GOODBYE TO OLIVIA

Olivia joined Queens Cross Workspace in October 2021 as a Business Services Graduate Trainee (we agree the job title was too long). After 18 months with us Olivia is leaving to start a new role with an international surveying firm. Before Olivia switches from local to global we took a few moments to get a quick summary of what the graduate experience is like with Queens Cross Workspace.

Tell us a little about you?

I’m 23, from Glasgow, I gained my undergraduate degree in Politics with Sociology from Glasgow Caledonian University and I never expected to find myself working in Commercial Property. I like long walks with my dog, I love music and spending time with friends and family.

Why did you apply for this job?

I was interested in graduate positions, I felt a graduate role was a great introduction into the working world. This job was particularly attractive as it was in the third sector, there was a lot of focus on development and learning. Because there was lots of opportunities for training it really felt like it was tailored to young people. I didn’t apply to the job because it was related to commercial property but that was the bit I ended up enjoying the most.

What’s the best bit about the job?

The best bit is that you get to meet so many different people and businesses. In the application process you get to learn a lot about a business that you might have never understood, considered or even known existed. I also enjoy seeing all of the businesses interacting with each other, helping one another out and forming connections, it’s like watching a community being built.

What is your favourite Workspace building and why?

I’m stuck between two - Firhill House and McCafferty House.

McCafferty House is the biggest, tallest, most modern of all the workspace buildings. It’s the busiest because the businesses there employ lots of people. The companies in there are interesting and some are international working on big projects.

Next door is Firhill House, it’s one of the smallest, the businesses are smaller, often sole traders. The person you meet, negotiate with, pays the rent is also the person who opens the post and pushes the hoover round at the end of the day. You really get to know them on a personal level and I like how those two buildings sit next door to each other and they are so different.

What is the work life balance like at Queens Cross Workspace?

It’s flexible, if you need to finish early or start late or it works for your day to work from home then it’s all an option. Most of the time you’re encouraged to finish at 5pm and take an hour for lunch. Occasionally there is a viewing in the evening, or a board meeting or sometimes a new tenant will be having an opening party that you get invited along to in the evening but this isn’t a regular occurrence.

What does your typical day look like?

It’s different every day, it’s a very varied job. There is a lot of admin tasks, phone calls and emails and gathering information from potential tenants and then updating enquiry lists etc. Some days you’ll have five viewings across five different properties and spend what seems like a whole day just moving between properties (they’re all within walking distance so it can be great for your steps!). And then you might not do a viewing for a week and it’ll be more social media, special projects, website articles, designing brochures, etc. I really enjoyed the variety and getting to try lots of new things.

What’s the team like?

The team are very friendly and helpful, it’s a nice environment to work in. You end up working closely with quite a wide group dipping into lots of different elements from repairs and finance and the wider marketing team. Queens Cross is also very keen on wider collaboration groups so you meet and work with people across the organisation, outside of your department if you join one of these groups. I was part of the IIYP Group (investing in young people) and worked with young people from different areas of the QC Group and got access to training and development tailored to us.

What are you going to do next?

I’m starting on a Graduate Commercial Surveyor Scheme where I’ll complete my masters in real estate and prepare to sit my APC and become a chartered surveyor. I’ll rotate around a few departments working in the Rating, Agency, Commercial Leasing and Development teams.

Any final thoughts?

This was a great opportunity to learn about all the types of work that goes on in a big third sector organisation, in this case a housing association. I’d originally applied because I was interested in third sector work and got to try all sorts of things that interested me. I was able to try something and if I expressed a real interest in that, it was then arranged that I could do more of it or get more particular, tailored training towards that. There were things I didn’t explore because they didn’t interest me as much but if I was more interested in the marketing side or housing or even development, opportunities to explore that further could have been made available.

I loved the commercial property elements of the job and I really got to grow within the role getting more and more responsibility. I would encourage any graduate who is interested in learning more about a sector to apply for a graduate job - even if you don’t have a related degree - it’s a great way to learn more about an industry.