SPbGASU Faculty of Forensics and Law in Construction and Transport held a meeting between students and graduates who successfully work in their specialty.

– The graduates received their diplomas only a year or two ago, and today they have come to their home university as experts to share their experience in finding a job, professional activity and talk about the conditions and opportunities for career growth. Such communication allows senior students to immerse themselves in the profession, learn about the nuances of their future field of activity and receive practical advice from young specialists,” explained Oksana Karnaukhova, deputy dean for discipline, associate professor at SPbGASU.

An expert in the field of design and construction of LLC Expert Center for Design and Construction Anastasia Abashkina, an expert in construction and technical expertise of LLC RMS-Group Daria Pavlova and a specialist from the company "Specialized developer "Euroinvest Development St Petersburg" Egor Shumkov emphasized that any professional success is based on the desire to work and develop in one’s specialty. In addition, the chances of finding a job with a higher salary increase for those who began to gain practical experience during their studies.

– I started thinking about getting a job in my third year. When the university organized a meeting between students and industry representatives, I asked the head of the company that interested me about employment conditions, to which I received short advice: I need to complete my master’s degree. However, I soon came to this organization for an internship, during which my desire to work and usefulness were appreciated by the company, so the previously mentioned conditions were lifted, and I was employed. “So I’ve been working in this company since my student years,” said Daria Pavlova.

Anastasia Abashkina got a job as an assistant expert in her fifth year. She says that it happened unexpectedly, but, as she now understands, on time. As soon as one of the teachers reported a vacancy in an expert company, she immediately contacted the potential employer and was hired the very next day.

– Combining work and study is difficult due to the double workload. However, the experience gained helps in studying, writing thesis, and makes it possible to become a more in-demand young specialist. In addition, the acquired skills let you reduce the time required to conduct an expertise, which allows you to conduct a larger number of expert studies, and therefore earn more, says Anastasia.

Egor Shumkov is convinced that experience is important when finding a job, but its absence is not a reason to get lost in the labor market. After receiving his diploma, he sent his resume through a job search site and found a job within days.

– After graduating from the university, I did not set myself the goal of getting everything in the profession at once, but I was ready to expand my professional skills and improve my qualifications. The employer appreciated this. Based on my experience, I can say with confidence that additional courses expand professional opportunities and, as a result, increase earnings,” said Egor.

Despite all the advantages that initial experience and the desire to work give students, young professionals must be prepared to overcome the difficulties that arise in their professional activities. According to Anastasia Abashkina, it happens that some people, due to ignorance, perceive an expert as a person opposed to one of the parties. In fact, the expert, regardless of any opinion, objectively analyzes the provided materials and expresses his professional opinion. In addition, the profession of an expert is far from a desk job and involves a lot of work directly on site. Also, a specialist needs to learn how to multitask, since they have to conduct several examinations in parallel, and in different areas, she noted.

Daria Pavlova added that at first she noticed some distrust among clients towards female experts who supposedly had less knowledge of the engineering industry. Doing the right job helps dispel their doubts.

According to Egor Shumkov, psychological difficulties arose when he conducted his first expertise. Representatives of the parties (for example, builders) began to teach the young specialist how to “properly conduct an expertise.” And at this moment the main thing is to be able to clearly and consistently do your work, regardless of outside advice.

– It happens that when appointing an expertise, the questions posed are incorrect and far from specific. You have to think: what question to answer? This is also a difficult psychological moment for a young specialist. But with experience, you begin to consider the situation ordinary, especially since in this case you can write a petition to clarify the issue,” shared Egor.

Students asked questions about highly paid expertise and, in general, how to learn how to make money when working as an expert. The invited guests responded that for conducting an expertise, the expert receives a certain percentage of the total cost of the expertise, and earnings depend, among other things, on the role of the specialist in the working group: the assistant expert receives the lowest percentage, but he can take more expertises, thereby increasing his earnings . If an expert works independently, then it is more profitable for him to engage in expertise related to apartment buildings and estimates. In addition, highly paid category include forensic expertises.

The young specialists wished the students to communicate closely with expert practitioners, offer their assistance in conducting the expertise, already now receive additional education and thus expand the scope of their competencies to conduct a larger number of different types of expertises.

– It’s nice to receive support from yesterday’s students of our university, to be convinced that our profession has a future, that we are competent and in demand in the industry. Examples of successful specialists who were recently students inspire confidence in our own capabilities. I am sure that, having received my diploma, I will also be able to find a job in my specialty,” said Veronika Karmanova, a fifth-year student at the Faculty of Forensics and Law in Construction and Transport.

According to Daria Pavlova, such meetings provide an opportunity to tell students about modern aspects of the industry, real opportunities to get a job in it and become a link between the university and expert companies, thereby helping future specialists navigate the demands of the industry and successfully find employment.