Episode 38 – Part 3: What are Your Top Tips When Applying to the RICS Matrics Awards with Zoe Baker and Joe Ellison

The following transcript is autogenerated so may contain errors.

Matt Nally: In this final part of our episode with Zoe and Joe, we’re looking at tips for applying for the RICS Matrics Awards and what potentially will help you stand out with a successful application. Yeah, I don’t, I think you both potentially had slightly different processes maybe for your first award, Joe, but did you, did, Have you both applied for the awards at some point?

I think, yeah, you have. Awesome. Okay. So I suppose, I don’t know who wants to go first. Um, maybe Joe, you this time, but what would you say to others thinking about applying in terms of what’s the hardest part of the application or the decision or certain parts of the actual form or whatever it might be?

Joe Ellison: I suppose the hardest part, because the way that the matrix submission has been in previous years whether that ever changes or not. I can’t say but It’s split into categories and you provide evidence for each category So it’s making sure that you’ve got evidence to cover each of the categories that it asks you to write about Take your time over it.

Don’t just rush something through like [00:01:00] we’ve already said because it You I see it as a reflective process. So sit down quietly and just reflect on what you’ve done and just start writing out ideas. Of what you can use, what evidence you can use to support each of the different categories.

That is probably the hardest bit, in my opinion, it’s going back through your mind of what you’ve done and matching up what you’ve done to Each of the criteria.

Matt Nally: Interesting. What would similar thoughts? I can see you nodding away. So is it similar thoughts for you?

Zoe Baker: Very relatable. Yeah.

Matt Nally: I

Zoe Baker: think that one of the important things is start it as early as you can, because they do release the award submission date quite early. I like to give myself plenty of time, but also not too much time so that you leave it and then you’re panicking at the end, but I like Jo said, it’s split into sections, so I would put, as a diary appointment in my diary, when I’m going to [00:02:00] be focusing on each of those sections.

So I’d spend a few days working. on each one. I also did read it out loud to some people just to get their initial feedback on how it came across. Although they weren’t people that were even in the profession, which is quite good in a way, because you want it to be engaging and, you want to have got it across in the right way.

So I did get some feedback from people which was quite beneficial. But also try not to worry too much about the content because there is a word count. And it’s really important that you put the, the focal point of each. category within that word count and that you hit the, don’t ramble, get it to, straight to the point.

Even if you become, if you do less of the word count, as long as you’ve, [00:03:00] hit the nail on the head with each point and got it across in the right way. Then, I think that’s, like Joe said, it’s all evidence based. So you want to be relating your achievements to each category.

I found that putting my own sort of personality into it a little bit probably helped me out. So, that you can use your imagination there, but you get what I’m saying. Be creative with it. Try not to be too technical. Because we’re, we all get a bit, we run away with that a bit sometimes.

Matt Nally: I think it’s a very good point because it’s very easy when your head’s stuck in something to, to think you’ve answered the question if you don’t reflect and go back over it but also yeah, understand what was, what’s been interesting about it. So it’s giving it to someone else who’s not seen it at all and goes actually you’ve said that thing three times or you’ve taken a thousand times longer than you needed to say this short sentence So it’s

Joe Ellison: interesting, Zoe, that you showed other people because I didn’t show anybody.

I [00:04:00] hardly tell any, I didn’t tell anyone really. I’m talking about my mum here. I don’t think I even told my mum until I was shortlisted. Yeah, no, I, yeah, I don’t know. I think for me, it just gave me a little bit of, because what’s the word? I was a bit calmed down cause it wasn’t just all me.

Zoe Baker: Somebody else had said, yeah, that sounds good. And it just gave me a little bit of comfort.

Joe Ellison: Or you could blame somebody else. If

Matt Nally: you choose your tactics.

Zoe Baker: But I think like within the sections themselves, like I say, it’s so easy to start talking about something and then you actually go off topic.

Matt Nally: So it’s

Zoe Baker: always important to just keep it refined and not overthink it, because that’s so tempting to do that.

Matt Nally: So it’s given me a [00:05:00] flashbacks of being at school where it’s answer the question. Yeah, you got to focus on it. It’s true. It’s the same if you’re doing a job for a customer, you actually answer the question.

But I suppose within the different sections, does it matter? Some people might worry that they’ve not got completely separate examples for every part. Does it matter if you reuse an example, but from a different perspective to show that particular competency or section they’re looking to hear about?

