Cardiff schoolgirl who left school without any GSCE’s finds dream job as estate agent
A teenager from Pontprennau who left school without any GSCE’s has landed her dream job as an estate agent thanks to support from a Cardiff-based training provider.
Katie Pearce, Trainee Negotiator at Harry Harper Sales and Lettings.
Katie Pearce, age 18, struggled at school with a lack of motivation and drive. When she left Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, Katie signed up with Itec Skills and Employment and began a retail and customer service course. She then went on to obtain qualifications in communication skills and employability skills which helped prepare her for the world of work.
Katie says: “I’ve always wanted to help people and make them feel happy which is why I chose retail and customer service.
“When I was at Itec’s centre in Cardiff, I had motivation and drive that I didn’t have in school because I finally felt like I was working towards something. I always knew that I wanted to be an estate agent so began to speak to Itec about how to go about it.”
Clare Jones, Katie’s placement officer at Itec saw Katie’s potential and championed her progress. Clare arranged Katie’s first placement at the British Heart Foundation, where Katie gained experience and practicing her newly learned skills.
With Katie’s aspirations in mind, Clare was determined to find a placement at an estate agency.
“The first time I met Katie she said that she wanted to be able to help people find their dream homes. Katie has such enthusiasm and has never lost sight or focus on what she wanted.”
Clare helped Katie secure a placement at Harry Harper Sales and Lettings in Cathays where she now works as a trainee negotiator. Her new role involves answering phone calls, managing appointments, following up on house viewings and liaising with tenants.
Benjamin Churchill, managing director at Harry Harper said: “This is our first time taking on a trainee from Itec and Katie has been a fantastic addition to our team. She’s very hardworking, well-spoken, and professional.
“We have been very pleased with her progress and it is clear that her passion for property shines through and we can see a long and successful career ahead of her.”
Katie continues: “Working with an estate agency you get to see really happy moments when people are buying their first home or moving away from home for the first time and I’m glad I get to be a part of that.”
Katie plans to learn more about properties and company protocols while she works to become a fully trained negotiator. She hopes to someday work her way up to the position of branch manager.
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