What is your full name and the years you were at Chipping Campden School?
Thomas Christopher Gooding (Tom) 1998 (started in yr 8) till 2002

What are you doing now? 
Working as a Chartered Building Surveyor for a small practice providing advice on property and construction across Cotswolds and the South West.

What's a typical working day for you? 
Carrying out ‘defect’ inspections on properties where the occupants are experiencing issues. Quite often this relates to damp, water ingress or structural movement. I also work as project manager on small to medium sized construction projects, ensuring everyone involved is doing what they should be. This also involves checking the project is running safely, on time and within the agreed budget.

Have you ended up in the job you thought you'd be in when you were a teenager? 
I honestly had no idea what I wanted to do as a teenager, however I was always interested in design. A large part of my job now is involved with Architectural design which I love, so in a way I have ended up doing what I have always had an interest in.
 
What's the best/ worst/ most unusual thing about your job?
Best: Every day is different, visiting properties and engaging with clients, engineers, architects and of course the general public. I ran a project for the University of Oxford which was the refurbishment a laboratory to allow for particle physics research in support of the next phase particle accelerator created at CERN, Switzerland.
Worst: Inevitably, having to return to the desk at some point to process the information gathered on site.
Most unusual: Getting to visit areas of properties that many don’t get to see. For example, an old hotel kitchen in the basement of a property in Cheltenham which had not been touched since it was vacated in the early1900’s – pots, pans and cooking equipment were all still in place, right where they had been left!

What would you say to Chipping Campden Students who are interested in a career as a Chartered Surveyor?
Surveying offers 18 different pathways, including Rural, Land, Quantity, Arts and Antiquities, Building plus many more. The bottom line is, whatever your personal interests, there is a very good chance that you can become an expert in that field, and specialise as a Chartered Surveyor. For example, if you have a passion for horses, then training as a Rural surveyor will allow you to specialise in, say Equestrian development/sales or consultancy.
 
What advice would you give your 18-year old self now?
Even though University was a great experience, the possibilities offered by apprenticeships now, especially by the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), is incredible. You can now learn the skill ‘on the job’ and get paid for it at the same time. Equally, the employer will normally pay for your academic training. If you do opt for University, choose something you enjoy, and after you complete, there is every chance you can use that qualification towards pursuing an RICS route to becoming Chartered.

What was your favourite subject/ teacher?
Favourite subjects were Art and History and my favourite teacher was a Science Teacher call Dominic Falkner. He was involved in the Territorial Army which made lessons rather interesting. He then went on to become the first person to lead a team to climb Mount Everest, starting from the lowest point in the Dead Sea. Made more impressive by losing an eye in the process (or so the story goes).  It confirmed the other piece of advice I would give, which is to choose a career that allows you to enjoy a good work/life balance.

What is your best/funniest memory of Chipping Campden School? 
My best memory was starting in Y8 and being made to feel welcome by my new peers, teachers and staff. The funniest moment was my involvement with the musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, produced by Mr Beynon. The whole process was so much fun and I distinctly remember numerous occasions of the whole cast falling about laughing, in-between some very serious rehearsals.