I am a Residential Property Valuer and have been in the role for about a month now and absolutely loving it! I've been with Opteon for just over 8.5 years.
When I finished high school, I wasn’t entirely sure what career path I wanted to pursue. I’d always had an interest in IT, so in December 2016, I applied for an IT traineeship role at Opteon. I quickly found that I loved the role, the supportive team I worked with, and the opportunity to learn so much each day.
Over time, while working on the IT service desk, I began to gain exposure to the property side of the business. I regularly assisted valuers and other Opteon staff with valuation-related queries, which sparked a growing interest in property and the valuation process.
Around three or four years into the role, I realised that I wanted to explore a career in property valuation. I decided to enrol in the Graduate Diploma of Property at Deakin University, completing the course online while continuing to work. Within two years, I transitioned into a Graduate Valuer role at Opteon, and my passion for the industry has continued to grow ever since.
After 18 months in the Graduate Valuer position, I successfully obtained my RPV license following a recent interview. I’m now out in the field every day, inspecting and valuing properties—a role I truly enjoy.
I’m incredibly grateful for the support I received from the IT team and my managers when I decided to shift my career focus. I was initially nervous about bringing it up, but they were nothing but encouraging and made the transition seamless. I still appreciate their support to this day.
Since moving into the valuations side of the business, the senior leaders and wider team have been extremely welcoming. I’m genuinely excited about the work I do and continue to enjoy my role more and more each day.
I really appreciate that Opteon prioritises internal candidates when filling roles before looking externally. I can’t speak highly enough of the company culture, especially based on my experience transitioning into my new role. As I mentioned, the IT team and senior leaders were incredibly supportive, and the same can be said for the leadership on the Valuations side of the business since I made the move.
The best thing about Opteon is definitely the people I work with! Some days it doesn't even feel like I'm coming to work due to the people around me each and every day.
My advice would be to just be yourself as everyone at Opteon is incredibly welcoming and friendly which makes it nice and easy to come to work every day.