How Lily went from prison officer to surveying superstar at national firm

Lily said: "It's been such a whirlwind since I first joined Novello. I came into surveying through such a different route, and moving from the prison service into a corporate career was overwhelming at first. But I learned some valuable skills, and I built real resilience as a prison officer.

When I was working on the admin side of things, I soaked up as much knowledge as I could from supporting the surveyors day-to-day. So by the time I decided to get qualified myself, I already had a solid grounding in the profession."

Since becoming a mum, Lily has prioritised a career with room to grow - one that also gives her the flexibility to look after her young daughter. She credits the support of the team at Novello as instrumental to her career progress.

She added: "When I applied for the Associate Regional Director role, I honestly didn't think I'd get it. My plan was just to gain experience, so that next time the role came up, I'd know what to expect. When I got the call, I couldn't believe it - I was over the moon.

At Novello, there's so much experience around that there's always someone to lean on. I know it's a bit of a cliché, but it genuinely feels like a family here. I've never once felt silly for asking a question, and we're really taken care of - how many people can say that their workplace takes them away on holiday every year?"

Lily's path into surveying is a unique one, but she's far from alone - Novello has supported many members of staff into the profession through alternative routes like SAVA.

Founded mid-pandemic by two surveyors working out of a garden shed, Novello has grown into one of the UK's largest surveying firms in just seven years, delivering over £8 million of surveys annually.

Novello Group now employs a growing team of seventy staff and is recognised as an industry leader in training and innovation.

Learn more about Novello Chartered Surveyors.