PMP’s apprentice building surveyor on building her career

Lauren Arnold is PMP’s Apprentice Building Surveyor in her second year at the University. Learning and earning, we caught up with Lauren to find out more about her, her pathway and life at PMP.

From Tesco’s managerial programme to Majestic Wine, Lauren’s journey to becoming an apprentice building surveyor is far from the traditional route as she takes her place in the industry. When a chance meeting at a dilapidations event led to a chat and a new connection with PMP in Bristol, we had to find out more.

Lauren left college at 16, having never found subjects that felt like the right fit.

She said: “I always knew I wanted to work – and work hard. Between 16 and 17, I’d saved enough to buy a new car and passed my driving test. As soon as I turned 17, I set my sights on Tesco’s managerial programme, stepping up as a team leader and embracing the responsibility. A spell as a World Duty Free Manager taught me that travel wasn’t for me though I loved the industry before going on to Majestic Wine.

“At Majestic Wine, I stepped up again —first during Covid, as we were essential workers, so we all worked hard to cover shifts and support one another, and later as an operations manager when an opportunity arose. It was an opportunity I genuinely welcomed, but it came as a massive shock to realise that the next step as an Area Manager wasn’t the right fit for me. I had always imagined myself progressing to senior level, and when that no longer felt right, I felt completely lost.”

Lauren then moved into an acquisitions assistant role, where she mused that it felt like “looking on Rightmove with someone’s else’s money.” This move was crucial in helping her realise that building surveying was what she most enjoyed. She enrolled at Gloucester College to gain the qualifications needed for the role, before experiencing the shock of being made redundant.

However, the chance encounter with Ben Walker at the dilapidation event linked her successfully up to PMP’s Bristol office. She reached out to the team, successfully interviewing with Mark and Mat, and landed the job, where the rest is history.

With such an interesting backstory—and having worked with so many people across different organisations in retail—we had to ask what life at PMP is really like?

“This is the first company where I feel I can truly be myself in all my weird and wonderful ways, with no judgement, preconceptions, or issues. It’s refreshing to feel so comfortable in my role so early in my career.”

“I’m ambitious about my career. I’ll graduate next year, and it’s flown by—it feels like only yesterday that I sat down with Mat and Mark. I’ve set myself the challenge of building my own client base, so networking and chance meetings play a huge part in that.”

Mark Humphries, Executive Director at PMP, based in Bristol, said:

“From the moment Lauren joined us, it was clear she had the drive and mindset to thrive in this profession. Her background showed that she was resilient and adaptable. It’s been a pleasure to watch her journey into building surveying, and it’s even better that her route has been unconventional, as she brings energy and a fresh perspective. We’re proud to support her development and can’t wait to see what she achieves next.”

 

And what’s next for Lauren remains to be written.

“I would highly recommend this job—the variation is so interesting and it really keeps you on your toes. You may not always have the answer but keep it simple: ask questions and keep learning. Nothing is off-limits to ask. Coming into the industry, I’ve really appreciated the support from colleagues, and I’m always happy to help others.”

Already, Lauren is helping to recruit the next generation. She recently supported a client to place a colleague onto the Building Surveying course at UWE by putting her in contact with the head of the programme. In essence, she is paying it forward—helping others connect in the same way she was helped at that chance meeting some years ago.