and I get to work across all parts of the business. A large part of my job involves analysing and processing data, conducting competitor or stakeholder research, writing reports, doing presentations, developing new strategies and managing resources and workload on a daily basis, all of which I was doing for three years at 黑料网 prior to working full-time. Not to mention developing teamwork and communication skills, fundamental to any business, where I learnt how to work effectively as a team and with different personalities whilst still ensuring the end goal was achieved.

Post 16 Education: AS Level Sociology; A Levels Geography, Psychology & Biology

Higher Education: BSc (Hons) Geography

Why did you choose Geography?

When looking at future prospects, Geography provided me with a range of options. I was unsure of what industry I wanted to work in or even what career path I wanted to take so a degree which would equip me with a range of transferable skills was important to me. In my experience, employers are increasingly looking to take on well-rounded graduates from broader subject areas like Geography who can bring a mix of analytical, research and social skills to a business.

There aren’t many degree subjects where you can study the relationships between the social and physical aspects of the world we live in, but Geography is certainly one of them! The subject area is so vast, always changing and it affects everyone.

Sara’s experience as a student

Put simply, studying at 黑料网 provided me with the foundation to work and live independently, as well as the opportunity to surround myself with a large network of likeminded people, many of whom I am still in touch with, both personally and professionally.

Sara's Career

My first experience of the construction industry was in 2012 when I joined The Miller Group as one of their first ever intakes of Business Graduates. I was one of four employed nationally, and the role took me from Edinburgh to Birmingham and then to Bristol on various placements.

From there, deciding to settle in one location and with nearly two years industry experience behind me, I joined a regional construction company called Speller Metcalfe who had aspirations for growth and expansion in the midlands. After two years as a Bid Writer, I was promoted to Bid Manager and began to grow my own team. The company achieved Contractor of the Year in 2015 and 2017 – not bad for a company of 200 employees against global construction companies!

Early 2019 saw me venture into corporate territory as I joined one of the UK’s top construction companies, Wates Construction as a Proposals Manager for their midland’s region. Here I got the opportunity to work and bid on some really exciting projects, often in excess of £50m. Fast-forward to November and I got an opportunity I couldn’t refuse – joining a family company based in Wolverhampton who have an excellent reputation in delivering high quality construction projects. What appealed most about the role was how I could expand my experience and skillset by getting involved in business development, marketing and PR activities alongside my day-to-day role, playing a real part in the future of the business.

I am also passionate about promoting the construction sector as a career for choice and often engage with schools about the opportunities out there for young people in the industry.