Following what has been our most successful year to date within the residential sales and lettings markets, which included acquisitions of two local businesses Ashburton Lettings and Charles Lamb Residential Lettings, it was imperative to ensure that our service levels remained high during our peak months. The opportunity to recruit a team of paid Summer Placements from both Newcastle and Northumbria Universities seemed like the perfect fit for Pat Robson & Co, having worked with both Universities for many years.
We offered four placement positions across the company with interest from 100’s of applicants. The positions were offered to Ellen Robinson (third year Law student at Newcastle University), Catherine Otoibhi (fourth year Medicine and Surgery student at Newcastle University), Dan West (second year Physics with Astro Physics student at Northumbria University) and George Kirtley (second year Business Management student at Newcastle University).
Ellen Robinson has commented on what made the position so appealing to her. She said ‘I wanted to work for Pat Robson & Co because I have a very strong interest in property. Given the reputation which Pat Robson & Co have, I was very keen to benefit from the range of experience which the team has. The company has provided me with several transferrable skills and the confidence to execute them as I progress in my professional career. Seeing how quickly the rental market moves and the efficiency which is required from everybody has been particularly interesting for me. Having the chance to learn about the property industry from a practical standpoint has been very rewarding for me and I am very grateful to Pat Robson & Co for the opportunity.’
The different skill sets and personalities of all four students really did bring a different dimension to the company over the summer and watching them all adapt and grow in their positions as the weeks progressed was a pleasure to see. As we now come to the end of their placements with Pat Robson & Co and they return full-time to their Universities, we would like to thank them all for their time and efforts during the summer of 2022 and hope they take their new found skills and experiences into their current student lives and chosen professions in the future.
Our Director, Nick Clennell commented on the success of our Summer Placement Students and said ‘We have worked with both the Universities of Newcastle and Northumbria for many years now, housing thousands of tenants across the City of Newcastle since our formation nearly 25 years ago. When the opportunity to offer employment to students over the Summer was first discussed, we knew the quality of the candidates would be of a very high standard. All four students who were successful in their applications have been an absolute joy to work with and have offered the Company a further level of service. Following our recent acquisitions of both Ashburton Lettings and Charles Lamb Residential Lettings earlier this year, we knew we had to continue to offer an excellent level of service which we have become renowned for, so the additional support over the summer months from Catherine, Dan, Ellen and George was a perfect opportunity for the business.’
As well as the student’s hard work and dedication benefiting Pat Robson over the summer, it was great to hear how Dan West feels like he has time with Pat Robson has furthered his knowledge. He said ’I wanted to work for Pat Robson & Co as it was something completely different to what I had been doing in the past, the new challenge has been refreshing and it’s been a pleasure to work alongside the team. The most interesting part of the job has been visiting the properties themselves and experiencing the variety of them, no two days have been the same. I have also enjoyed interacting with clients on a daily basis and in most cases being able to assist them myself. The main takeaway will be the knowledge I’ve gained from the job. When I started, I had little to no experience of properties and how to manage them. Now, I feel like I’ve found my feet and gained valuable experience, even if it is for my own properties somewhere down the line. I also hope I can take a few friendships away from my time here!’
Top: (From left to right) George Kirtley, Nick Clennell – Director of Pat Robson & Co, Dan West
Bottom: (From left to right) Catherine Otoibhi, Ellen Robinson
