06 January 2011

The Guide to Careers in Planning

Degrees in planning pave the way for outstanding careers in a variety of public, private and third sector positions.

Profiles of the following students from our Department have contributed to the The Guide to Careers in Planning 2010-11 magazine which contains essential information for school leavers and graduates looking for further study opportunities and planning team members seeking to develop their professional skills:

Hannah Wright
Masters in Urban Studies and Planning, University of Sheffield

"The built environment affects everyone and planning is a profession that allows action. I was drawn to it because I wanted to be involved in influencing places and people's experience of them," says Sheffield final year student Hannah Wright.

Wright has made the most out of opportunities to apply her knowledge through work experience with consultants URBED, Yorkshire Forward, Sheffield City Region and Leeds City Council, where she project-managed a team working to open up a historic railway viaduct as a green link in the city's open space network.

Another highlight was to represent the university in the Women in Property Student Awards, winning the Yorkshire award and finishing runner-up nationally. "I have gained a rounded perspective of planning issues from practical experience, education and extra-curricular activities. After graduation, I will seek a breadth of experience accross many planning disciplines," she promises.

Chris Maidment
MA in Town and Regional Planning, University of Sheffield

A year's work experience at Ashfield District Council during his first degree in geography and planning convinced Chris Maidment that he was on the right career track. Now he is embarking on a postgraduate course, again at Sheffield.

Maidment found the breadth of tasks involved in preparing policies and the people he met at Ashfield an inspiration. "It helped me to return to university and ground the theoretical side in real experience," he says.

"Planning allows me to combine my love of geography with design and architecture. There's a good balance between written assignments that allow you to get your teeth into the theories and politics underpinning planning and the more practical assessments that stimulate how it happens in the real world."

Maidment is keen to involve communities in producing aspirational plans for the future of their areas. "Ultimately I want a job making decisions about the future of planning system, most probably in central government."

Chris Jesson
Masters in Urban Studies and Planning, University of Sheffield

Apart from the job benefits, Sheffield undergraduate Chris Jesson says a planning qualification improves awareness and understanding of the built environment and the way people interact with places.

Teaching at Sheffield is focused around portfolios, projects and group work. "There are less contact hours compared to some subjects, but the majority of understanding is achieved by working in practice, visiting sites and showing an interest in places to inform your assessments," he says.

Preparation for placements is another key area. For the past year Jesson has been working part-time on play areas investment programme at North East Lincolnshire Council. The role has allowed him to develop community consultation and report-writing skills.

"You have to be creative and sympathetic to differences of urban design and focus not only on site-specific concerns but also the wider area. If you thrive on managing social, cultural and environmental conflicts with the aim of reaching a suitable compromise, then planning is for you."

Planning Magazine
The Guide to Careers in Planning supplement 2010-11