What you can do as a graduate at St. Modwen

My experience on St. Modwen’s Asset Management Programme: Rawa Serwan

Rawa studied Geography at Durham University, before joining St. Modwen on the Rotational Logistics Programme. Although he didn’t have a real estate background, his geographical studies exposed Rawa to real estate from an urban development perspective, piquing his interest in the industry. Confident in his non-cognate degree, Rawa applied to St. Modwen — he’d picked up strong statistical analysis skills and an understanding of development complexities whilst at Durham, and was keen to use both in the real world.

He knew he wanted to work in property, but didn’t know where to begin — so our rotational programme was perfect. It’s given him a wealth of knowledge, and a great introduction to property. “The rotational programme has allowed me to focus on areas I find more interesting, whilst gaining exposure to all aspects of the industry”, he says. At the moment, Rawa is a portfolio analyst on our FP&A and Portfolio team, where he’s become skilled in programmes like PowerBI and Anaplan. He’s loved the pace of change at St. Modwen, saying “it’s a fast-paced business that’s always changing for the better. It’s been fascinating to see the amount of change over the past year, which has continued to improve our operations”.

Rawa’s thriving in our rotational programme. Here’s what he has to say to other people who may be coming from a non-real estate background: “keep an open mind, and try to find a role that allows you to explore the industry whilst developing your professional experience”.

Thriving on the Investments Team: Alex Sesay

Alex also came to us without a cognate degree — he studied Economics at university. It was during one of his finance modules that his desire to work in real estate was realised. “We explored the investment market”, he says, “and how Real Estate has become a key driver in the growth of the alternative investment sector. This cemented my interest in pursuing a career in real estate”. After completing an internship at Blackstone, Alex knew all about our work in the logistics sector, and jumped at the opportunity to join the St. Modwen Logistics team.

He’s now part of the furniture here, and has thrived in the investments team. When asked what he’s been doing, Alex rattles off a long list: “underwriting and analysing new deals, inspecting potential acquisitions in different regions, collaborating with the different business units to form a joint-up view on investment decisions and implementing/improving new initiatives to help streamline our investment process and analysis”. He’s definitely been busy!

So, what gets him excited in the day-to-day? “Can I have two things?”, he asks. “I’d have to say inspecting the sites — you never know what to expect. That, and our value of being joined up. It makes working a lot more fun, as different teams work together to share their specialisms in order to achieve the same goal”.

A journey on the Development team: Harry Margolis

Harry joined us straight out of university, after studying for a Masters Degree in Real Estate, at Reading University. He knew that he wanted to pursue a career in property, and St. Modwen Logistics was top of his list. “After reading about the company and learning about the rotations”, he says, “I was convinced that this was the best place for me to develop further”. Starting on the Development Team, Harry was soon working with plenty of responsibility. “It only took a few weeks before I started to have my own responsibilities, like producing appraisals and helping development managers pull together investment committee papers”, he says fondly.

No day quite looks the same at St. Modwen Logistics, which is one of the things Harry appreciates the most. “The work in the Development Team is very varied, which I enjoy”, he says. “One day I can be focused on appraisals and the financial viability of a scheme, and the next I can be communicating with agents about the market and demand in different locations”. It’s a place where change is a constant, and people like Harry revel in it.

Aside from the rate of change, what else makes St. Modwen Logistics a special place to work? Harry answers instantly: “the people. They’re great. From my first day, I was made to feel very welcome by everyone I came across. And, the projects we work on are best-in-class in the UK — so we have a combination of amazing people, and amazing projects. It’s a great place to work”. We’re glad you think so, Harry!

What are their top tips for applying to St. Modwen?

After navigating the St. Modwen Logistics recruitment process themselves, here’s what Rawa, Alex and Harry would recommend to anyone thinking of following their path.

• Be familiar with the values

Learn about St Modwen and what the company does, and be prepared to talk about what makes you stand out as the best possible candidate. Get a good understanding of St. Modwen’s values and what they mean to you, and discuss how your attitude would reflect them.

• Be up-to-date

Read up on any recent developments or deals that St. Modwen has done, which stand out to you. Show your interest in the industry and what’s going on, by following news articles and relevant reports.

• Bring up your relevant experience

Even if you don’t have any real estate experience, it’s crucial that you demonstrate that you can work under pressure, and as part of a team. Give examples of where you’ve done this, as it’s a big part of working in real estate.

• Network, network, network

Networking is a big part of working in property and real estate, as it’s a very sociable sector — having a good reputation can take you a long way. If you can, go to networking events, and meet people who you may be working with in the future.