committed to graduates

graduate development programme - planner 2014

application pack

compulsory purchase estates

expert witness farms

rural valuations

rural consultancy

anaerobic digestion biomass

eco friendly buildings hydro

solar PV wind energy

renewable energy

electricity fibre optics

gas linesearch.org

oil & chemicals water

utilities & infrastructure

application & appeals architectural design

building surveying development & promotion

environmental management project management

planning & construction

landlord & tenant property management

sales & lettings telecommunications

commercial

auctions development

equestrian estates

farms & land residential

property agency

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contents

one partner’s journey

our firm

what will I be doing?

our clients

our people

beyond the workplace

why Fisher German?

salary & benefits

final word

about you

interested?

2

one partner’s journey

I do consider myself very

lucky - I love my job, the

people I work with and the clients I work

for.

“ Kay Davies Head of Planning

3

I joined Fisher German in 2004 as the sole in-house planner for the Company. Since then the team has grown year on year and we now have eleven planners and an architectural technician. With our increasing workload we are very excited to be able to offer another graduate position.

Having worked in both the public sector and for large private sector practices, I find that Fisher German offers the greatest variety, challenge and opportunity in the projects we undertake and the clients we act for.

But just as important as that professional side, is the warm and sociable nature of colleagues in the immediate office and across the firm. The ‘work hard, play hard’ culture definitely captures our ethos.

As the Head of the Planning Department I encourage all of my team to bring new ideas and have an innovative approach to work. At the same time we are a support network for each other and our surveying colleagues.

One thing I am particularly keen on is ensuring graduates are not hidden from clients. Everyone has

an opportunity to undertake site visits, attend planning committees and meet clients. There is no better way to learn than getting stuck in!

I do consider myself very lucky - I love my job, the people I work with and the clients I work for. One minute I can be walking around a beautiful Listed Building on a large country estate, the next I might be fighting for a new wind turbine at appeal and then I could be advising on residential land promotion.

Every day is different and if you are a motivated, enthusiastic and hard working person, then Fisher German offers a fantastic opportunity for you.

multi-disciplinary firm including a dedicated planning team

In 2000, Fisher German had three offices In 2006, Fisher German had approximately 125 employees In 2014, Fisher German has…..

no ordinary firm

330+ staff & partners 14 UK

offices

The main planning office is in Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire but we regularly travel to other offices to support their teams.

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our firm

Fisher German is an independent professional practice of chartered surveyors and planners offering services across six sectors.

As well as being a sector is its own right, the Planning Team provide

advice and work on projects in all of the other sectors; making our work diverse and challenging.

compulsory purchase estates

expert witness farms

rural valuations

rural consultancy

anaerobic digestion biomass

eco friendly buildings hydro

solar PV wind energy

renewable energy

electricity fibre optics

gas Linesearch.org oil & chemicals

water

utilities & infrastructure

application & appeals architectural design

building surveying development & promotion

environmental management project management

planning & construction

landlord & tenant property management

sales & lettings telecommunications

commercial

auctions development

equestrian estates

farms & land residential

property agency

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what will I be doing?

case studies Visit the website to see examples of our work

www.fishergerman.co.uk

Large scale infrastructure

country estate

renewable energy

high tech urb

an

Large scale residential

developments

barn conversion la

nd p

rom

otio

n

infill plot

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When you are thinking about the sort of firm you want to join, one of the things you’ll look at is the sort of company they keep.

Who are their clients and are those clients likely to have interesting and challenging work that will help you develop your professional skills?

At Fisher German we can offer the opportunity to work with some impressive household names.

During your training, you can expect to work with a wide range of clients; your role – just like the rest of the team – will be to ensure that we deliver the best quality service, on time and on budget.

our clients

of clients would use

us again

98%

but what do our clients think of us?

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94% said they would refer us 93% said our service was

good/excellent

93% said our fees were competitive/value for money

our people

It is difficult to highlight a

typical day, but that can

only be a good thing!

“

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Ella Murfet Graduate Planner at Ashby-de-la-Zouch

joined in November 2013 What university did you attend? Oxford Brookes University

Why did you apply to Fisher German? When I first came across Fisher German I was initially interested in the range of sectors and services that the company covers. The prospect of a role within a firm that would offer interaction with these other professionalisms attracted me in contrast to a specialised planning consultancy that would not necessarily offer this experience. The opportunity to work on a range of schemes such as residential, renewables and utilities appealed to me. I was also drawn to Fisher German’s sociable outlook on the work environment.

What’s a typical day like? Since starting at Fisher German I have been involved in such a wide variety of projects that it is difficult to highlight a typical day. But that can only be a good thing! My workload has included some of the earlier stages of planning, such as land appraisals. I’ve also been involved in writing pre-application enquiry letters along with documents for application submissions such as Planning Statements and Heritage Statements. My work also involves the monitoring of applications once they have been submitted, liaising with the Local Authority to keep track of their progress and dealing with any hurdles along the way. A lot of time is spent outside of the office too, carrying out site visits and public consultations, attending appeal conferences, Local Authority committees and Local Plan examinations.

