I am Ben Harvie I am 24 and I have been working with the Miller Group for the last 2 ½ years, initially for the first 18 months at the Head Office in Edinburgh and more latterly in the East Midlands office in Derby. I work for the National Procurement Function.

I have a First Class Honors Degree in Modern History from Oxford University and after taking a year out travelling, I joined the Miller Graduate Programme in 2004. Whilst at University I decided I wanted to work in housebuilding and construction which is a huge growth industry with an awful lot of opportunity.

Miller offers a comprehensive Graduate Scheme and they made it clear from the very start that the Company ethos is one that supports career development. Their reputation in the market place is very strong and I was impressed by the opportunities that it gives to graduates. When you join the company I think that there is an expectation that you are motivated and have a willingness to learn, graduates are encouraged to bring a fresh approach to things that you do from day to day and I think if you can combine those attributes then you should thrive on the opportunities that you are given at the Miller Group.

My time at Miller began with a 2 week induction at the Head Office in Edinburgh which introduces you to the constituent parts of the business and lets you meet the other graduates from around the UK. The induction sets out the opportunities that are available to you over your 2 years on the Programme and finishes with a presentation to the Chief Executive.

When I arrived, the Miller Homes Legal Director was invited to be my mentor and that was great because it was really useful to have somebody from outside your regular sphere of operation to lend you some support and guidance and that's really important because the business environment is very different to being at University. There are lots of pressures and expectations put on you from the very start and you soon come to realise that the work you do really counts towards the success of your department.

I work for the National Procurement Department of Miller Homes and our principal function is to negotiate and manage supply contracts for the major commodities that we use in the construction of our houses. On a day-to-day basis I am responsible for running and managing some of those commodities but have also been given considerable scope to drive some of my own projects to improve efficiencies in the supply chain. I think the best thing about my job is that I am exposed to different people, environments and organisations on a regular basis and that makes for a really interesting working week, but moreover that kind of interaction with our own Regions and with external companies gives you a fantastic grounding in good business practice. One of the larger projects I have been involved with over the last couple of years has been helping to develop a sustainable procurement strategy for Miller Homes and more recently I was investigating the possible implications of low cost country sourcing for the company.

Last year I was one of three graduates invited to present at the Miller Homes Annual Conference and it was a rare opportunity to get some exposure to all the Company Directors.

Since joining, the Company has supported me in studying to become a member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply. I have finished the first half of that course and hope to complete it in the next 12 months.

When I joined the company I moved from Sussex up to Edinburgh and spent time at the Head Office for about 18 months. Since then I've slowly been migrating back south and have ended up working out of a Regional office in Derby.

The first couple of years at the Miller Group is really just the start of your career development and beyond the Graduate Scheme I hope to continue to broaden my knowledge of the industry and develop my business acumen and hopefully I can continue on the career path at Miller Homes.

Outside of work I tend to spend most weekends playing rugby for Derby and in the evenings I try to play a bit of five a side football or something like that.

You have access to a wealth of knowledgeable people at the Miller group who are willing to support you and push you. The key is to be motivated and make the most of the opportunities that you are being given.