Now that I am starting my 24th year at Vickery Holman I decided to take a quick look back at what I have learned and achieved during my time here.
So what has it been like to work at Vickery Holman?
When I joined Vickery Holman’s Building Surveying Team in November 1997 I knew virtually nothing about the role, what it entailed or indeed what a Building Surveyor actually did.
Through the years my Team have, very patiently, answered all my queries such as “what is a weep hole?” and “What is the difference between wet and dry rot?” and have boosted my knowledge of all the different aspects of my role in the Building Surveying Team. These range from assisting with dilapidation claims, expert witness reports, contract administration, neighbourly matters, historical buildings and party wall issues.
I have helped support our Building Surveying Graduates in their progression to Chartered Surveyors, an achievement we take very seriously as the Graduates work so hard to gain this well-regarded qualification.
In 2008 I achieved my IOSH qualification and took on the role of Health and Safety Manager for the company. I also became a shareholder in the company.
As a consequence of my gaining so much knowledge over the years I am now specialising within the Litigation Team, working mainly with Dennis Venn, supporting him in his role as an expert witness and on his work on party wall issues, neighbourly matters and dilapidations. I still keep my hand in with all other building surveying matters when I get the chance!
Looking back it is amazing how far the technology has progressed as well. When I joined Vickery Holman our computers were not networked and we were saving documents to floppy disks! There was still a typewriter in the corner for typing up RICS forms etc, and there was one mobile phone for the office. There was no internet or email. Luckily, especially given the current Covid-19 pandemic, Vickery Holman have been diligent in keeping up with technology and all our staff, even the secretarial/support staff are now able to work from home.
Looking back I have seen, and been a part of, many changes within Vickery Holman, new offices (Bristol), technology, changes in staff, but it is also an incredible accolade to the business that there are many of us who have been at Vickery Holman for over 20-25 years (even longer in some cases – A certain Mr Holman comes to mind).
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Vickery Holman and am looking forward to continuing to do so in the future. If you want to know more about what it’s like to work at Vickery Holman, just get in touch with me!
Colinda Ford, Plymouth office