Joe Ellison: I wouldn’t say so. No, as long as you can talk about it and relate it to the section That you’re writing about then it doesn’t matter if you’ve not got that many examples I think the one thing that I find is that testimonials are so important because you are encouraged to get testimonials and include that within the submission and I think it’s the proof that no matter what i’m writing about You If somebody else can [00:06:00] say that about me as well Then that’s just a double tick instead of the single tick.

Similarly, I think if you can Whilst like I agree with Zoe don’t be too technical, but if you can get facts and figures in there as well That is proof that you are Doing what you’re talking about if you can talk about, how many instructions, something created off the back of something you’ve done, that is hard evidence rather than just talking.

So if you can get as much of that in as possible then I think that’s the best way to, to a good submission written.

Zoe Baker: Yeah, it’s evidence based then, isn’t it, Jo? You’ve got the result from what you’re saying you’ve done. We can all talk about what we’ve done, but unless you’ve got anything to back it up, so yeah, absolutely spot on.

Matt Nally: If, interestingly you both applied fairly soon after. Qualifying, which makes sense. It’s, your first 10 years, [00:07:00] but for anyone that’s maybe only been qualified for one year, two years is that I suppose there might be a fear you haven’t got enough yet to put in the in the different sections, like how detailed or.

How spectacular do the examples have to be in an evidence based to be able to apply? Do you need to wait a few years to be able to build up that evidence or actually, is it surprising how quickly you might not realize you built up that that base?

Zoe Baker: Actually I started my experience from when I was a hairdresser.

Matt Nally: Awesome.

Zoe Baker: So I went back to when I was 15 and I incorporated how that, led to what I do now and the things that I took from that because I’d actually won awards in that industry. So, sometimes you think outside the box, you don’t just have to keep it surveying related. And although I didn’t qualify until two years before I, submitted.

I was still working within surveying companies before that. So there was a, it [00:08:00] was a journey to tell. So even if you’ve qualified and two years later, you’re thinking, Oh, shall I? And then before that you was in marketing. What can you bring from all of your work experience and relate it to what you do now?

Because we’ve all got previous work experience that contributes to why you started surveying in the first place and then how you’ve managed to build on that since.

Matt Nally: Definitely any thoughts from you, Joe?

Joe Ellison: Yeah. When I won the award in 2019, I don’t have been qualified six months. So I think that just goes to show that you don’t have to wait a couple of years.

Like Zoe said I focused a lot of my submission at that point on what I’d done because I did the two year structured training in a surveying firm. So I had, I did have two years of experience before qualifying to talk about. And before that I’d [00:09:00] done admin work in the same firm. So I’ve got plenty of years worth of experience.

And like one of the categories in the awards at the minute is the apprentice of the year. A lot of the apprentices aren’t qualified yet, but are, and are going through the apprenticeship. So it’s not a hard and fast. You must have. being qualified a certain amount of time before there’s any way you could have got the experience.

The fact is a lot of these awards, like the Matrix Awards and many others are judged anonymously. So it doesn’t matter, Where you are in terms of how many years of experience you’ve got, as long as you’ve got some quality evidence that you can use, then it’s great.

Matt Nally: Yeah. Very good point.

I think it’s overall been a very interesting episode and thank you both for coming on, as a parting. Parting piece to leave with, do you, what are your, maybe your top tip or top couple of tips [00:10:00] either for the application or maybe just even for going to the awards night, maybe you’re not even a nominee, but if either the awards night or the application, have you got any tips on how to get the most out of it?

Zoe Baker: Yeah, I would say take your time with it. Believe in yourself. Don’t worry about anything else other than what you’re doing. And just enjoy it as well. Try not to worry too much. Just enjoy the process. Enjoy. Even if you’re just going to the awards, like you say, enjoy that environment and get to know how that feels.

And yeah, just if anyone is looking to go for it just go for it because it’s a great experience. Even if you don’t win, it doesn’t matter. Ultimately you’ve still achieved something. Yeah, that’s what I would say

Matt Nally: and that’s passing words and anything from you Joe.

Joe Ellison: Yeah I was just thinking of the term before you said it enjoy the process because I Think that is the key to it, just Reflect on what you’ve done [00:11:00] Enjoy writing about what you’ve done. Enjoy getting testimonials from people Who will tell you that you’ve done well and then yeah, just go and have a brilliant night, whether you are shortlisted whether or not you’re just there to attend.

It’s a highly inspirational night all around. And just enjoy it.

Matt Nally: Lovely final words from you both. Thank you very much for coming on today and and sharing your thoughts and look forward to catching up again soon.

Zoe Baker: Thank you. Thanks for having