Meet our people

Degree: BA Environment and Business (Industrial)
University/College: University of Leeds

Why did you choose Capita Symonds?

 I spent an industrial placement working in the Land Quality Assessment team with the RAF and was seeking a new challenge with a commercial edge. Capita Symonds offered this along with the opportunity to work on interesting and varied projects where the onus is on you using your initiative in time pressured situations.

What project(s) are you working on at the moment? 

Recently I have been working on a project in the Thames Estuary 2100 project for the Environment Agency. This involved the organising of site visits and the collation of data for numerous sites stretching from west London to the mouth of the Estuary.  This enabled the assessment of preliminary contamination risk and broad remediation costs at each site.

What’s your proudest achievement at work so far? 

Coordinating the production of tender documents to a professional standard to win work for our team. I also completed the British 10k London run with 12 other colleagues to raise money for Astro Fund.

What opportunities have you had to develop your skills at Capita Symonds? 

As well as going on a varied range of training courses my practical work experience has centered on producing reports both for my team and others within the environment department.

What do you enjoy about your job? 

I enjoy the varied nature of the projects we work on and the different roles that I’m required to fill.

What are your aspirations for the future? 

Become a Chartered Environmentalist with the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. To continue working on a diverse range of projects and work towards a senior position within Capita Symonds

Please give an interesting fact about yourself: 

I have refueled RAF fighter planes during flight above the UK.

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?

I really enjoy skiing and snowboarding in winter and in summer sailing and scuba diving.  Whilst at home I love playing tennis, reading and gardening.

Qualifications:

• Commercial Building Surveying MSc - University of Leeds 
• History and Media Communications (BA Honours) Liverpool John Moore’s University

Why did you choose Capita Symonds? 

I was impressed by the interview which wasn’t all about what I could do for them and what I could offer, but was as much about what Capita Symonds could offer me.  As a graduate employee it can be daunting because you’re new to the industry and obviously still have a lot to learn.  Some employers just want to focus completely on your technical knowledge or academic achievements and while this is important, I think it can be just as important to look at other areas when recruiting a graduate such as how you communicate, how you will come across to clients and your future aspirations - Capita did this. I was also interested in the wide ranging services Capita Symonds provides for its clients.  I knew I wouldn’t be pigeon holed into a specific area and that further down the line there were the opportunities of moving into different areas of property consulting. 

What project(s) are you working on at the moment? 

I am currently working on an accommodation strategy proposal for Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.  After assessing the council’s property we can advise them on better ways of working within their buildings, more cost effective ways of managing and utilising their property while improving their services.
What’s your proudest achievement at work so far? I haven’t been with Capita Symonds long so to be honest it would have to be passing my first review and becoming a permanent member of the team.  You don’t know what to expect or how people are finding you when you’re new to a company so it’s great to know that your work has been good and you’ve passed the grade!

What opportunities have you had to develop your skills at Capita Symonds? 

I am hoping to start my APC diary at the next intake to become Chartered with the RICS. It’s rather expensive now to get registered on the APC but Capita Symonds is willing to fund this and also pay for any suitable courses and conferences that will benefit me.  My line manager is also an RICS APC assessor so I’m sure that will be helpful in guiding me through the next two years.

What do you enjoy about your job? 

The office environment at Capita Symonds is great and everyone is always more than willing to help and with a good atmosphere that always lends itself to doing good work.  The hot-desking and flexible working ethos at Capita Symonds is also really good.  More specifically in terms of my role I like the fact as a Property Consultant there are a number of wide ranging things I can be working on at any one time so nothing becomes too monotonous. My role also involves a lot of ‘out the office’ work which I enjoy.

What are your aspirations for the future? 

I used to work in sales and marketing so I would like one day to be involved in the business development side of Capita Symonds. Winning new business and building client relationships for the Property Consultancy team and then possibly for the Company as a whole. Directors are heavily involved in this so I suppose my future aspiration is to become a Director one day!

Please give an interesting fact about yourself: 

My Grandmother’s cousin was the actress Grace Kelly so I suppose I’m very distantly related to the Monaco Royal family - but it is a stretch!  I also worked briefly as a runner on the Big Breakfast TV Show on Channel 4 which was rather good fun.

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work? 

I play the guitar and piano and have been in a number of bands throughout the years and still enjoy filling in for people when I can.  Mostly now it’s watching live music and when I can, going to see Liverpool Football Club play at Anfield.

Qualifications:  BSc (Hons) MRICS

Why did you choose Capita Symonds?     

I chose Capita Symonds because I wanted to experience international projects and I liked the attitude of the people I met.

What project(s) are you working on at the moment?      

Projects for ExxonMobil in Kazakhstan and Nigeria

What’s your proudest achievement at work so far?       

I take pride from turning a difficult situation into success and knowing that you personally made the difference.

What opportunities have you had to develop your skills at Capita Symonds?           

A wide variety of projects, locations, and challenges combined with structured and workplace training has offered many opportunities to develop.

