Career Ready alumnus Yashnee Bheekha went from intern to apprentice at CBRE – which brought an opportunity to support a whole new group of CR students. This is her story.
In 2021, Yashnee joined the Career Ready programme when she was a student at London Academy.
“Back then, I would describe myself as a young girl who never tried to step out of my comfort zone,” she recalls. “I thought I knew what my limits were at the time and never dared to overstep the imaginary boundary that I had created for myself.”
But her experience – including her internship at CBRE – changed that.
“During my internship, I was able to see myself in an environment that I previously thought I would never be accepted in,” Yashnee says. “I realised how much more I could do with my life if I just set the self-doubt and fear aside – which is something I remind myself of daily.”
Coming full-circle
After her internship, Yashnee applied for CBRE’s apprenticeship programme and joined the team as an Apprentice HR Advisor.
Last summer, just a few years after her own experience on the programme, Yashnee was responsible for co-hosting 18 brand new Career Ready students for their internships with CBRE.
“It was the ultimate full-circle moment,” she says. “Having been in their position, I could relate to what they were going through in terms of those first-day nerves – all the way to sitting through their last day and not wanting to leave.
“It was an honour to be so closely involved with the programme and to see the growth in all the amazing students we hosted. I was able to share my own career story and hopefully inspire them through my own experiences – I wanted them to know that if I could do it, they could too!”
Yashnee (right) with CBRE’s Career Ready interns in summer 2024
Reflecting on a successful apprenticeship
Now nearing the end of her apprenticeship, Yashnee is looking back on her experience and how it helped kickstart her career
“I’m beginning to make time to truly reflect on the journey I’ve had from the moment I stepped into CBRE, fresh from Sixth Form, to becoming the person I am today,” she says.
“I’ve enjoyed everything about this role. The challenges, the slow days, the manic days, the bad days and of course – the good days.
“The responsibility element of an apprenticeship with CBRE is what I enjoyed most – you are never looked down upon and are brought into projects where possible. Getting that sense of ownership from a young age is what has fuelled my personal and professional development.”
As well as supporting the Career Ready programme, Yashnee is co-chair of CBRE’s Social Mobility Network.
For young people just beginning the programme, she says:
“Immerse yourself in any experience that comes your way, whether you are enjoying it or not. And whilst you are in your internship, actively network. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone and build connections with people in the industry – it can take you so far!”
