Profile: Mark Lewis
Course: Diploma in Surveying Practice
Job: London taxi driver
Employer: Self-employed
Why CEM?
I chose CEM because it works closely with RICS and has a reputation as being a top college – the built environment’s teaching equivalent to Oxford and Cambridge!
Why distance learning?
Working full-time and having a family meant I already had my hands quite full!
The course
I was looking for a recognised qualification that would take me into the surveying world – a complete career change!
The benefits
The Diploma has prepared me well for my next career step and I thoroughly enjoyed my studies. Now I look closely at any new construction in London and take an interest in it. The builders probably think: ‘What is he looking at?’! As for flexibility, I revised in my cab in the taxi ranks at Paddington and Waterloo! The other cabbies thought I was totally insane!
The support structure
I had no experience or background in surveying or property whatsoever. In order to be accepted on to the course, I had to have a mentor to oversee my work and give me pointers and encouragement. My mentor was amazing and allowed me to ‘shadow’ him around sites for two years.
The future
I have proved to myself that I can do it. I am enrolling on to an energy assessor course and carrying on my new career. I lost my father suddenly during the first year of my Diploma; he would have been very proud.