Chris : Business Manager
BA Philosophy, The University of Sheffield
It was when I was squeezing into what looked like a broom cupboard in the basement of a town hall that I thought to myself: "So this is a BBC outstation." But they're actually part of a regional network that includes the really big facilities like Manchester or Bristol. We have the facilities management contract for all 50 of them - managing everything from the cleaning contracts to HVAC installations as part of the BBC English Regions project.
My job is coordinating all the activities to make sure everything actually gets done, from initial work surveys to meeting and negotiations with sub-contractors. It's my third placement, so I feel ready for it. That's the beauty of the graduate scheme; your placements relate to each other, so you're constantly building your confidence for the next challenge.
Another placement I completed was with Field Force Management, a new section within the business. They were centralising the process of planning and dispatching work to their mobile workforce. I set-up and implemented a procedures manual for the new helpdesk team and led a project working on the digitisation of the gas servicing team - all in one placement.
Why did I want to join a Balfour Beatty company? I guess the size of the organisation meant loads of opportunities. And although Haden Building Management has its own specialist field and projects, it's still very much part of the bigger family. The selection and induction process really makes you feel part of the team with two superbly managed induction days, both ending with dinner with the board. Not many companies would be that thorough, or that professional. And the effort and attention to detail carries on through the entire graduate scheme. It's extremely rigorous, but by no means rigid. I finished the scheme early, for example, and now because the company is committed to promoting from within, I can already see a clear line of promotion ahead of me.
