Cultivating Growth and Gratitude: My Internship Journey

Written by Cordel Fraser, ELBA Project Manager (Empower-U, Equibalance) and Akinsola Agbebi, Intern with ELBA and Redevco

Recently I was connected to Redevco, as they were keen to support with hosting a range of internships, but were hoping for some support on how to approach this. Redevco have a focus on sustainable and liveable cities through a real estate lens. Through specialised investment strategies, they aim to transform cities one building at a time, delivering sustainable returns. This exciting opportunity to work with an international real estate company would be offered out to three interns over the course of a year and ELBA were keen to assist in ensuring that the right candidates got the job.

Akinsola, a recent graduate from the University of East London, was one of the hopeful candidates that applied for the first internship and after a successful round of panel interviews, was accepted onto the programme. This trailblazing 3-month internship and the whole experience is best captured by Akinsola himself…

“I’ve been working closely with my team here at Redevco, and I have to say, it’s been a fantastic learning experience. There’s been a lot to take in, with all the new terms, structures, and deals, but I’ve really enjoyed getting stuck into different projects and asking questions when I need to. Recently, I’ve been focused on a mapping project where I’ve had to create target cities for residential development and identify points of interest within those cities. I’m proud to say that I’ve made good progress on this task and I’m nearly finished with it.

I’ve also been trying to delve deeper into financial modeling, recognising that practice is the key to mastering it. It’s been great to be involved in external meetings and site inspections too. I’m really enjoying these opportunities.

I’ve also built strong relationships with the whole UK team, which I believe is helping me grow professionally. Right now, we’re working on making my CV ’employer-ready’ so I can start applying for graduate and entry-level roles. Overall, I feel like I’m making good progress, and I’m also enjoying my time here. I also want to take a moment to express my gratitude to Cordel Fraser and the staff at ELBA for their incredible support and hard work. Their guidance and assistance have played a significant role in my professional development, and I truly appreciate their efforts. It’s been a collaborative effort, and I’m excited to see where this journey takes me. Thank you, Cordel Fraser and ELBA!”

If you are looking to provide internships through your company or perhaps you are a potential candidate looking for this kind of opportunity, please reach out to cordel.fraser@elba-1.org.uk and we can support you on this journey.

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