Daniel King

Whilst working at Travis Perkins I would also work evenings cash counting at a currency exchange facility, which required security clearance and a high level of trust and good accounting.

my responsibilities included engaging with customers, stock management, taking deliveries, operating the fork lifts (5.5tn) and any general maintenance that was required.

Worked under a master builder, learning a wide range of building trades, from carpentry and bricklaying to plastering and flooring. The main thing I learnt from this job though, was a hard work ethic, and a high standard for the quality of my work.

After learning my basics in multiple trades I moved on to a hoarding company, where I took on a mix of skilled jobs including carpentry and fencing, however my yard management and forklifting experience made me a valuable asset in their yard, and when their two welders quit during covid I learnt and took over the welding shop, as well as running the yard.

Alongside working self-employed for others, I started doing my own private work, which eventually became my company 'APS' which has managed projects such as, bespoke Oak entertaining areas, a wide array of patios and decks, shopfront refurbishments, garden transformations, and internal renovations. whilst not a listed company, our largest single project came in at just under £30,000, requiring a lot of finance and general management. This venture has been the single most valuable in terms of skill development, as it has allowed me to be more than just a an instruction taker, but now I can manage, workers, clients, logistics, finance and bring it all together to achieve a common goal.

The consolidation of my skills into high end domestic extensions and renovations was the next step for me, where I quickly graduated to the structural lead, responsible for the support of structural walls whilst in demolition, and the masonry involved in supporting steel work and lintels. Alongside this, I further developed my other trades, and started to learn new ones like plastering and screeding.

After moving to Wiltshire I joined with Renelec, and used my experience gained from running my landscaping company to subcontract as a finisher. This role had me mainly laying masonry patios, bricks and being responsible for reading the plans and setting out the projects and overcoming many challenges.