Time with company: 5 years
After graduating with a BA Honours Degree in Architectural Design and Management I secured work at an Architectural Practice in Nottingham. I then worked as a freelance designer, designing extensions and the like, before joining a small house builder. I joined David Wilson Homes in 2006, working for Group Design producing working drawings. A year later, I heard that there was a Technician post available at North Midlands, nearer to home and offering a different variety of work which I felt would further enhance my knowledge and experience. After only three years working at North Midlands I was promoted last July to the position of Senior Architectural Technician.
I am fortunate to work for a company that I believe in and have a job which I am passionate about. I get involved in everything from layout design, house type design, working drawings and technical details to giving technical advice to site. I oversee the Architectural job running aspect of over 20 sites and increasingly manage external consultants and other third party companies, as well as our team of Technicians. The job can be challenging and extremely busy as we progress new sites and finish older ones, but it is extremely satisfying to see the team grow in confidence and experience, knowing that they have some fabulous opportunities within their reach.
As well as a company car and pension scheme, I have a bonus scheme linked to the success of the business as well as the option to save with the share-save scheme. The wide variety of additional benefits can be tailored to individual needs, which is a massive incentive. There are also many training and development opportunities on offer, which include the Barratt Academy, a structured training and development programme, allowing you to strengthen existing skills and learn new ones to ensure continual professional development.
To be honest I knew very little about the company when I joined, other than the fact that both Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes were at the forefront of the house building industry. In my opinion Barratt is second to none, hard work is well rewarded and if you have a desire to progress, there are certainly opportunities to do so as Barratt promote from within.