New Starter: Welcome Rebecca!

We are thrilled to introduce our newest team member, Rebecca Grossett, who has already demonstrated her quick thinking and expertise through our rapid fire Q&A session this week.

Turning her hand to something new altogether as an Apprentice Quantity Surveyor and a knack for problem-solving under pressure, Rebecca’s insightful and precise responses showcased her deep knowledge and readiness to contribute to our dynamic team. We are confident that Rebecca will be an invaluable asset as we continue to drive innovation and excellence. Please join us in welcoming Rebecca to our organization!

Why quantity surveying?
I thought it would be a great opportunity to combine 2 passions: constructing buildings and building community. I also feel like it is a great way to learn about a wide variety in construction all at once because of all the different professions we get to work with. Quantity surveyors seem to work with so many different professionals across the sector and I love interacting with people, so I really feel like I get the best of both worlds in this role. I’m only a few weeks in and it’s even better than I expected so I have no regrets.

Why did you choose an apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships offer a great opportunity to study in a new field without having to sacrifice having an income for the length of your studies. Not only is it a chance to earn whilst you learn but working with qualified quantity surveyors provides me with mentorship and hands on experience from the start instead of waiting until the end of my course. It also allows me to get first-hand experience of the role I am studying for whilst shaping my career. I feel training this way allows me to put my skills/ theory knowledge to the test in a very practical way.

What interested you about the construction industry?
Living in London, buildings have always made up a massive part of the landscape here. Every time a new building is revealed it can completely change an area and I think it’s really cool to be in an industry that can make such a huge impact on our society. I don’t think I really appreciated construction until I purchased a property that needed some fixing up. The plan (or so I thought) was to have my parents help with everything but they had other plans and encouraged me to be more independent. I love a challenge so got to work looking up what I would need to do/ who I would need to contact. I ended up needing to enlist a lot of professionals to sort everything and it helped improve my confidence interacting with various trades.. that’s when I began to realise that there was a lot more involved in construction than I thought. That was just on a small scale for a residential building. Learning about all the details and subcontractors involved in commercial buildings/ construction in a wider sense has really opened my mind and fuelled my interest.

What made Virtus stand out?
Virtus was very welcoming even from my first phone call enquiring about the position. Honestly, I was a little nervous when I first started thinking about working in the construction industry as a woman with no formal experience. It is something that put me off for quite a while until I had built on my own confidence, but I am glad I did because it meant that I was just in time to see this role.
In addition to having lots of cool projects and excellent reviews online, Virtus was one of the only companies I contacted that never made me feel patronised or uncomfortable. They also never made me feel like they wanted to ignore the disparity in the industry. Instead, they acknowledge it but focused on my potential as an individual which I found very reassuring. It is no secret that there are not as many women in the construction industry as men so it was important to me to find somewhere that I would feel safe and supported enough to work, learn and flourish. I wanted to find somewhere that would not only be progressive enough to want to hire a woman but also confident enough in their abilities to take on training an employee from a novice level. I really appreciate the amount of knowledge everyone has here at Virtus and how happy they are to share it with me. I’ve already been involved in projects, and I even got to visit some sites on my first week! They’re really making me feel like part of the team and I’m confident I’ve made the right choice.

What experience do you hope to gain?
As a keen student, I am excited about gaining any experience I can. One area that I am particularly excited about is collaborative working with others in construction. I have had previous roles where you can sometimes go days without talking to others and it can be quite isolating. I like the idea of being able to engage in regular communication with my colleagues, going on site visits, meeting clients and subcontractors etc.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I hope to be working towards becoming a senior quantity surveyor/commercial manager – maybe leading my own projects and perhaps even helping to mentor a new Virtus apprentice one day.

What do you think makes a good company?
I think a good company is one that is actively trying to be good. Nowhere is perfect. I think it looks different in different industries but trying to be ‘good’ can happen in several ways such as:

• Actively trying to improve the quality of whatever products or services they offer.
• Actively trying to show appreciation for hard working employees by listening to their views, providing incentives, showing them that they are respected and valued.
• Actively trying to expand their market, broadening who they offer their products/ services to.
• Actively trying to give back to its community and make a difference in the world by fixing problems with effective and sustainable solutions.

What motivates you?
Encouragement, praise and my own curiosity. If I’m given a goal, no matter how hard it seems, I will always try to find a way to achieve it. If I’m encouraged enough, I’ll find a way to build on what I’ve learnt and then set myself new goals. I’m encouraged when others are vocal about my achievements but also when I can look at my progression to see how far I’ve come. Things like to-do lists and competitions really help me to focus on my goals and motivate me to achieve them. (New stationary helps too.. nothing like some new highlighters to make me want to get a new project started!)

What did you study?
I studied childcare and early years development, neurodevelopment, cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging.

Any interesting past jobs?
It feels like forever ago now but since I left school I’ve worked as an administrator, laboratory assistant, a maths and science tutor, a nursery practitioner, neurodevelopmental researcher and neuroscientist.

Do you have any hobbies? How do you switch off from work?
I love craft projects, trying new things and DIY. If I can make something with a glue gun or a soldering iron, I’ll figure out how to do it myself most of the time. In lockdown, I put together a toy robot and it’s solar powered which I thought was pretty cool. I recently bought a new drill (it is pink to match my toolbelt and toolbox of course). I just installed a curtain rod to partition my living room so that I can have a designated work/study space. It turned out quite well if I do say so myself. I also paint sometimes when I get bored and started learning pyrography so I hope that becomes a new skill.

Any hidden talents?
I used to do competitive cheerleading and can probably still do some cheer stunts if I tried… but I haven’t tried them for a while so don’t hold me to that.

What are you currently binge watching?
Selling London on Netflix.

What’s your coffee order?
I’m not a coffee fan.. I also don’t like coffee flavoured things BUT I do drink a lot of tea. What I really love is hot chocolate.. specifically one with lavender syrup, oat milk, marshmallows and whipped cream (with chocolate sprinkles on top if I am in an indulgent mood).

Describe yourself in 5 words.
Kind
Reliable
Innovative
Colourful
Fun

Any guilty pleasure?
Any Studio Ghibli or Disney film, a warm blanket and a tub of cookie dough ice cream.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know?
I love dogs. Don’t get me wrong, I am a cat mum and I love my cat. I’ve had cats my whole life so I always get considered a cat person but I actually like dogs too and I don’t think many people know that. Personally, I don’t think you should have to chose between being a cat or dog person. They’re both so cute!