Applied through
Commended
Whole Submission
Qualifications
- MSc Spatial Planning & Development - Cardiff University
My career
I graduated from King’s College London with a Geography degree in 2017. In figuring out what to do next, I took part in two internships: one as a research assistant with Cardiff University’s ‘Understanding Risk’ group; and the other as a planning intern at Bidwells in their Cambridge office. Combining the two experiences, I decided to enrol on a Master’s course in Spatial Planning and Development at Cardiff University in 2018.
Whilst working on my MSc Dissertation, I joined RPS Group as a Graduate Planner on a part-time basis. After graduating, I started a full-time position at Boyer, where I worked for two and a half years. During this time, I joined the RTPI Young Planners Cymru Steering Group. In Summer 2022 an opportunity was presented at CarneySweeney, where I now work as a Principal Planner gaining valuable experience across a range of projects and sectors.
APC tips
Drill into the detail
To hit all the competency criteria, analyse and explain your tasks in detail. Even seemingly small tasks can demonstrate lots of competencies when you break them down step-by-step. Consider why you did what you did, what tools you used to do it, what policies were relevant, whether any wider political or economic factors played a part, what knowledge you used or learned, what might have happened if you did something differently, and whether the outcome would have been better or worse?
Interlink all parts of your submission
The experiences discussed in your PES and PCS can inform your strengths and weaknesses for the SWOT Analysis; and those weaknesses should directly feed into your Goals and Objectives in the PDP. Use footnotes throughout the submission to refer to any relevant entries in your Reflective Journal, to show the assessors that you are considering the competencies throughout your whole submission.
Start writing
Don’t wait for the perfect case study! Put any thoughts down on paper early on, even if you’re not sure which case study to use. Ideas can evolve while you’re writing and any sections that don’t make it into the final draft might still be useful to include in your Reflective Journal, so it’s not abortive work.
Set personal deadlines
Reading the APC requirements, guidance and word counts for the first time can be overwhelming as there is a lot to cover. But as with any large piece of work, breaking it down into smaller tasks and setting personal deadlines can make it more manageable to get through. For a healthy dose of pressure to keep your progress on track, share those personal deadlines with your mentor.
Leave plenty of time for your mentor to review drafts. I also found it helpful to ask a non-planner to read over my work, to make sure the points I was trying to make were clear and easy to interpret.
Make use of every resource available to you
Read the guidance more than once and continue to refer to it while working on your submission. As well as the main guidance, the RTPI website has other advice notes, submission examples and checklists available. Join the APC webinar events for helpful dos and don’ts. Speak to any colleagues who might have recently submitted, utilise your local RTPI Young Planners network and your mentor – they can all provide advice and support.