Applied through: Licentiate APC route

Commended: PCS

Qualifications

• LLB Law - University of Bristol
• MSc International Planning - University College London

Experience

At undergraduate level, I studied Law (LLB) at the University of Bristol. It was during the final year of my degree that I gained an interest in planning through studying Environmental, Planning and Land Law. I decided to apply to study International Planning (MSc) at UCL. As I was coming into planning at a later stage in my career, I wanted to study and work in the industry at the same time. After applying to a number of positions, I was lucky enough to secure a 12-month part time work placement at Indigo Planning (now WSP Indigo) whilst I completed my MSc in International Planning at The Bartlett, UCL. Since graduating in September 2017, I have worked at Arup. I began as a Graduate Planner and was promoted to Planner in April 2019.

Arup is a multidisciplinary firm of designers, planners, engineers and technical specialists, offering a range of built environment consultancy services. I work within the Integrated City Planning (ICP) team in London, alongside economists, landscape architects and urban designers. ICP has a range of public and private sector clients across sectors such as infrastructure, housing, education and sporting mega-events. I have worked on a wide range of projects including policy and plan making, development management and strategic planning.

Outside of work, I have organised work experience, hosted events, volunteered, mentored and have held the position of International Representative for RTPI London RAC. I have developed a keen interest in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and planning for climate change, this is something I hope to work more on in the future.

APC tips

• Gain a familiarity and understanding of the competencies early on – I found that it was easier to write up and identify areas of my work which related to an APC competency as it happened, rather than trying to review my work retrospectively. I would recommend gaining a detailed understanding of the competencies early on and noting down any areas of your work which relate to a competency when you finish a project or hit a milestone. This continual reflection allows you to remember things in more detail which makes writing your case studies much easier later on!
  
  
• Create a realistic programme and give yourself goals to meet - Once you have chosen your submission date, work backwards and create a realistic programme to draft each section of the APC. Set goals and incentives to stick to the programme such as review meetings with your mentor.
  
  
• Work with others - There is a lot of work to do so it is good to have some social support! Working with other colleagues who are submitting or with planners from other companies is a great way to gain motivation and further reflection on your work. I would recommend asking someone to review your submission who has not worked with you as they will come from an objective perspective and will not be familiar with any of your projects.
  
  
• Get started and get snacks – I found starting the APC process really daunting as there seemed so much to do! I can really recommend getting started early on, starting out with small tasks to make everything seem more manageable – and also making sure you have a good stock of snacks.