What do you enjoy about your job?           

Every day is different and I work on a varied portfolio of projects. I travel to many interesting and challenging countries. You meet many different people and are faced with many unusual scenarios.

What does the next 12 months hold for you at Capita Symonds?        

We will commence a multidisciplinary role to manage two major masterplan projects in Nigeria. I will lead the cost management team. It is a great opportunity.

What’s the best feedback you’ve had from clients/managers/colleagues?    

Often the best feed back you get from your clients is repeat work or when you are asked to give that crucial presentation. When they request you specifically it says it all.

Please give an interesting fact about yourself

I nearly died of hypothermia in a storm on a mountain in Alaska.

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?        

Mountain Climbing, Traveling, Cycling, Scuba Diving, Horses, Reading 

Degree:              BSc Geography
University/College:  Loughborough University

Why did you choose Capita Symonds?          

Capita Symonds appealed to me because it was involved in an interesting range of development projects, some of which have won awards and the people were really friendly when I went to the interview. The enthusiasm from Capita Symonds employees really rubbed off on me and it seemed an exciting place to work.

In particular the buddying and mentor system attracted me to Capita Symonds, providing guidance while learning on the job is very important to me. Capita Symonds provides good career prospects and structured career advice to enable a personalised career path for graduates.

What project(s) are you working on at the moment?  

I have progressed during the last ten months from small roles to larger roles within a number of projects. Recently these have included:

Writing a Transport Assessment for a large hotel development in Hillingdon. This project was challenging as I learnt to use the design package AutoCAD.
Producing a Travel Plan for Portsmouth’s North Harbour Masterplan Development outlining the proposed sustainability strategy for the site.
Creating a LINSIG model independently for a T-junction in Raunds in Northamptonshire after attending a transport modelling course.  This was rewarding because I put the knowledge obtained from the course I attended into practise.

What’s your proudest achievement at work so far?    

My proudest achievement at work to date is completing a certified 20 week transportation evening course in June which provides an introduction to the fundamentals needed to begin a career in this sector; ranging from design to report writing, to modelling, public consultations and surveying. This was satisfying as it enabled me to put the theory learnt from the course into practise.

What opportunities have you had to develop your skills at Capita Symonds?           

Capita Symonds have funded a range of courses from lunchtime seminars to one day courses both internally and externally which have helped me to develop my day-to-day skill set. These courses have helped to develop my technical capabilities and provide a greater understanding of the business.

Capita Symonds sponsors several external charities and frequently attends and exhibits at conferences. I take the opportunity to attend wherever possible,  and recently attended a Living Streets conference on Sustainable Travel and Travel Plans.

There are also various opportunities to go on site visits and meet clients both independently and assisted. These opportunities have boosted my confidence in my ability to deal with clients and provide detailed feedback to my colleagues.

What do you enjoy about your job?   

The job is rewarding and enjoyable because what I do has a tangible effect on society and can contribute to the production of more sustainable developments.

The variety of the job is appealing in terms of the projects and the fact that one day I can be in the office and the next day viewing a development and meeting the client.

On the more technical side, the projects I have enjoyed most have involved junction design and modelling as I prefer the practical side of my job as opposed to the report writing and policy based aspects.

What are your aspirations for the future?       

I aspire to take my learning forward in the next three years and complete an academic qualification in Civil Engineering which will allow me to develop on skills I have already developed in this sector. In five years I aim to be a Senior Transport Planner.

Please give an interesting fact about yourself:           

Last year when I went travelling in Australia I swam with sharks in the Great Barrier Reef.

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?

Outside of work, I like to spend my free time socialising, doing charity work, going running and travelling around the world.
 

Qualifications:  NVQ Level 2 and 3 in Business Administration, NVQ Level 2 in Customer Care, ECDL

Why did you choose Capita Symonds?     

I chose them due to the training and development that could be provided

What project(s) are you working on at the moment?    

I am working on the Wellbeing Campaigns and Leading this for the Regions People Development Group, I also working as a support for projects within Recruitment and Selection, Reward and Recognition, Learning and Development and Leadership and Development

What’s your proudest achievement at work so far?       

Leading on Wellbeing and seeing the campaigns make a difference to each office across regions.

What opportunities have you had to develop your skills at Capita Symonds?           

I started as a HR Assistant and was given the opportunity to develop my skills by taking on lower lever HR duties, such as attendance management, after just 5 months of working for Urban Vision. After another 2 months I was promoted to People Development Officer and given the opportunity to lead a workstream and become involve with projects.  This has helped develop my project skills, as well as my communication skills.

What do you enjoy about your job?           

I enjoy the variation of the role, and enjoy the different types of projects that the role could be involved in. It is also a real achieviment seeing the benefits my role can have on staff.

What does the next 12 months hold for you at Capita Symonds?        

I am joining the Business Development Team and hope to get more involved with some of their work. I am looking at developing my skills further as a lead and putting lots more initiatives in place, to help develop staff and improve the Business.

