Work Experience at Influence

Well, who hasn’t contemplated what they actually want to do for the rest of their lives? I definitely have and this is how I ended up doing work experience at Influence Environmental Ltd. My name is Charlotte and I have just finished my second year studying BSc Geography at the University of Exeter. I have always loved being creative and since designing a sustainable building in my Product Design A- Level, this passion grew further. Attempting to combine design with my interest of the landscape eventually led me to Influence. I didn’t have a clue what a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment is or how to stitch a photo but I was ready to learn…

As soon as I arrived at Influence I attended a team meeting and I soon realised the broad range of projects carried out. From wind turbines to historic sewage works, it was all going on. After a quick briefing, I was set to research one of the upcoming projects. I later visited the site and I found it very useful to be able to use my acquired knowledge in the field. I was fortunate enough to be involved with a variety of project types in different locations; observing how the UK’s diverse landscapes contribute differently to design proposals and what this means for planning applications. 20160708_152730

I took part in a number of site visits over the fortnight. This was one of the most enjoyable parts of my work experience at Influence as it gave me the opportunity to meet clients and enabled first-hand use of skills I had learnt about in the office. After visiting sites, I could then process the information collected, producing file notes to aid the following report and stitching photos together to form panoramic landscape views. I have been able to learn about the whole process from initial research to concluding findings, which was very interesting.

As well as the individual projects I was involved with, I was also lucky enough to take advantage of the wide skill base within the office by spending some time with each member of staff. I was able to learn about the more policy-based planning side compared with the more creative design side which included the process of tendering to contractors. I hadn’t realised how diverse the job role was before and it was fascinating to see these skills combine within the larger projects.

Since spending time with the Influence team I have decided that Landscape Architecture is a career path I am excited to embark upon. I have experienced many different aspects to the job over the fortnight, due to the extensive array of skills within the office, and I look forward to narrowing my interests further. My work experience at Influence has been invaluable and I couldn’t pick a better team to learn from. Thank you very much to all and good luck in the future!

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