Uptree

Moriayo recently attended Europa Capital 's property work experience day and wrote about it on LinkedIn . About to start a degree in Land Economy at the University of Cambridge, Moriayo talks to Uptree about her experience of this event and shares her advice to those also interested in a property career.

How did you prepare for your time at Europa Capital?

I tried to do as much research about the company beforehand as I felt this would help me to gain the most during the session. My research involved going through their website and social media pages to find out more about the firm.

Besides this, Uptree kindly provided us with a document containing information on each of the professionals who we were going to meet. I also read through this to learn about the speakers as individuals.

On the day I made sure to set up my iPad and laptop so that I could take part in the zoom call and type notes simultaneously, as well as any questions I had.

How did you find your day with Europa Capital?

I enjoyed learning about the company and it was great that we heard from a variety of individuals. The speakers ranged from analysts to partners, and all worked in different lines of business, such as Asset Management and Debt Investment as well as Product, Finance and Legal.

The sessions were a combination of informative and interactive; all of them interesting. During the Real Estate workshop, we were split into groups and tasked with considering the impacts of COVID-19 on a specific sector.

I found this session particularly engaging as our discussions were very relevant to the current global situation, and it was also great to hear the reasoning of a firm member as well as the other students.

I think the fact that the event was online actually made it more comfortable as I was able to experience the session from a familiar environment.

Did anything surprise you about the event or the company?

I have been interested in a career in real estate for a very long time but I did not realise that there was much more to it than the buying and selling of houses.

One thing that was great about the event was that I was able to learn about the many different career pathways within the field. The firm alone has multiple business areas, such as fund structuring and investor relations, which all work together to satisfy their clients.

It was quite interesting learning about the culture of Europa Capital too. We learnt that the firm is small enough to feel like everyone knows each other, but this also means that it is easier to see the direct impact that each individual’s work has and so you have to be pretty good at what you are doing from day 1.

Do you have any advice for students in a similar situation to you?

The earlier you practise networking, the less daunting it will become!

If you are lucky enough to know already where your interests lie, I think it is essential to sign up to events hosted by organisations such as Uptree. These events can give you more exposure to the industry and a deeper understanding of the steps you need to take to get where you want to be.

I think that students interested mainly in a career in real estate should have a look at The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors website, which can provide some good insight.

Besides this, you could try to reach out to people locally to see if you can get any relevant work experience such as at an estate agent.

Uptree thanks Moriayo for taking the time to share her experience with Europa Capital and we wish her all the best as she starts her university course in Land Economy.