MSc Urban and Regional Planning case studies

Masters programme, year of graduation and current role

After completing an undergraduate programme at the University of Birmingham, I studied Urban and Regional Planning MSc from 2014-2015, graduating In December 2015.

My current role is as an Assistant Planner in CBRE’s Birmingham planning team. I am fortunate enough to be involved with a number of high profile projects, including a major mixed-use regeneration scheme in Birmingham.

I am hoping to submit my APC towards the ends of next year to become a Chartered Planner and a member of the RTPI.

How has your Masters prepared you and given you relevant transferable skills for your current role?

The Masters course gave valuable experience of what to realistically expect in professional environments and also introduced me to practitioners in Birmingham. The practitioner I met whilst studying turned out to be my interviewer and now line manager!

The key skills that I feel were most valuable include: communication, presentation, and report/ appraisal writing.

What support have you had to help you make the move from your Masters to your job? For example from mentors, academics or Careers Network?

The lecturers within the Planning Department were, (and still are!) very supportive and always willing to help however they can. They have extensive contacts within the planning spheres of Birmingham and beyond.

Please add any tips or advice for postgraduates looking to enter the job market

I would advise postgraduates to be selective in where they apply for jobs. Three detailed and well thought out job applications are better than ten copy and pasted applications. Make sure applications include details that are specific to the company you are applying to, and research their background, projects and people before attending any interviews.

CBRE is the world’s largest real estate company with around 70,000 employees globally and total assets of $7.7 billion. It offers graduate schemes in commercial property, planning, building consultancy and financial analysis.

Masters programme, year of graduation and current role

I studied MSc Urban and Regional Planning graduating in 2016. My current role is a graduate Consents Officer at the National Grid in Warwick.

How has your Masters prepared you and given you relevant transferable skills for your current role?

I gained an awareness of how the British planning application process operates through lectures and workshops. These lectures and workshops also developed my awareness of the broad, wide ranging issues that planners have to deal with.

I also developed my project management skills through producing assignments which have multiple variables and require pulling various sources of information together to make a coherent argument.

What support have you had to help you make the move from your Masters to your job? For example from mentors, academics or Careers Network?

I was made aware of opportunities through e-mails from lecturers and Careers Network, which gave me the impetus to apply for jobs.

Please add any tips or advice for postgraduates looking to enter the job market

Keep your eyes and ears open and don’t ignore emails! Take into account the connections that the University of Birmingham, especially the Careers Network, has with employers and use those connections to your advantage.

The National Grid is the organisation responsible for power distribution in the UK. It has nearly 9,000 employees and in 2012/13 had a capital investment programme of £2.4 billion. It offers graduate schemes in a wide range of areas and postgraduates who join start on a salary of £28,500.

Masters programme, year of graduation and current role

MSc Urban and Regional Planning, graduating in 2016. I am currently working as a graduate planner as part of the commercial planning team at GL Hearn.

How has your Masters prepared you and given you relevant transferable skills for your current role?

The Masters course taught me legislation, how to read planning policy, how to prepare documents such as planning briefs and appraisals – all of these things you will use in your job role.

What support have you had to help you make the move from your Masters to your job? For example from mentors, academics or Careers Network?

Our lecturers sent us any vacancies / graduate schemes they knew of, which was really handy when applying for jobs.

Please add any tips or advice for postgraduates looking to enter the job market

Applying for graduate schemes takes time and there are a lot to apply for; don't let it take over your university work. In assessment centres, be yourself, be calm and do your homework on the company.

GL Hearn is a property and planning consultancy which is part of the wider Capita group. The Capita group is a business outsourcing and professional services company which has 75,000 employees globally. GL Hearn is one of the country’s top 20 planning consultancies and offers graduate schemes in surveying and planning.

Masters programme, year of graduation and current role

I studied an MSc in Urban and Regional Planning and graduated in 2016. I currently work as a Planner at Lichfields, a planning and development consultancy in the UK. I am based in their London office.

How has your Masters prepared you and given you relevant transferable skills for your current role?

Undertaking my Masters at University of Birmingham was a vital step in my planning career. The course was accredited by the Royal Institute of Town Planners, so it enabled me to start the process of becoming a Chartered Town Planner. Aside from the academic side of things, the course taught me a number of transferable skills which I have carried with me through to the workplace. Notable skills for me include both the importance of team work, and verbal communication, which I enhanced through being involved in a number of group projects. These projects allowed me to explore current issues in planning, ranging from large scale regeneration schemes, to looking at the importance of community involvement. Working on real life projects provided an excellent grounding for my job as a Planning Consultant. It is vitally important to gain experience outside, as well as in, the lecture room. This comprehensive grasp and wide-ranging skillset really helped me to adjust to the transition from student to a working professional.

What support have you had to help you make the move from your Masters to your job? For example from mentors, academics or Careers Network?

I found University of Birmingham an excellent help when starting the search for a graduate job. Our lecturers would email us all job opportunities from around the UK and advise us on the destinations of previous graduates. I found the CV checking service the Careers Network offered really helpful, as your CV is the fundamental tool to getting a first round interview. I struggled with making my CV both concise and informative so having someone to read drafts and suggest improvements was a great help.

