💼 Social Mobility, Gaps & 'Good Intentions'.

I recently thought back to my first role in the real estate sector.

A role I was super excited about due to how much I researched, looked into the company and could apply my experience on the shop-floor - all for it to go pear shaped, just a few months later and I was let go; a completely devastating experience that shook my confidence for years after.

This personal story isn’t one that I share often, as it quite frankly feels embarrassing and triggering for me. But, imagine my surprise, when on a mock interview with one of our student members, he relayed my exact experience after the same thing happened to him at another company not too long ago.

I was absolutely gutted that this happened to him, as I remember how I felt when it was happening and happened to me. Which brings me to the main talking points of this edition, good intentions are not good enough.

This week, we kicked off our third ESG Launchpad programme with a brand new cohort of students! This years’ kick off was made special as we welcomed back Morgan Godden (Graduate Environmental Consultant) and Kelly Voong (Graduate Project Manager), who participated on our ESG Launchpad last year!

They both now work at AECOM and shared some words of advice for current programme participants.

We want to ensure that our members and participants are not only ahead of the curve but tapped into trends that impact the business and commercial landscape, which is why we developed our ESG Launchpad. Our other programme alumni have gone on to further employment and internships at Cushman & Wakefield, Landsec, CBRE Investment Management Management, Accenture and the Environment Agency.

Social mobility is growing on corporate agendas once again, which is excellent - given how many intersections that it can cover within the diversity, equity and inclusion conversation. You’ll never hear me say that hiring talent from different socio-economic backgrounds is a bad thing, especially not in the real estate sector - however, it can have disappointing outcomes without talent development and nurturing being taken into account as well.

Most of our members are from working class backgrounds, some being the first to attend university in their family or to even consider pursuing a corporate career.

Being the first or the only is rough.

As The Land Collective goes into it’s eighth year, I’ve noticed significant gaps that working class young people have, which hurt them during traditional recruitment processes through no fault of their own. These gaps aren’t related to technical knowledge and know-how, but awareness, access and community.

The ‘Community’ Gap

Many young people, whether they know it or not, are propelled through their early careers by the people around them. A network of well-connected family, friends, teachers, or mentors can make all the difference between getting your foot in the door or being left out entirely.

Most of the students we work with at The Land Collective don’t have this community to start with. They don’t have a cousin who can tell them what a corporate interview will look like or a parent who can review and critique their cover letters. For these students, the whole process can feel like a maze.

I’ve seen first-hand how this lack of ‘community’ can set young people back. They are often just as capable as their peers, sometimes even more so but they don’t have access to the same mentorship or guidance that others get by default. Without that community, they often enter interview rooms without the same confidence, lacking the “polish” their peers display.

At The Land Collective, we’ve made it our mission to fill that gap. Our programmes and community give students the chance to build a network, not just of industry professionals but also of peers who are on the same journey. We work with professionals across the sector who provide practical support, from mock interview prep to navigating corporate spaces, so our students are no longer going it alone.

The ‘Awareness’ Gap

Awareness is where it all began. I initially started The Land Collective as an online platform and student-led blog dedicated to shining a light on the built environment sector, a field that felt distant and out of reach for so many young people from working-class backgrounds. I realised early on that these students weren’t considering careers in real estate or construction, simply because they didn’t know the opportunities existed.

To bridge this gap, we’ve always utilised our social media channels to break down what’s happening across the sector into bite-sized chunks that are easy to understand. Our TikTok, for example, spotlights professionals across the industry, offering a behind-the-scenes look at their day-to-day lives. Whether it’s a video sharing career advice or a quick explainer on what a quantity surveyor actually does, our goal has always been to make these careers feel tangible and accessible.

For us, awareness goes beyond simply listing job titles; it’s about bringing the industry to life in a way that resonates with young people who may have never considered these paths before.

The ‘Accessibility’ Gap

Once a young person becomes aware of the opportunities available, the next hurdle is accessibility. It’s one thing to know about a great programme or career pathway—it’s another to be able to actually take part.

When I started The Land Collective, I wanted to make sure that cost was never a barrier to entry. All of our programmes and events are completely free for young people. Whether it’s a career workshop, site visit, or networking event, there’s no price attached. And we recognise that travel costs can be a significant burden for students, especially those coming from low-income households or rural areas. That’s why we always ringfence a portion of our budget for transport bursaries, reimbursing students for those often-extortionate travel fares. I often missed out on opportunities early on in my career, because I couldn’t afford to get from A to B, let alone think about things like lunch!

BONUS: The ‘Polish’ Gap

This is one of the most subtle yet significant barriers that our students face. Polish. Soft skills like how to present yourself in an interview, how to speak eloquently, or even how to navigate a corporate space; can make or break a young person’s chances of success.

When a hiring manager is used to seeing a certain type of candidate, someone who looks like them, speaks like them, and has had the same experiences, it’s easy for unconscious bias to creep in. They may overlook someone who doesn’t fit that mold, even if that person is just as capable, or even more so. Potential doesn’t always show up in the same way for everyone, especially when someone is from a different background. That’s why it’s so important to check that bias and be mindful of how different people can demonstrate their strengths.

We emphasise the importance of recognising potential in all its forms. Through mock interviews, feedback sessions, and soft skills training, we give our members the tools they need to bridge that polish gap. But we also advocate for employers to look beyond surface-level impressions. Hiring decisions should be about talent and potential, not just how well someone fits into a preconceived idea of professionalism.

Good intentions are great, but they only get us so far. My own story, one I rarely share, reflects this. I went into my first role in real estate with enthusiasm, research, and hope, only for it to unravel within months. I was let go, and that experience shook my confidence for years. The most devastating part was realising later that it wasn’t my lack of talent, but a lack of nurturing and understanding that led to that outcome.

When one of our community members shared a similar story, I was gutted. He, too, had been full of potential but was let down by a system that didn’t invest in him the way it could have.

That’s why it’s crucial for employers to go beyond just wanting to do the right thing or ticking the right boxes on social mobility and diversity as a whole. It’s about thinking carefully and intentionally about the role you’re playing in the life of someone who may be different from the candidates you're used to seeing, but is equally driven to succeed.

Invest in nurturing that potential. Take the time to develop the individual, not just in technical skills, but in confidence and resilience. Understand that many of the young people we work with are navigating uncharted territory, often without the safety nets or networks others take for granted. It’s not enough to open the door; we need to help them walk through it and ensure they can thrive on the other side.

If you’re interested in exploring our solutions, please feel free to book a call using the link below.

• Sponsor a Programme

  Our flagship programmes, such as the ESG Launchpad and Black Girls in Property, have been running for a number of years and are designed to make a tangible difference across the built environment. These programmes offer employers a chance to engage in meaningful employee volunteering, provide work experience opportunities, and internships as well as follow-on opportunities to engage.

• Early Talent Solutions
  Our core programmes, FirstStep for Year 13 students and Elevate Graduate Academy (EGA) for second and final year university students, offer tailor-made solutions that integrate directly with your early talent recruitment strategy.  These custom programmes provide an end-to-end approach, from identifying high-potential young talent to equipping them with the tools and confidence to thrive in your organisation.

• Local Skills Programmes
  Our Local Skills Programmes support developers in meeting Section 106 requirements by delivering employability and training initiatives for local young people, especially those aged 16-19 or NEET. These programmes offer a pathway to apprenticeships and entry-level roles, making a lasting impact in the community.

If these are of interest and you’d like to learn more, please schedule a call with me.

Thanks for reading, catch you on the next one! 🙂 If you are enjoying this newsletter, forward to someone else in your organisation or outside who might like it too!