A career change after years in hospitality has resulted in a Master’s degree for an apprentice Chartered Surveyor.
Adam Roe was working as a chef when he decided he wanted to pursue a different employment route.
A vacancy at Land and Estate Agency C&D Rural provided him with the opportunity to follow a new vocation, and he has excelled at the company in the five years he has worked there.
Even though his studies were delayed by six months because of major knee surgery, Adam recently completed his degree in Real Estate with the University College of Estate Management.
He said: “I wanted to progress at C&D Rural and I have a passion in surveying, particularly residential property, so this apprenticeship was a way of creating more opportunities to learn new skills and develop my knowledge of the industry.
“It was quite difficult to fit studies around extremely busy periods at the company but it was about finding the right balance to make sure I could sell a property, put a house on the market or write a report while staying on top of my studies.
“I like being challenged – such as having a complete career change when I was 26 – and I saw this apprenticeship as a chance to develop further specialisms within valuing and surveying properties.
“I learned a lot academically particularly improving my report writing, profiling and valuation skills and assessing properties, and it has helped me become a more competent person and increased my confidence in general.”
Adam studied Hospitality and Tourism Management at Queen Margaret’s University, in Edinburgh, and he remained there after his studies as he was elected Vice President of the Students’ Union for the next academic year.
He gained managerial experience as he held responsibility for organising sports and social events on campus, and then returned to his hometown of Langholm to work as a chef following a period of travelling across Asia.
After losing his spark for hospitality, Adam was on the lookout for new career opportunities and was originally interviewed by C&D Rural for an administration role. A position within the business’ lettings department soon became available, and he was appointed in 2019.
Adam has demonstrated a wide range of skills across sales and valuation, which led to his recent Master’s degree. He wants to keep progressing and is working towards becoming a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
He said: “There is a lot of work needed around sustainable development to effectively meet the needs of future generations, and my dissertation for my final project focused on retrofitting traditional buildings rather than knocking old ones down to build new ones.
“There is a lot of media and education on how we can retrofit to make homes more energy efficient and increase their life span, focusing on insulating them to a higher standard and protecting them for the next 200 years or so.”
Adam will continue his professional development with C&D Rural, and he is grateful for the support the business continues to give him during his learning journey.
He said: “I was C&D’s first apprentice and it’s been a great experience for someone in their mid-20s wanting a career change. I would recommend this route to anybody.
“A great deal of investment was needed from C&D Rural especially in terms of time out of the business for studies, but the business will benefit from having a more knowledgeable and qualified member of staff.”
C&D Rural, part of C&D Auction Marts, is a collection of rural-based businesses working with clients across the north of England and south of Scotland, and is based in the Cumbrian town of Longtown.
