When I was sitting in my A-Level classrooms, my head was usually in three completely different worlds. In Criminology, I was digging into the "why" behind white-collar crime; in Psychology, I was obsessed with human behaviour and social influence and in Business, I was trying to make sense of supply chains and profit margins. At the time, they felt like three totally separate paths. I didn’t think that less than a year later, I’d be using all of them at once as a Contract Support Apprentice at CBRE GWS.

If you’re finishing school or looking for your first proper career move, you probably know that feeling like the pressure to have a perfect plan and the nagging fear that if your subjects don’t match a specific job title, you’re already behind.

My jump into Facilities Management has been a massive lesson in why that’s not true. It’s been about overcoming imposter syndrome, building genuine resilience, and realising that coming from an unconventional background is actually a massive advantage.

The "What am I doing here?" Phase

The shift from sixth form to a global corporation is a total culture shock. While my friends were heading off to uni, I was walking into CBRE. For those who don't know, GWS (Global Workplace Solutions) is basically the engine room for the world’s biggest companies. We make sure their buildings work, their people are safe, and the millions of pounds flowing through those contracts are tracked properly.

I’ll be honest, for the first few weeks, I felt like an outsider. I didn’t have a background in finance, I didn’t have any experience, but I had ambition. I spent my days hearing people talk and it felt like everyone was speaking a secret language I hadn’t been invited to learn.

 I remember sitting in meetings thinking does my knowledge matter here?”

The answer, I found out, was a massive yes.

Connecting the Dots

Once the initial "new starter" panic faded, I started to see how my A-Levels were my secret weapons.

In this job, compliance is everything. If a subcontractor doesn't have the right paperwork or a safety check is missed, the risk to the business is huge. Criminology taught me to look at the fine print and understand the "why" behind the rules. I started seeing "boring" documents as vital pieces of a legal puzzle.

Psychology & People Contract Support is 50% spreadsheets and 50% people. You’re the middle person between stressed clients, busy engineers, and senior managers. Understanding how people tick and how to stay calm when a client is frustrated because a building system has failed is pure psychology.

Business & The Bottom Line: This gave me the "bones." Knowing how a P&L works meant I wasn't just entering numbers into a system; I understood how those numbers affected the health of the entire contract.

The challenge wasn’t that I didn't have the skills, it was just learning how to translate them. I had to stop being afraid of looking "new" and start realizing that my different perspective was a strength, not a weakness.

The Reality of Resilience

We talk about "resilience" a lot, but it’s not just a buzzword you put on a CV. It’s what happens when things go wrong.

About three months in, I hit a wall. I was trying to balance my apprenticeship coursework with a financial cycle. I was tired, I was overwhelmed, and I ended up getting confused with all this new knowledge which my manager had to help me fix. I convinced myself I wasn't "cut out" for a corporate environment and that I’d let the team down.

But that’s where the resilience kicked in. Instead of hiding from it, I sat down with my manager and owned it. We looked at where I’d gone wrong and how I could improve for next time. We fixed the process, and I knew where I could improve for next time.

Resilience isn't about being a robot who never fails. It’s about being human enough to say, "I’ve messed this up, here’s why, and here’s how I’m going to make sure it doesn't happen again." At a company like CBRE, that honesty gets you way more respect than trying to be perfect.

Some Real-World Advice

If you’re looking at an apprenticeship or your first job, here’s what I’ve learned from the front lines:

- In your interview, don't try to sound like a finance expert if you aren't one yet. Talk about your A-Levels with pride. If you did Psychology, talk about your communication skills. If you did Criminology, talk about your attention to detail. CBRE loves diverse thinkers, they can teach you the technical stuff, but they can't teach you how to think.

- Every time you hear an acronym you don't know, write it down. Look it up later or ask a peer. By month two, you’ll be using them too.

- If you’re stuck on a task for 30 minutes, stop. Ask for help. Don't waste half a day spiralling because you're too proud to ask where a folder is kept.

- When you’re the new person, people don't expect you to know everything, but they do expect you to care. If you spot a mistake, even if it’s not yours, point it out. If you finish your work early, ask what else you can help with. That proactiveness is what gets you noticed.

- The best thing about an apprenticeship is that you aren't alone. Find the other apprentices. They are the ones who will understand the stress of balancing college work with a 9-to-5. Having that support network makes the tough days much easier to handle. I do this through LinkedIn or college.

Final Thoughts

Looking back, the jump from school to CBRE GWS was the best decision I could have made. It was scary, it was messy at times, and it pushed me out of my comfort zone. But that’s where the growth happens.

If you’re worried that your subjects don’t "fit" or that you’re not "corporate" enough, just remember: the world of business is changing. It needs people who understand human behaviour, ethics, and social systems just as much as it needs people who understand spreadsheets.

Be curious, be honest about your mistakes, and don't be afraid to take the leap. The view from this side is great.

Lucy Moss

Contract Support Apprentice at CBRE GWS

You can find out more and connect with Lucy on LinkedIn.