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Thoughts
Insights for prospective juniors who might not have had a job before, and what sets EVORA out from other organisations.
You could say that I’m a little bit longer in the tooth than your average Junior Consultant at the ripe old age of 28. I’ve found grey hairs, I make a strange noise whenever I have to pick something up off the floor or get up off the sofa, and TikTok just scares me to be honest.
However, although I might have lost some melanin over the years, I’ve gained some experience in the job market before becoming a Junior Consultant at EVORA; working in businesses from private start-ups to big multi-nationals with thousands of employees, and even a sprinkling of some public sector work.
My experience at EVORA has been different in a lot of ways to the organisations I have previously worked in, but here are the three things that I think set them apart from the rest, and that any prospective Junior should know.
The Culture
Organisations love to talk about their culture. It tends to be a buzzword that everyone uses and I know that when I hear it I’m often sceptical at best (cynical at worst). But there is genuinely a brilliant culture at EVORA and you honestly don’t quite believe it until you experience it first-hand.
EVORA work hard to make sure that everyone feels welcome, whether this is at a pizza and games night, office socials, volunteer days, or even a company-wide trip to the Lake District! You will have plenty of opportunities to get to know your colleagues on a personal level during activities unrelated to work.
On the work side of things, no matter who it is within the business, you’ll be greeted with a cheery smile and treated as one of the team straight away; and this is true regardless of where they are in the world, London, Milan, Hamburg, New York, Paris, Iasi, Bangalore or ESPECIALLY in sunny Bolton which is where I’m based. And if you have a concern about anything at all, you will ALWAYS get help. You’re encouraged to share ideas and if you feel there could be an improvement, don’t be shy; you can discuss it openly with your colleagues to find a solution and make things better. These might sound like small things, but they really do make all the difference.
Development
You don’t have all the answers right away, and that’s fine, no one expects you to! You are given formal training and will have a mentor to help you through the first few months of your time at EVORA. It’s a dynamic working environment in which you will be constantly upskilling and digesting knowledge on the real estate industry and ESG matters (and believe me there is a LOT to learn). EVORA invest in their people; and they understand that it is in their interest for you to possess more skills and knowledge, and encourage you to soak up as much as you can to deliver the high standard of work clients have come to expect. If you like to learn and improve your skillset, then EVORA will happily oblige and give you the opportunities for you to excel.
It’s also worth noting that you have a say in what you learn as well. If you hear of something interesting that another team might be doing, speak up and you can gain experience in that area by working with other colleagues. I work in the green finance team, but have had exposure to the work that the Net Zero team do, for example with on-site energy audits, and I’m currently working on a really interesting project for a socially sustainable life sciences fund – all within the first couple of months!
If you have a positive attitude, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn, then EVORA is the work environment for you.
Purpose
Finally, a big one for me personally, and the reason why I took the decision to make a career change and moved into sustainability in the first place – purpose. Investment and finance can mean many things to different people, but from my perspective it can be considered as the link between now and the future. This means that investment decisions that are made today will impact the look and feel of the world we will one day live in, and ultimately pass on to future generations.
EVORA (and every individual I’ve met so far in the company) are committed to planet and people, and this feeds through into the work that EVORA do to support its clients; helping them ensure that their investments decisions are robust and deliver positive outcomes beyond just the balance sheet. You can be proud of the work you do here, and that counts for something.
So long story short, it’s a great company to be part of. If you’ve made it to end of the blog, then hopefully that means you’re interested in being one of the team, and I hope we will see each other soon, and that your first few months at EVORA will be as enjoyable as mine have been. Good luck!