黑洞社区

The site manager

David Grazer, 25, Costain

An undergraduate degree in politics is an unorthodox way to go into site management. But it wasn鈥檛 until David Grazer spent his year out after university housebuilding in Canada that he realised construction was for him: 鈥淚t鈥檚 such an open, flexible job. I didn鈥檛 want to be stuck in an office. I like being outside.鈥�

Grazer joined the graduate trainee programme at Costain in August. His first placement was a school project in Stockley, Cheshire, and he was sent straight to site on his first day. 鈥溾�淚t was a real eye-opener,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here were lots of works going on I鈥檇 never seen before. It really hit home how much I had to learn.鈥�

Although he had spent time on site as a builder, Grazer knew very little about day-to-day site management. So did his co-workers on site try to take advantage of his rookie status? 鈥淣o, I wasn鈥檛 asked to fetch any glass hammers! I鈥檇 worked on sites before, so I knew the banter. It was great craic.鈥�

It all happened very quickly. When you realise people are relying on you, it really builds your confidence up

David Grazer

His next placement, four months later, was a PFI school project at Ealing in west London, where he began to settle into the job. 鈥淚t was much more hands on. I started to learn about contracts, health and safety and waste management. It all happened very quickly. When you realise people are relying on you, it really builds your confidence up.鈥�

As a 鈥渘on-cognate鈥� trainee, he has to juggle his work with studies for a graduate diploma from the Chartered Institute of 黑洞社区 - which is tricky because his day job means Grazer has to be on site for up to 10 hours a day. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a hard slog, this project, but at the moment I just want to finish my diploma. Then I can start thinking about the future.鈥�

The engineer

Fiona Boyce, 25, Faber Maunsell

Liverpool-born Fiona Boyce studied mechanical engineering at Birmingham University, but ambition led her into a career in building services. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to be a director, and I felt the career ladder was stronger.鈥�

It鈥檚 encouraging that when I take things to the architect they believe what I鈥檓 saying!

Fiona Boyce

Since starting on Faber Maunsell鈥檚 graduate scheme, she鈥檚 found the differences between university and the real world something of a shock. 鈥淢y degree taught the right things theoretically, but practically things are completely different. I understood the calculations, but not how to apply them.鈥�

Her first day wasn鈥檛 as terrifying as she expected, largely thanks to the firm鈥檚 buddy system for new graduates. 鈥淚 was looked after by an engineer three years senior to me. She was really friendly and took me out to lunch to tell me all about the job and what the company was like. If you haven鈥檛 got a clue where to begin on a project, there鈥檚 always someone who鈥檒l help. The first time you might think, 鈥極h they鈥檒l think I鈥檓 so stupid鈥�, but people expect it.鈥�

Her first project was on an office in Moorgate in London, but Boyce says most of her time was spent behind a desk in Faber Maunsell鈥檚 head office. 鈥淚t was a little frustrating,鈥� she admits, 鈥渂ut when I did get to visit the site it was useful to piece together everything in real life that I鈥檇 been working on on paper.鈥�

Her next assignment is on a mechanical services project at Canary Wharf, where she鈥檚 working on her own a lot more. 鈥淢ost of my work is very hands-on, working on CAD drawings alongside architects and cost managers, attending meetings. I became aware that I could do lots of tasks on my own and it gave me a lot of confidence to put the things I鈥檇 learned into practice. It鈥檚 encouraging that when I take things to the architect they believe what I鈥檓 saying!鈥�

The quantity surveyor

As soon as I got in, a drawing was thrust in front of me, and I was told to measure it. I was so nervous, but there were lots of us who started from scratch

Laura Simpson

Laura Simpson, 26, Gleeds

Construction runs in Laura Simpson鈥檚 family - her father is a project manager in France - so a career in building was always an option. However, it took her a while to realise it. 鈥淚 studied Italian and international relations at university,鈥� she says, 鈥渢hen went into finance in Mayfair. But I think deep down I always wanted to be in construction.鈥�

Simpson was accepted onto the graduate scheme at quanity surveyor Gleeds, and found she was not the only person who hadn鈥檛 studied surveying at university. 鈥淎s soon as I got in, a drawing was thrust in front of me, and I was told to measure it. I was so nervous, because I didn鈥檛 know what was involved. I thought I would be the only non-cognate, but there were lots of us who started from scratch.鈥�

Simpson has nearly completed her MSc at South Bank University. 鈥淲e finish in May, thank God,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e spend one day at university, four days at work and then trying desperately to fit our homework around our social lives at the weekends.鈥�

She鈥檚 also been taken on by Gleeds鈥� international division, which gives her a chance to use her language skills. She鈥檚 working on the new Nato headquarters in Brussels, cost-planning the offices and external works. 鈥淵ou have to make decisions and deal with people on an international basis. It鈥檚 a real learning curve.鈥�

Before, I was always studying, so I was always working, but now the evenings are free. It鈥檚 very strange!

Sandra Knoebl

The architect

Sandra Knoebl, 29, SMC Alsop

Twenty-nine might seem quite old to be embarking on your first year in a job, but not when you鈥檝e studied for seven-and-a-half years, like Sandra Knoebl has. In Austria, where Knoebl grew up, there are no student loans. 鈥淚f your parents can鈥檛 support you, you have to try to work at the same time, so the degree takes longer,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚t鈥檚 quite handy actually, because when you become an architect you have to be able to time manage, so it鈥檚 quite useful to practice with a chaotic educational system.鈥�

Knoebl studied under the maverick architect Will Alsop when she was at technical college in Vienna, and he invited her to join his practice while she was completing her diploma. She moved to London and started at SMC Alsop last summer.

She was thrown in at the deep end straight off. The first project she worked on was a 27-floor residential tower in Salford, Manchester, doing cost-planning and pre-design work. She also had to meet the client, one of the biggest differences she鈥檚 experienced from university. 鈥淎s a student, you are essentially both architect and client. You decide what you鈥檙e going to do. But when you work for an architect, it鈥檚 about working to someone else鈥檚 vision. You have to try to understand why they have thought like they have.鈥�

The scale of the professional workload was also a shock to Knoebl, but a pleasant one: 鈥淏efore, I was always studying, so I was always working, but now the evenings are free. It鈥檚 very strange!鈥�

Since that first tower, she鈥檚 worked on a variety of projects and competitions, from a power plant in New York to skyscrapers in Hackney. She does feasibility studies, and proposals for projects that are starting up. 鈥淚 really enjoy the flexibility in terms of different projects and clients. You work three or four weeks on a project with your team and then you鈥檙e onto the next one so there鈥檚 no time to get attached.鈥