Welcome to new Project Manager: Deniece Miller

Deniece Miller joined our Kent office in September 2022 as a Project Manager. We catch up to find out more about her career journey and next steps.

I had been working as a Finishing Manager on site and working towards independently completing my Prince 2 Project Management course. I came across the position at calfordseaden through LinkedIn, but I was initially hesitant to apply as I didn’t have prior Project Manager experience although I had an interest in it. However, Lee Pidgeon, calfordseaden Recruitment Manager, assured me that I had the necessary transferable skills, and informed me of the strong training support at calfordseaden. Although I did not have direct project management experience, I was told that my experience in handover and finishing could be beneficial especially for end of defects inspections with the Clerk of Works team.

I made the decision to apply, and I have felt so supported by the team since I joined calfordseaden in September. It is great to be able to learn from my colleagues and expand my understanding of the role, which is building my confidence to start working more independently. Being a multi-disciplinary consultancy, there are several opportunities at calfordseaden to work with and learn from colleagues specialising in different disciplines. I am currently assisting my colleague and Senior Employer’s Agent Freddie Wuddah, and have learned so much already from taking minutes to valuations and how to conduct site meetings.

Before calfordseaden

My property career began in 2005 where I worked as a Renewals Legal Administrator. I did this for two years before joining the Property Management department where I trained and worked as a property manager and continued to do so for eight years. I enjoyed my job but began looking for the next challenge. So, in 2013, when I got a call from a friend who was working at the Olympic Village, asking me if I wanted to do join the Quality Control team (snagging), there was no question, I just went for it. After a year of doing that, I got a job as Completions & Handover Manager with a new company before eventually becoming a Finishing Manager.

I enjoy learning and am always looking for ways to grow and develop my skill set. In 2019, I self-funded my NVQ 6 Construction Site Management Diploma, which I studied whilst working on site and completed in six months with assessment.

Next steps

My next step is to start the RICS APC process in the New Year. Following a workshop in October with Tim Jackson, Partner and RICS Assessor at calfordseaden, I have gained a deeper understanding on the pathway to becoming chartered whilst maintaining a standard of ongoing professional development. This is something I strongly advocate for as I feel you can never stop learning and growing.

My advice for anyone else contemplating making that career leap: go for it! If you believe in yourself, and you are open to learning then the opportunities will come your way, all you must do is go for it!