Please add any tips or advice for postgraduates looking to enter the job market

My advice would be to start early, as writing CVs and applications forms, undertaking psychometric testing and interview preparation all takes time. I found it difficult to balance this with full-time study, so little and often was an approach that worked for me. It is important to spend time thoroughly researching the companies you are interested in to find out their work ethic and values, as you want the company to suit you as a person. This also helps with the interview process, especially when asked a tricky question about the company!

Lichfield Planning is the foremost planning consultancy in the UK covering 17 build environment sectors and offering 17 planning services. It has around £16m in turnover and 8 offices in the UK including London and the regions. Lichfields offers graduate schemes in a range of planning related graduate areas.

Masters programme, year of graduation and current role

MSc Urban and Regional Planning, graduated 2016, after having studied Engineering at the Sapienza University of Rome. Currently looking for employment in Italy after having done a placement with the City Design and Conservation Team at Birmingham City Council.

How has your Masters prepared you and given you relevant transferable skills for your current role?

It gave me a real insight into the UK planning system, especially the different spatial levels of planning, and the planning permission process. I also got in contact with some relevant professionals from the public and private sectors who gave talks to us on the course.

The transferable skills gained include improvement of written communication through assignments, enhanced oral skills and speaking in public through presentations. I improved my knowledge of Microsoft Office.

What support have you had to help you make the move from your Masters to your job?

I received valuable help from people working in Careers Network, especially in the face to face meetings I could book on the website.

From academics, I benefited from some help in relation to the UK context, which represented a topic of the job interviews I had.

Please add any tips or advice for postgraduates looking to enter the job market

I would attend as many Careers Network events as possible to enhance your employability skills alongside your academic study.

Also, you need to prepare thoroughly for psychometric tests which are invariably now part of the application process for most graduate schemes.

Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in Western Europe with 120 councillors representing 40 wards and over 1.1 million people. With 12,000 employees working in a full range of its services, the Council offers a multitude of different graduate opportunities in its range of service lines.

Masters programme, year of graduation and current role

I studied for an MSc Urban and Regional Planning, completing the taught component of the course during the 2015/16 academic year. I secured graduate-level employment at Ashfield District Council (Nottinghamshire) prior to completing my dissertation and, as a result, postponed graduation until summer 2017. I have since secured employment at Gedling Borough Council (Nottinghamshire) as a Planning Policy Officer. It has been tough balancing work life with completing the dissertation element of my course, but it will be worth it in the end!

How has your Masters prepared you and given you relevant transferable skills for your current role?

I aspired to work as a town planner in the public sector prior to applying to study at the University of Birmingham. The MSc in Urban and Regional Planning provided me a theoretical basis to become an effective planner, whilst giving me the transferable skills to enable me to fulfil the roles I have performed whilst in employment. Some of the most useful transferable skills gained during my MSc, which have been relevant whilst in employment include:

• Practical planning research: The course was assessed 100% by coursework, focusing on practical planning examples in Birmingham and the West Midlands. In doing so, I was able to interpret and critique real planning policies and strategic documents against local case studies. Research was performed at the city-strategic level (for example: HS2, city centre connectivity) and the local policy level (for example: Selly Oak, Icknield Port Loop). This range of policy research, at different scales, has enabled me to have a comprehensive understanding of planning issues. As a result, I have easily adapted to the policy frameworks of my subsequent employers.
• Presentation skills: I delivered various presentations during the course to my classmates. During the final ‘Integrated Project’ of the course, I co-delivered a presentation to a range of planning professionals, followed by a Q&A session. The ability to deliver high quality presentations, confidently, has proven a noteworthy skill – which will be particularly useful as I climb the career ladder!
• Report writing: My day-to-day role as a public sector planner requires good written presentation and report writing. The broad range of written assessments, including various planning related reports (and helpful tutor feedback) has undoubtedly prepared me in my day-to-day role.

What support have you had to help you make the move from your Masters to your job? For example from mentors, academics or Careers Network?

Whilst at the University of Birmingham, I attended a few Careers Network skills workshops and lectures which assisted me during my search for employment. The move from the Masters to employment was relatively easy – the Masters really prepared me to begin working in planning! However, the academics within the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies have offered their continued support should I need it in the future, and are contactable via email.

Please add any tips or advice for postgraduates looking to enter the job market

For MSc Urban and Regional Planning students, I would recommend keeping an eye on the Planning Resource website’s job section when looking for employment. I didn’t start looking for a job until May 2016 and I was in work two months later. It was quite daunting when a few of my class mates had graduate programmes secured early on in the course - but I am glad that I didn’t rush - and I didn’t need to - jobs pop up on the above website weekly.

LinkedIn has proven a useful resource at the beginning of my career. I have one connection that I interviewed as part of my undergraduate dissertation, two years prior to the MSc, who helped me gain a week-long work experience placement during my MSc studies. I have been building LinkedIn connections with my colleagues to ensure that I continue to have potentially useful contacts in the future.

Gedling Borough Council is a local authority covering the north and northeast area (46.6 m2) of the City of Nottingham and a population of 110,000. It has 50 elected councillors and 400 employees and offers graduate opportunities in a number of areas although there is not a set graduate scheme.