What do you like most about working here? I particularly enjoy the work we do for the country estates. I’ve recently worked on a barn conversion which I found really interesting, particularly as it had quite a strong heritage element. I was also given the responsibility of project managing the application; this was a little daunting at such an early stage in my career, however I appreciated the responsibility that I had been given which allowed me to fully delve into the application process. I also enjoy the office environment that we have, with everyone bouncing ideas off one another and asking questions. It’s a very friendly and comfortable atmosphere to work in.

What support have you received to achieve your APC? For me, I wanted a graduate role at a company that would fully support me in achieving my APC. I was reassured of this in my interview and appointed a mentor when I started my role. We have regular catch ups to assess my logbook and check that I am gaining relevant experience. I also attend the RTPI APC events to ensure I remain up to speed.

What’s the social life like? There are a lots of young people working within the firm, so there are regular gatherings such as meals and nights out. The company in general also organises meals and other social events, as well as the odd trip to the pub on a Friday lunchtime! As someone who has moved to Ashby de la Zouch not knowing anyone, the social aspect has certainly helped me settle in.

it’s not all work You know what they say about ‘all work and no play’. We expect you to work hard and - let’s be honest - now and then there are periods of intense effort; that’s the nature of the job. Our offices do regular charity appeal challenges like the 3 peaks/welsh 3000’s for the sporting amongst you. The planning team enjoys a good social and sporting life with them being involved in activities such as rowing, athletics and mudruns to name but a few. Team building activities and meals out are a regular occurrence.

beyond the workplace

you know what they say about

‘all work and no play’

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what is the job? You will be working as part of a dynamic team of planners whilst having individual responsibilities. To begin with, your role will include: Site appraisals Planning applications Land promotion Site visits Meeting clients and other professionals Research Project management of environmental consultants Assistance with appeals Listed building advice

Friendly and sociable office Committed to postgraduate learning and the APC process Structured programme Not a number Training Variety of work Practical hands on experience Commercial awareness Career opportunities

why Fisher German?

put simply, it is our aim to offer

great training and support

towards your APC

we have a 95% success rate on planning applications, compared to a national average of 80%

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salary The salary guide is £22,000 per annum, pro-rata.

part time masters We pay all course fees associated with the two year part time RTPI accredited Masters course, fuel costs to and from university, books/course materials and course trips.

professional We pay all subscriptions, joining, membership, APC and licentiate fees.

holiday Holidays equate to 1.75 days per month plus bank holidays, pro-rata.

company mobile phone and laptop We provide a company mobile phone for making and receiving company related calls and emails as well as a laptop to enable flexible working.

career progression

There is the opportunity to progress though a structured career development path, with training opportunities to support this.

your contract A full contract will be offered subject to a probationary period. You will be required to work for Fisher German for a period of up to 2 years following the completion of your Masters course. Departure prior to this would incur repayment (on a decreasing scale) of course fees and expenses.

salary & benefits

salary and benefits

package which is

reviewed annually

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interested?

then this is what you need to do next:

If you are interested, please send in a cv and covering letter either by email to recruitment@fishergerman.co.uk or by post to: HR Manager, Fisher German LLP, St Helens Court, Market Street/North Street, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire LE65 1HS

If we want to progress your application then we will invite you to attend an interview. Our interviews are a dialogue between you and us, not a one-way grilling. These will take approximately an hour.

If you are successful, you will be invited to return for a second interview.

We don’t conduct psychometric tests or hold assessment days. We believe that the qualities we are looking for in our graduates, such as common sense, a sharp intellect, independent thought, commercial awareness and a good sense of humour, are best assessed at interview. Our approach reflects the kind of firm we are and the value we place on personal judgment and interpersonal skills.

For the successful candidate, the programme will commence in July/August 2014 which will provide you with plenty of time to settle in prior to commencing your part time Masters.

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final word from our Managing Partner

I started here as a graduate and that took me to the role of Managing Partner. When I look at how Fisher German has progressed - its substantial growth even during an economic downturn - I am extremely proud. That growth doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by providing the right strategic direction, excellent financial management and, above all, by having the best people across the whole organisation. For us it is about finding people who have a passion for their chosen careers and who will be inspired by the same things. Don’t for a minute think that we are looking to recruit clones or robots - we would not be the entrepreneurial firm we are today, if we did.

At Fisher German we have personality; we’re not a faceless organisation. We are a great firm with a long history. We are proud of that and work hard to do it justice. We aim to be trusted business advisers and help our clients achieve what they want. We do recognise that you have a choice and I would strongly recommend you do as much research as possible to find the right organisation for you. All firms are not the same; it is important to find somewhere you really want to work and we want graduates who really want to work with us.

when I look at how Fisher

German has progressed; its

substantial growth even

during an economic

downturn, I am extremely

proud.

“