An English graduate, Morgan is one of our Bid and Marketing trainees, and the sustainability lead within the Group’s bids team. With a passion for writing, Morgan studied English Literature at the University of Greenwich before joining Diamond Build.
Here, she provides an insight into her training and how her role is supporting the business.
Had you ever thought about working in construction and what attracted you to the role at Diamond Build?
Honestly, construction was probably the last industry I thought I’d end up working in; I didn’t think English and construction would ever cross paths. But then I saw a job advertised looking for English Graduates and people with good written communication skills. I decided to apply on a whim, never having heard of bid writing before.
As my application progressed, I conducted my own research and became more attracted to the role. I could see that bid writing would use many of the skills I’d developed at university, combined with creative marketing elements that I really liked the sound of.
Can you describe a typical day?
Much of my day-to-day work involves research and reading through tender documents comprehensively, which again uses some of the major skillsets I developed at university. Before writing a tender submission, it is important to research the client’s requirements and get to know the project’s specification and scope.
Another key element of my job is liaising with colleagues within different departments, working together to share ideas and information that is needed to submit a successful tender. I often liaise with our operative, estimating and surveying teams to discuss topics such a programming, health and safety, and operations.
I then carry out the main aspect of my role, which is answering tender questions and putting together quality bids for construction jobs. One of my favourite parts of my job is using software like InDesign to create a smart, attractive tender submission using photographs and other forms of media. This allows me to be creative in a way that I really enjoy and didn’t expect I’d be able to as an English graduate.
I also assist in marketing tasks such as putting together company Intranet posts, organising company events and creating the accompanying posters and leaflets, as well as networking.
What do you enjoy most about working for Diamond Build?
I enjoy working with my team. We are a very close-knit group of like-minded individuals who share a passion for the work that we do. We regularly collaborate and share ideas and work together to improve our working processes. As a trainee, I’ve been given a large role in how the Bids department functions with my ideas really listened to. This has all made for a really great environment to work in.
What additional training have you had since joining the Group?
I’ve gained many new skills since starting my role at Diamond Build. Not only have I attended courses on how to use key software such as InDesign, but I have also completed my NOCN Level 2 Award in Understanding Domestic Retrofit. I think this is a really great qualification to have gained, not only for my job where we are seeing more sustainability questions crop up in tenders, but also in today’s climate where global warming is one of the key issues we face in society.
As the sustainability lead within the Bids team, I’ve attended a variety of seminars and conferences on net zero and sustainability in construction. This led to me creating Diamond Build’s Carbon Reduction Plan, which I am really proud of, having developed an entirely new knowledgebase and skillset.