05.11.21
With Lifestory's 2016-2021 Graduate Cohorts
Although the premise of going to university is anchored by your eventual graduation, somehow the graduation itself creeps up on you. It’s an electric time of uncertainty married with unended opportunity. Now, armed with a degree, who will you become?
There’s trends in the graduate role process: two year contracts, shadowing those higher on the employment hierarchy, attempting to get your foot in the door of a company that doesn’t quite care about the person, but likes to showcase the brilliance of their graduate schemes on social channels. Like with most things, the lack of authenticity can be seen a mile off. That’s why at Lifestory, none of those trends are evident: our first grads, employed in 2016 as part of Anthology, pre-merger, now lead projects as development managers emphasising our idea that unfiltered responsibility from the outset and natural progression go hand-in-hand.
It’s this understanding that allows the Lifestory graduate process to take an unconventional route: one size does not fit all. We all come from a variety of backgrounds, some of us without any prior knowledge of property or development whatsoever. However, it’s easy to identify a defining characteristic in each of us: a passion for what we do. This naturally gives way to an ambition to learn, improve ourselves and succeed, but always succeed as a team. As a collective, that’s why Lifestory graduates are given responsibility from the outset, encouraged to follow our intuition and reach out to the senior members of the team for guidance, if and when we need it. Our CEO calls it growing our own talent and it’s this ideology that allows us to grow organically, a process of nurturing and the moulding the future of an industry that can be turbulent. This way, the next generation of property directors and board members have an instilled conscience and an authentic passion for creating communities that can improve people’s lives. That’s what makes a Lifestory graduate role different, this is the foundation for our future and the futures of the communities we touch with our developments; a combination of life stories.
Our graduate roles are permanent; there’s no fixed ending to your time as a member of the team. Because of this, the positions are diverse and flexible, especially for those on the rotational schemes. It’s very much a case of making it your own, growing into your role and shaping your career with authenticity. We’re encouraged to explore all areas of the business; joining Lifestory as a Sales Graduate doesn’t stop you from evolving into Development or Land. In fact, you’re actively encouraged to expose yourself to all settings as a means for investing yourself in the business. Nothing is hidden away or out of reach. There’s a golden thread of trust here; we’re trusted to do right by ourselves in order to do right by our business, and we’re grounded by this sentiment as a company that’s all about the people.
No two days are ever the same at Lifestory. The first ever graduate cohort witnessed the merger transcend and redefine our business, allowing for new challenges to be risen to and new responsibility to take hold of. Thus, the projects are diverse and dynamic, reflective of our company philosophy, giving ample breathing room to find your feet and own a new area of the industry. This is how you grow with and ultimately become integral to a business: personal and professional development.
Becoming a member of Team Lifestory is more than just a first role in the property development industry. You find friends for life here, in potentially unlikely places as we expand and integrate our regions further, united by a collective desire for Lifestory to grow and evolve; a reflection of our personal journeys during our time here.