What’s the best feedback you’ve had from clients/managers/colleagues?    

My colleagues and managers have feedback that I have been excellent in leading on Wellbeing and made it easy for all offices to consistently implement initiatives and imporve wellbeing of the staff.

Please give an interesting fact about yourself:  

I was a kids club entertainer in Marmaris, Turkey for over a Year

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?        

I enjoy reading, swimming, gym and socialising.

Qualifications: BSc, MSc. MInstLM

Why did you choose Capita Symonds?     

Transferred from Sefton Technical Services

What project(s) are you working on at the moment?      

• A565 – Formby Bypass- Drainage Scheme
• Wango Lane-Aintree Flood alleviation
• Scarisbrick New Road-Southport.

What’s your proudest achievement at work so far?       

Bidding Successfully to Highway Agency for the A565 Formby Bypass drainage improvement.

What opportunities have you had to develop your skills at Capita Symonds?           

The availability of assistence with CPD and professional development, including working towards membership of professional bodies.

What do you enjoy about your job?           

Ability to vary workload and the friendly work environment.

What does the next 12 months hold for you at Capita Symonds?        

Ensuring the DfT and LTP schemes are satisfactorily completed within the set programme and budget.

What’s the best feedback you’ve had from clients/managers/colleagues?    

Successfully completing a footpath drainage scheme for a major supermarket in Bootle.

Please give an interesting fact about yourself

I think I am so transparent and easily read.

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?        

Dancing salsa, allotment gardening, occassional walks in the countryside and cooking.

Qualifications:  Diploma

Why did you choose Capita Symonds?     

Recommended by a friend

What project(s) are you working on at the moment?      

I’m working on Over The Wall : UK charity providing residential activity camps for children and young people affected by serious and life limiting illness it is the only residential camp provider in the UK modelled after Paul Newman's renowned ‘Hole in the Wall’ Gang Camp that operates in North America.

What’s your proudest achievement at work so far?       

As designer I have been given the chance to use my skills designing complete buildings which have received praise.

What opportunities have you had to develop your skills at Capita Symonds?           

I was asked by a client to visit America to attend a conference and arrange a visit to a special project. The feedback I was able to provide prompted another client to visit the same project.

What do you enjoy about your job?           

Working in great environment with great people. I’m very happy to be involved and designing project in different sectors.

What does the next 12 months hold for you at Capita Symonds?        

We have some major opportunities on the horizon in various sectors and I look forward to being involved with them.

What’s the best feedback you’ve had from clients/managers/colleagues?    

When client say thanks for the hard work and exactly what we wanted. My colleagues say thanks for been very friendly.

Please give an interesting fact about yourself:  

I’m big fan of ‘HEROES’ (bbc series). I’m antic Robot collector, I love organic design, and I’m an Orange Color maniac.   

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?        

My Hobbies are watching the movies and going to theater to see a play and a musical. I Love travelling and meeting people. I would like to go hang gliding and am planning to learn how to sail. If anyone is interested you are welcome to join me!

Degree: BA (Hons) Journalism
University/College: Cumbria Institute of Art (Now University of Cumbria)

Why did you choose Capita Symonds? 

Capita is one of Cumbria’s largest employers and when I saw the job advertised with Capita Symonds, and the role involved similar disciplines to my degree, I decided that I would like to apply.

What project(s) are you working on at the moment? 

I am currently supporting the Partnership Director to improve communications between Capita and Cumbria County Council. We are organising monthly reports, surgeries, talks and displays to ensure that we are working closely with the County Council Members, Directors and Heads of Service.

I am also working on improving communications across the 10 offices in Cumbria and the North East, updating our partnership intranet, getting good news stories out to the public and creating a standard answer database for our bids.

What’s your proudest achievement at work so far?

I was given the task of looking at the Cumbria and North East Staff Suggestion Scheme and making changes to bring it up to date. I helped to design a new system including a new process and an online system on our local intranet.

Our Staff Suggestions are now added to the system, discussed by the Staff Council and then taken to our Strategic Board.

Since the new Staff Suggestion Scheme was implemented at the end of 2007, we have had 19 suggestions, and six members of staff have been rewarded with money or vouchers and have seen their ideas implemented throughout Cumbria and the North East.

It was rewarding to see my ideas come together in a way which allows the staff to suggest their good ideas for the business.

What opportunities have you had to develop your skills at Capita Symonds? 

I have been supported to undertake further education in my chosen field and my manager is also very supportive and allows me time to study when necessary.

I have been selected for the new graduate BusinessWise programme which will help me to understand more about the Business and the field in which we work.

What do you enjoy about your job? 

Everyday brings something new and I get to meet, mix and work with staff from across Regions.

What are your aspirations for the future? 

I want to work hard and improve in my role as well as growing with the business in the next couple of years.

Please give an interesting fact about yourself

I met Rod Stewart when I was eight and he wrote me a Christmas card!

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?

I enjoy socialising with friends, walking, cycling swimming and eating out.