My Â鶹´«Ã½ Story: Building a career in planning with Lydia Connell
July 25, 2024
Lydia, a graduate planner, reflects on her professional growth, collaboration, and increasing responsibilities within her team
In the My Â鶹´«Ã½ Story series, our designers, engineers, marketers, project managers, and leaders come together to share how their career journeys at Â鶹´«Ã½ have shaped their lives and moved them closer to their goals.
Tell us about your role¡
As a graduate planner, my main role is supporting the senior colleagues within my team on tasks such as coordinating planning applications, writing reports and appraisals, undertaking research, and attending meetings with clients and planning officers. My work changes daily and projects can vary from residential, commercial, industrial to mixed-use developments. Reflecting back on my time here so far, I see that the responsibility I¡¯m given and the role I play within a project have gradually become more significant now that I¡¯m starting to manage smaller-scale projects on my own.
What attracted you to a career at Â鶹´«Ã½?
I like that Â鶹´«Ã½ is a multidisciplinary company with a collaborative approach that brings professionals from different fields together. It also provides opportunities to work on diverse projects. I was also attracted by the Company¡¯s strong reputation for excellent design and engineering with its focus on sustainable and innovative solutions.
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What do you enjoy most about your role?
One of my favourite aspects of my role is the people and the clients I work with. Being an extroverted individual, I work best in a collaborative environment and therefore enjoy working alongside my senior colleagues to achieve good outcomes for our clients. In addition to this, I also enjoy the project management aspect of my job¡ªmeeting deadlines and coordinating and submitting applications. The fact that every day is a school day in planning is another aspect of the job that I like. One day you can be learning about Japanese knotweed legislation, then next day you¡¯re learning about trial pits for planting street trees!
How has your personal and professional development been supported at Â鶹´«Ã½?
I¡¯m lucky to work with a great team of supportive colleagues in the Manchester Office. Since I started, they¡¯ve not only been there to answer my day-to-day questions but have also pushed me to seek new opportunities that will develop both my knowledge and experience. Being able to seek advice from knowledgeable planners and consultants in their respective fields has helped me become a more well-rounded and informed planner.
I¡¯ve always had an interest in urban regeneration and have already worked on some great regeneration schemes during my time at Â鶹´«Ã½.
What has been the standout project for you during your time at Â鶹´«Ã½?
Currently, I¡¯m working on a scheme to redevelop a comprehensive school which also includes enhanced sporting facilities and playing fields. This is a particular standout project for me¡ªafter visiting the site myself and seeing the poor condition of the existing school and how the local area will hugely benefit from the economic and regenerative growth created by this project. ?
What are your ambitions for your future at Â鶹´«Ã½?
I¡¯m a few months away from submitting my APC (Assessment of Professional Competence) and, hopefully, become a chartered town planner. My ambitions are to then continue to build on both my knowledge and confidence within planning, as well as feeling more confident in my client relationships. I¡¯ve always had an interest in urban regeneration and have already worked on some great regeneration schemes during my time at Â鶹´«Ã½, which is something I would like to do more in the future.
What are your passions outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy running and have signed up to do a couple of half marathons this year. I also love spending time with my sausage dog Neville and taking him on long walks¡ªespecially long for him with his little legs!
Why should others join the Â鶹´«Ã½ team?
Joining the Â鶹´«Ã½ team offers the opportunity to work for a leading global design and consulting firm. Working for Â鶹´«Ã½ allows you to make a meaningful impact on communities through diverse and challenging projects, all while advancing your careers in a supportive and dynamic environment.
At Â鶹´«Ã½, we put people first. For Lydia, that means working on meaningful projects that make a difference in the community.?