“You can’t adopt a single leadership style towards every person”

Before going to university, Prayaag Pandya CMgr MCMI wasn’t sure what path his career would take. 

“Academia has never been my strong suit,” he says. “I’m not book smart in terms of grades.”

After navigating through clearing and a foundation course in engineering, Prayaag found himself on a placement year with a contractor while completing a degree in Construction Management at the University of Brighton. 

“That was my first exposure to the world of work and to site management,” he says. “I was there for a year and a half, and it was eye-opening to see how the company worked.”

The company was a small one, where staff were “on first-name terms with the managing director”. 

“It felt like destiny”

It was this role that led Prayaag to apply for graduate schemes after completing his degree, which in turn led to him finding the one that was “meant to be” at Kier Group. It involved an eight-hour assessment day for the interview process’s final stage. 

“It was a big challenge,” he says. “But it was held in the stadium of the football team I support: Arsenal. In my mind, I just felt like it was destiny. And I made sure it was!”

Sure enough, Prayaag was offered the role. During his time at Kier, he completed a CMI Level 3 Diploma. It was always on his mind to do more qualifications, but he held off until he was settled in a new role at Galliford Try, where he’s been a site manager for the past four years.