Will Allan

After graduating with a civil engineering degree and the title of ‘Captain’ of the university rowing club, Will joined the Mace Graduate Development Programme in 2015 as a trainee construction manager. He has since gone on to develop his career and is now a project manager for construction projects in London.

What attracted you to the Mace Graduate Development Programme?

Although I was unsure what I wanted to eventually do throughout my university days, I knew I enjoyed the more practical, problem solving courses over the technical ones and often found myself taking the lead during group projects. During my penultimate year, I was introduced to a director at Mace and took advantage of a few site visits at the Tate Modern and South Bank Tower. It taught me a lot about the construction industry and got me thinking that it might suit me as a career.

Although the site visits sparked my excitement for a career in construction, it was the people that I met that encouraged me to apply for the graduate scheme. The supportive, yet challenging, nature of the company looked like the best place for me to develop early in my career – and I’m pleased to say that I’ve not been disappointed.

What was the best thing about Mace's Graduate Development Programme?

The best thing was that we got to build a strong network of colleagues and friends across the business in roles so different to our own - it was an excellent learning platform. In the last year we formed a multidisciplinary team to do an academic project on a school extension. We had to identify the client's needs and engineer the project all the way through to the construction phase before presenting our solution to the Mace Group Board.

What skills do you need to be good at your job?

My engineering background is really useful for problem-solving and understanding the sequence of construction from a structural point of view. It's also important to be a good communicator – being on site means you have to communicate effectively with a wide range of individuals.

What do you hope you will be doing in the next five years?

I hope to be managing elements of a major project and I'd like to enrol on Mace’s Developing Success programme to gain further exposure to high-profile influencers and to further my knowledge.

What might someone be surprised to know about you?

I'm a keen sportsman - I rowed competitively across the UK during university and I compete for my local tennis club.

What advice would you give to someone applying for the graduate scheme at Mace?

Read up on Mace, what we do and what we have done. The projects you can get involved in are fantastic and if you let your enthusiasm shine through, the confidence required for the job will follow.