Kelly's heroes steer her to career success

: Created: 04 December 2019

“I really thought I’d blown everything and ruined my life,” said Kelly. “The anguish I felt at that time is something I’ll never forget for as long as I live. Measuring that against where I am now makes me realise how lucky I was to be in the right place at the right time.”

Last week (Thursday 28 November) Kelly, who now works for surveying and property consultancy practice Faithorn Farrell Timms (FFT), was the winner of the Building Surveying Category Prize at the RICS Matrics Young Surveyor of the Year Awards 2019. The judges chose her to receive this highly coveted gong for ‘demonstrating exemplary leadership and astute lateral thinking while working on an £800m 67-storey residential Spire development’. They described her as an ‘inspirational educator aspiring to promote positive mental wellbeing whilst shaping the future of the industry. She drives fundraising incentives for various charities and utilises her platform to inspire, counsel and guide young people to the industry’.

Kelly continues: “Sitting alone on that bench sixteen years ago, I was approached by a lovely lady called Rachel who ran a local youth centre called JusB. She gave me a hot chocolate and a doughnut and sat and talked to me for a long time. Some years later, after the birth of my daughter when I was just 17 years old, that chat inspired me to go along to the youth centre and together we worked out a plan of action. The people at JusB enabled me to realise what kind of career I wanted to follow and helped me find my first course at (what was then) Bromley College. Later that year I enrolled for the first of three courses that would later lead me to go on to university and then find my first real job doing something I love.

“In September 2008 I enrolled on a Level 2 Foundation course that would allow me to make up for missing my GCSEs and immediately after this I made it onto the Construction and Built Environment Level 3 course. After two years I passed with a distinction and then decided to take it a step further with the Construction and Built Environment BTEC HNC. After achieving another distinction grade, and by now a mother to two children, I decided to study for my Building Surveying BSc Hons course at London South Bank University. I completed this in just two years (I qualified for direct entry to year 2 because of my HNC qualification) with a 2:1 grade.

“I was now ready to enter the industry as a fully qualified construction and surveying professional and I was successful in landing a position of Building Surveyor at FFT. I’m now well into my third year with the Practice and can honestly say that I truly love it here.

“I was terrified about the interview - I’d not really had one before but had learnt lots about employability, CV writing and interview techniques whilst on my Level 3 course at College. This came in very handy and I prepared myself well, addressing every criteria and understanding the job specification’s small details and bigger picture. I was delighted to find out I’d been successful and from there on my career journey took off.

“Today I am the winner of an amazing professional award, I have qualifications galore and the chance to gain even more. Soon I intend to become chartered by doing my RICS Accreditation of Professional Competence (APC) and then hope to reach the very top of my career. I have a great boss in Mehmet Bekir who put me forward for the award and I fit nicely into the team of professionals I work alongside. Things couldn’t be better.

“I have a whole list of heroes I need to thank for where I am right now and I feel that I simply have to give something back. I have helped to raise over £25k for the JusB charity alongside various colleagues within FFT and I am keen to become involved in FFT’s career-outreach programme enabling young people to learn more about careers with the Practice and in the sector.

“Taking that first small step towards learning and training is the same as making a giant leap forward into a career of your choice. Gaining a qualification leads you to bigger and better things and you become more and more confident, trying new things, looking for new challenges and constantly learning. Without this, you will never fully appreciate just how many great opportunities there are out there. College opens doors for you.”

London South East Colleges has campuses across Bromley, Bexley and Greenwich. It provides vocational education and training, apprenticeships and traineeships, professional courses and degree programmes. The College is a member of the London and South East Education Group consisting of two academy trusts providing both alternative and mainstream secondary provision throughout Bromley and Bexley. Recently, London South East Colleges has been named as a winner of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its pioneering provision of high quality technical and vocational education. Please click here to read more.