“I’ve always been fascinated by construction; by how you can go from an empty plot of land to a skyscraper in the space of just a few years,” confesses Palbinder Tiwana, one of Gleeds’ Graduate Project Managers. 

He admits to a brief dalliance with the idea of working in the legal sector at a young age; but following some work experience he felt that construction was where he could really shine. And so, his path to the built environment began, a building surveying sandwich course at Nottingham Trent University was soon followed by a couple of years’ experience at smaller independent consultancies and developers.   

It was during his time at Nottingham Trent that Palbinder first learnt about Gleeds, when Bella Platts, a Gleeds Assistant Project Manager, came to the university to deliver a talk about the construction industry to him and his fellow classmates. “At the time, I was a little in awe,” says Palbinder. As a student, the idea that I could one day work for an organisation like Gleeds seemed a distant possibility.” But after completing his four-year course and gaining some experience Palbinder felt he was ready to step up and join a larger organisation, and Gleeds topped his wish list. 

“Gleeds was an organisation I felt an affinity with, I was impressed by the scale of the work they do, but it felt as though they weren’t so big you became anonymous when you joined. Their values also struck a chord with me, their emphasis on commitment, professionalism but also creativity felt like it would be a good fit, so when I saw a role come up in Birmingham, I decided to go for it.  

“I’m an Essex boy, but I had lived in Birmingham previously, so the move was a commitment I was willing to make. However, when I got the job, Gleeds offered me the opportunity to work from their Cambridge office instead as it’s only 45 minutes from where I live. It’s worked out really well as I can live at home and keep my costs down, and I’m still progressing in my career.”   

When asked about what’s next for him, Palbinder doesn’t hesitate, “I’ve only been with the company for about six weeks, and I’m already signed up to start my APC training. Construction is a growing, dynamic industry and the room for development is second to none. Gleeds really look to support you to develop your career, between the formal training for accreditations and qualifications and the support I get from my managers to get the experience I need, I really feel like I’m not just supported but encouraged. The approach the Gleeds managers and directors are taking to mentoring me is really giving me the confidence to push myself and my career. 

“I think that if you really want to push yourself and what’s possible, construction is the place to do that. The advancements in design and materials mean we are really pushing the norms; we can be more adventurous with how a building looks, how it operates (I love being part of making our built environment more sustainable and environmentally friendly), and even how we build it. That’s only going to continue and how we approach that, and our client’s needs, means we will have to constantly innovate and adapt both our design and our services – that challenge excites me.”  

Palbinder concluded saying, “I have always followed the goals I have set, and I think it’s imperative to have goals and milestone achievements. Everybody achieves in different ways and it’s just about finding the right balance for you.” 

To find a role you love as much as Palbinder loves Project Management, take a look at our vacancies at www.gleeds.com/careers

Palbinder Tiwana
Palbinder Tiwana

Palbinder Tiwana
Graduate Project Manager

I think that if you really want to push yourself and what’s possible, construction is the place to do that. The advancements in design and materials mean we are really pushing the norm.