Name: Stephen Kwamena Howard
Job title: Commercial graduate, Berkeley Group
What I do: The first couple of months of this graduate role are going to involve rotations through all the different parts of the business from sales and marketing, to land. After that, my time will be mainly spent building skills and expertise to make sure that projects are delivered on time and within budget.
Why I got into the property industry: My initial goal was to get a role in finance, I wasn’t focused on a particular sector. I would have happily explored energy as much as property. But Berkeley Group definitely stood out to me as one of the options to consider. As I started going through the application, I saw there were a lot of transferrable skills between finance roles and a commercial role and I liked the sound of some of the tasks and responsibilities, so I went for it.
How I did it: The Berkeley graduate application process involved a few different parts, an interview and two assessment days. On the assessment days, there was some group work, more interviews, and a presentation to a group of directors. At the end of that process, I wasn’t accepted onto the graduate programme. I was really gutted. The feedback was mostly about whether I was clear on the role and would be able to make the transition from my business and finance degree to the particular specialism I’d applied for. I really liked the idea of working in property so I followed up with one of the Berkeley team to figure out if there was any way of getting some work experience. They agreed that even though work experience wasn’t a requirement or guarantee of selection for the graduate programme, seeing the day-to-day duties of a QS first hand would help me understand how to use my transferrable skills. In the end, during those two weeks of work experience I demonstrated that I would be able to make the transition and that I have the work ethic needed to excel in this sector. It hasn’t been a straightforward path, but so far, it’s looking like this will be a big break for me.
My first proper job: My first proper job was at JD. After about a year and a half there, I knew I didn’t want to work in retail ever again.
My inspiration(s): The late Tony Pidgley certainly made an impact on the property world. We had an introduction to his legacy in the first few weeks, which was eye-opening. Directors shared personal stories about their time with him, and he comes across as a real character – unyielding, incredibly tactful, and almost clairvoyant in how he led the group. I think there is a lot I could learn a lot from his rise.
The biggest challenge I’ve encountered to date: Getting turned down for the graduate training programme was a massive challenge. Initially, I felt quite defeated, because I didn’t know what else I could have done to show how driven I was. But looking back, I am thankful for that slight setback as it showed me that I had another level of proactivity inside of me. I also learned that I need to be mindful of how I present myself because sometimes, being quietly focussed can be misinterpreted as being overly laid back.
My greatest achievement/proudest moment to date: I’m proud to have successfully completed my BA in business and finance. I am also looking forward to getting my masters in quantity surveying, which Berkeley Group is going to be sponsoring. It’s a two-year course which will start in September this year, which I think is going to really take my career to a different level.
The biggest misconception people have about the property industry: A lot is being done to help people get onto the property ladder – whether by housebuilders, developers or the government. I wasn’t aware of these programmes and grants before I got involved in the industry myself.
My biggest bugbear about the industry/the one thing I would change about the industry: I’ve only just started in the industry, but from some of my conversations, I understand that maintaining a work-life balance can be a challenge. Each day will be different, and there will be days or periods where extra graft is required to meet deadlines and ensure accuracy. However, I’ll need to make sure this doesn’t become the norm. Leaving on time shouldn’t signal a lack of work ethic, but rather demonstrate my ability to manage my time effectively and grow in my role, which is the goal of the early careers academy.
Why I’m so passionate about DE&I: Growing up, there wasn’t a lot of variety in the types of jobs people were doing or wanted to do. The majority of people that you see as successful are footballers, musicians or social media influencers but there are so many other ways that people can bring out their skills, make a difference and make a good career for themselves. There are so many careers that people haven’t heard of, but they might actually excel in. I think that there’s a need for more role models to show that it can be done and that there is a place for everyone in real estate.
Where I’d like to be in five years’ time career-wise: I want to be a chartered QS with RICS accreditation and work on interesting projects, gradually taking on more responsibility from the seniors that I am working with.
Who I’d invite, living or dead, to a dinner party: Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball. I absolutely love the series and it’s what really got me into anime in a big way.
What I do in my downtime: Sports. I’ve taken up tennis recently, but football and basketball are my main sports.
The job I’d be doing if I was not doing this: I’d be a full-time financial trader. Your output is determined by what you put in and if you trust yourself you can reap the rewards. To be honest though, I think the same sort of mindset works in real estate.
My advice for someone just starting out: If I were giving advice to someone about to leave university and who is thinking: “what next?”, I would say take your time to consider what roles your degree could get you into. There are a lot of roles out there that you might not even be aware of, that could be your dream job. One of the people on the same programme stream as me has a degree in biomedical sciences, but he’s made the jump and he’s making it work. Sometimes it’s necessary to take a risk. It’s better to have tried and failed, than to not to try at all.
My motto/mantra: Aim for the stars, you might land on the moon!
