Meet the apprentices: Guest blog by Cushman & Wakefield Apprentice Surveyor, Sadaqat Hussain
Posted on: 9 November, 2018
Cushman & Wakefield employ a number of apprentices who study with UCEM. One of those apprentices is Sadaqat Hussain, an Apprentice Surveyor studying UCEM’s Chartered Surveyor Apprenticeship (on the Commercial Real Estate Pathway).
This is Sadaqat’s journey in his own words:
I have been passionate about property since a young age but I don’t think I realised it at the time! My parents have built a residential property portfolio and, growing up, it fascinated me to see the epic transformation of an empty and dilapidated house turned into a home fit for a family. Of course, it helped that they could then make money through selling or letting it. The prospect of spending weekends reducing a property to its bare structure was really exciting and the older I got, the more responsibility I was given. I really enjoyed ripping out floorboards, peeling off damp-ridden walls and tearing tiresome ceilings down – what can I say? I love destruction!
At 16, I was in the middle of studying business at college and applying for accountancy courses at various universities when my parents decided that, after a long break, they wanted to re-enter the property market. I decided to take charge of finding their next new venture. They were keen to find a property with three criteria: 1) it needed refurbishment; 2) it had to be below market value; and 3) it needed to be easily lettable. After some time spent arranging viewings, cross-referencing different properties and researching current market trends, I found a suitable property. This property underwent a refurbishment and was let to a tenant in a nine-month turnaround. This was the point when I knew property was the right path for me. I began speaking to my business teacher who told me about the Cushman & Wakefield apprenticeship and the rest, as they say, is history!
I began studying with UCEM in October when Cushman & Wakefield decided to transfer our studies to the institution. It is an institution that is known universally for applying learning to the actual practices of the surveying industry. It is no surprise it is used by other leading real estate firms such as CBRE and JLL for their apprenticeship schemes.
My initial reaction to studying with UCEM was one of scepticism because the only type of learning I had known was face-to-face. However, I have been pleasantly surprised as there has been support available in every aspect of my learning from student support services and webinars to podcasts, group forums and frequent interactions with tutors through the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It begs the question: what was I so worried about?! One thing I love about learning with UCEM is the flexibility. You are given the responsibility to plan your learning at a pace which suits you. You can easily juggle periods where you have heavy workloads or a study deadline to meet. It does mean you may need to spend the weekend doing something other than socialising though!
My ambition is to become a Chartered Surveyor – not for the money but because I am passionate about the profession. I know that UCEM will continue to provide me with the right foundation to achieve this aim and provide me with the knowledge and skills to complete my job to the highest RICS-approved standard.
If you would like to find out more about employing an apprentice then visit our webpage to read more about all of the apprenticeships we offer.
