Submission possible: how to wow the APC assessors

With the deadline for written submissions looming, Ralph Charlwood gives last-minute tips for APC candidates to make a great impression on the panel. The submission deadline for Land and Property pathways (ie Commercial Property, Property Finance and Investment) is 28 February, which is just a couple of weeks away. While nobody is referred purely on their submission (although critical aspects might be sufficient grounds, eg if you have not presented the required competencies/levels, or a case study is out of date), a strong document makes a good first impression together with other, subtler, benefits. Later articles in this series will cover case study and interview preparation. Here, we are concentrating on those last-minute aspects of the submission. Building a strong submission What do we mean by a strong submission? First, approach your submission like a pitch document or internal report. Stick to the brief. That means do not exceed the word count: the limits are not meant to be advisory. Make sure your spelling and grammar are correct. If this is not your strong point, get someone else to check it, just like you would with a work document. Don’t forget that when you have read a document many times you will “read” what you think should be there rather than what actually is  here, which is another reason to get someone to double check it for you. Just as the panel should signpost their questions to you, help the panel by signposting your experience using sub-headings – eg “Rent Review: 1 High Street, Anytown” – and give a line of detail explaining age, size, shape, orientation, etc, and your role. This may feel like a waste of word count, but you don’t need to repeat yourself. With that heading you can launch straight into what you did, making it easier for the panel to see your range of experience, both geographically and in terms of role. Also, do not steal the panel’s questions. For example, “I am aware of the five methods of valuation” leaves an obvious “what are they?” question. Remember assessors will predominantly be starting their questioning at Level 3 (or the highest minimum level required for any declared competency) so they will expect to see your knowledge come through in discussion about your experiences, and not just ask you to recite a list of headings, parrot fashion. Understanding the levels One of the biggest frustrations for supervisors, counsellors and assessment panels is a misunderstanding of the three levels of competency. Using measurement as an example, Level 1 is having read Property Measurement and being able to answer theoretical questions on the Code of Measuring Practice and the International Property Measurement Standards (IPMS). Level 1 requires no practical explanation of having done it. Level 2 in the measurement example might involve writing down the measurements on a plan while someone else is choosing where to measure. Level 3 would be you pointing the laser and deciding which measurements to take and base your advice on. Candidates often put Level 2 (doing) into Level 1 (knowledge) or into Level 3 (reasoned advice and deep understanding). Simplistically, Level 3 is about options and problems, ie the areas where clients ask for professional opinion and advice. As an assessor, I always have the competency guide with me and I refer back to it frequently, as it is the competency standard benchmark. Some candidates opt to sit Landlord and Tenant (L&T), for example, and then never check back again as to what achieving L&T to Level 2 or Level 3 requires. Asset Management is an interesting example. Most commercial surveyors regard asset management as a hands-on, value-adding process undertaken at property level; more than property management and a sub-set of investment management. The RICS APC defines it quite differently and focuses on maintenance type issues. Ask yourself if you have demonstrated achievement of Level 3: advising? A usual weakness here is the allocation of word count. If you are declaring to Level 3, the majority of your word count should be in that section. We often see candidates spreading the word count equally between each level. Use the word count to inform the panel where you gave reasoned advice. What was the problem/issue, what were your options and what did you recommend? Good examples I am often asked by candidates whether examples are “good enough”. We are not expecting candidates to have singlehandedly sold the Gherkin and, when we do see huge, high-value projects, we often ask “what did you do?”. This is not a team pitch of combined skill sets, but an assessment of your experience. A smaller project, in which you were heavily involved or led, is much better than a peripheral role on something more glamorous. You should also think laterally as good examples are often right under your nose. One candidate mentioned a property inspection during which she observed water ingress in the electrical switch room. As an assessor I loved it as a great example of Inspection, Health and Safety and Property Management. In the case study, what is a key issue? Many candidates cite aspects of the project, which are really not “key” issues. Is the method of valuation really a key issue? Often this is used for case studies for which the methodologies of profits, residual and depreciated replacement cost were never applicable, so it’s a straight choice between comparable and investment and, most likely, some combination of the two. Picking between potentially contradictory comparables is probably a much better example. Key issues in the case study should be matters that would demonstrate achievement of Level 3, ie deep understanding and reasoned advice. CPD An often overlooked yet core part of the submission is the CPD log. Many candidates put down everything they have done (and sometimes more) and then forget about it. Although the APC has moved on from the “pub quiz” format, when any question was fair game, we are allowed to ask about anything in your submission. For example, if you state that you attended a CPD event on invasive plants, be prepared to answer a question like “how would you identify giant hogweed?” Or, an event on L&T case law opens up scope for questions on recent legal cases in that area. Assuming that you have significantly exceeded the minimum amount of CPD (plus the requisite formal CPD quota), consider deleting topics on which you really do not want questions, while bearing in mind that you still need to show an appropriate breadth of CPD. Final thoughts ARC, like any other computer system, can have off days, so don’t leave your submission until the last minute and then panic. Remember, your counsellor also needs to log into ARC and will have an online training module to complete first if it is the first time they are logging on. Finally, don’t forget that the rules have changed and you no longer have to mention if you were previously referred. In any event, the panel do not see the referral report. So please don’t worry if you have been referred before – the panel just want to assess your competence on the day, not on the basis of any historical legacy you may have. Rules of conduct and professional ethics Five ethical principles: #1 – Professional ethics is a ‘process’ Interestingly, ethics is not a fixed text to be learned. It is a forever changing way of viewing behaviour in line with constantly changing views, ideas and standards. We see changes in society with emphasis on diversity and inclusivity, health and safety and general constant improvements in professionalism. RICS has a policy pledge to excel with diversity in its membership and our industry and carries out an ongoing programme of review of rules and ethical behaviours, including the recent updates to some of the rules, such as conflicts of interest. Remember: what the general ethical view is yesterday or today could change tomorrow! Next time: Human behaviour Useful resources Free DeLever network: Join more than 1,000 other APC-interested people, with instant messaging and the chance to ask key questions of DeLever APC experts Masterclass recordings: Rules of conduct and ethics (formal CPD)  Commercial property quick start revision guide Free DeLever APC Forum: Join Jon Lever FRICS online one day a month, three times throughout the day Free trial: myAPCDiary: This resource can save up to 60% of a candidate’s day-to-day APC admin Pre-submission document reviews APC iSpy: Post-submission final assessment question finder Click on the links below to read the other features in this series: APC competency: fixing for final assessment APC: negotiating the final hurdle APC competency: what to do if you’re referred APC competency: starting out on your journey Ralph Charlwood FRICS is a DeLever APC expert coach, mock interview assessor and RICS APC assessor and chair www.delever.com/coaching