It’s that time of year again… January is creeping closer and closer and our plans for the new year are near upon us.
That was certainly what Tudor Holt had on his mind just two years ago after the pandemic cut his Quantity Surveying (QS) role at Careys, London, short. Keen to progress his career, it was ECL that caught his eye and by January 2021, he had joined our opportunistic Graduate Scheme as a Trainee Quantity Surveyor.
ECL is passionate about inspiring and supporting young people through both our Apprentice and Graduate Schemes, where our remarkable flexibility enables members to complete further education while also gaining vital hands-on experience within the workplace. While Holt realised that balancing his master’s in QS with his work “took some adjustment”, he praised the consistent help and support from the ECL team, who ensured he was never left to struggle. He distinctly remembers how, though for an external degree, help was readily offered during his dissertation, particularly through feedback on a questionnaire. In fact, Holt went as far to say: “I can’t remember one time where I’ve asked for help and not received it”! The security permitted by ECL’s avid support also ensures young people can have a healthy work-life balance; for Holt, this meant watching sports (football and F1, most of all) and spending quality time with his friends and family!
There is no surprise that Holt is keen to get ‘kicking’ in the new year as the ability to work, study and rest certainly proved successful in his case. Though now complete, his master’s degree was enriched by his employment at ECL, where he could expertly apply his real-life experience in both the classroom and assignments. Moreover, getting straight into the big wide world of work has enabled him to progress through the company with astonishing speed, becoming line manager and, most recently, Senior Quantity Surveyor in the last year, alone. Thus, with thanks to the incredible team, he hopes to continue with his work at ECL for the foreseeable future and, though he may be looking to begin his RICS sometime soon, he has the utmost confidence that ECL will be there to offer all the support he needs.
In the words of Tudor Holt, himself, “ECL is a great place to start your career”, with “so much knowledge to gain from a lot of experienced people”, who- perhaps most importantly- are always willing to “take time out of their day” to offer support and guide you. This, he emphasises, is something you cannot take for granted.
As he tucks into his tasty roast dinner this Christmas, he greatly encourages anyone and everyone to consider ECL’s outstanding Apprentice or Graduate Schemes to jumpstart their own career in a friendly, rewarding company.
Perhaps that is what the new year has to offer for someone you know…
