Bridging International Experience: Mahlet’s Shadowing with APM
Routes community member Mahlet completed a multi-week shadowing placement this summer with Absolute Project Management (APM). Find out more about her experience directly from her!
This summer, Routes set up short-term placements with local companies and organisations to offer hands-on work experience for women in our community. We had two main goals: to give community members practical insights for their career search in the UK, and to help overcome some of the systemic barriers refugee women face when accessing meaningful employment in London.
We were proud to partner on this initiative with Absolute Project Management (APM), an interior design and project management firm whose Chair is Routes Alumni Mentor, Cat Hoad. APM works with individuals and organisations across London to manage the design, logistics, and staging of renovation projects.
APM offered a multi-week shadowing placement for a member of our community to learn the ins and outs of managing day-to-day projects in a small London team. In return, APM gained fresh perspectives and insights from hosting a professional with a refugee background, showing firsthand how diversity enriches the design sector.
For the placement, APM welcomed Routes Alumni, Mahlet. Having joined Routes as a mentee back in 2023, Mahlet has been an active member of our employment support project. During her time with APM, she jumped straight into on-site meetings with clients, analysed plans to curate sample libraries, and put together a full paint schedule.
(Image on left) Mahlet and Cat together on-site at a renovation project.
“Mentorship is deeply important to us at Absolute Project Management, and supporting talented women like Mahi is an honour. We can’t wait to watch her career flourish! 💛 ”
To ensure the placement was a success for everyone involved, Routes provided wraparound support throughout the process. Our team worked alongside Mahlet and APM to prepare for the placement, providing travel support, setting learning goals, and conducting check-ins to make sure Mahlet felt supported at each step.
Read on to hear directly from Mahlet about her background, key takeaways, and next steps!
“The experience showed me that securing a role in the UK takes dedicated research and continuous learning, but it completely reinforced my passion for this sector.”
Please introduce yourself and your professional background!
I am a trained architect with professional experience from my home country, now transitioning into the UK design and management sector. I recently completed a work shadowing placement at Absolute Project Management (APM) to gain hands-on insights into UK interior design and project management office operations.
What was your motivation for doing this work shadowing?
Having practiced architecture abroad, I wanted to see how the industry operates in the UK firsthand. My goal was to understand local workflows, site management, and industry standards to bridge the gap between my international background and the UK market.
What were the main things you learnt?
I got to dive straight into a bit of everything across four main areas. I spent time learning about UK Building Regulations, statutory compliance, and safety standards to see how approval processes work in practice. Working on heritage renovations gave me a real appreciation for the planning constraints and sensitivities involved in historic UK properties. I also got to see how local teams handle interior planning, from layout design to drawing packages and material specifications. Plus, observing site communication up close showed me just how crucial clear coordination is between project managers, clients, contractors, and site teams.
How has this affected your career goals, and what are your next steps in your career journey in the UK?
The experience showed me that securing a role in the UK takes dedicated research and continuous learning, but it completely reinforced my passion for this sector. Moving forward, I’m focusing on deepening my knowledge of UK planning regulations and software, while tailoring my portfolio to highlight my interior renovation and project management skills. I’m also looking forward to networking with design and construction professionals across the UK as I apply for full-time roles.
If you could give advice to someone on how to make the most out of work shadowing, what would you say?
Work shadowing is such a valuable gateway into the UK work environment. My biggest advice is to be proactive from day one - ask co-workers about their daily workflows and how they approach decision-making. Make sure you get out on-site visits so you can see how design plans translate into practical construction. Pay close attention to how professionals interact with suppliers, contractors, and clients, because those relationships are key. And finally, stay connected with the team after your placement ends to keep building your professional network in the UK.
Why do initiatives like this matter?
Placements like these are more than short-term work experiences; they are vital stepping stones towards a more equitable job market. As highlighted in our Research Report on Systemic Barriers to Employment, refugee women face significant systemic hurdles when trying to re-enter their professions in the UK, from unrecognised international qualifications and lack of local references to limited professional networks.
Supported work shadowing initiatives dismantle these barriers by offering practical, UK-based exposure and building genuine confidence. Crucially, these programmes deliver mutual benefits: host organisations gain fresh insights and enrich their workplace culture, community members rebuild their professional pathways, and the wider UK labour market gains access to a wealth of untapped, highly skilled talent.
