Simone Gervasi
Bachelor of Environments: Property

I chose the Bachelor of Environments because I decided to major in Property because buildings have always been a fascination to me, and I liked the idea of being able to play a part in how our city was developed.

My favourite subjects were Property Resource Analysis and Property Analysis Studio. Property Resource Analysis focussed on commercial valuation, while Property Analysis Studio was a subject based on property development. Both were challenging yet enjoyable at the same time.

To me, studying at the University of Melbourne meant being a part of a relaxed environment where the smell of barbeque was constantly lingering in the air, and you were forever bumping into friends.

My advice to new students is to choose their subjects wisely. Having a perfect timetable or ensuring your friends are beside you in class is not imperative; choose the subjects that you have a genuine interest in and you will be rewarded with great marks.

I am looking forward to having the chance to have an influence on the development world in the Melbourne CBD. Large scale projects, both commercial and residential, particularly fascinate me.

SIMONE IS NOW WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY

What do you do? I am a Cadet Valuer at Opteon Victoria.

How did you find your job? Around the middle of 2010, I attended a graduate employment seminar, where there were several employers to talk to. I handed Opteon Victoria my email address, and they contacted me several months later.

Recently I have been working on the valuation of ‘to-be-erected’ dwellings in the new outer western developments of Melbourne. This particular type of valuation is different to any other sort of projects that were undertaken at university, since we are putting a value on a development that has not yet been built, and therefore there is no perfectly comparable sale.

The future of the industry seems quite good for us Melbournians. Personally, I have considered working overseas, but at the moment and it seems for the near future, the property market in Australia is always going to be booming.