I worked full-time until university, where during summer and winter holidays I worked on a part-time basis.Skills developed during employment:• Strong communication o Communicating effectively with kitchen staff and front of house (FoH) staff.• Teamwork o The kitchen team included four staff members and working closely with FoH staff was key to a successful service.• Management o I would regularly have to run the kitchen in the absence of the head chef delegating roles.• Ability to work under intense pressure o Working to deadlines with meticulous attention to detail, whilst ensuring smooth service serving up to 150 covers.I was also involved in planning out and implementing training plans for junior members of staff, and carrying out stock takes.

During the second year of my studies I worked part-time as a chef at a busy central Leeds bar.

Following a selection process, I was engaged as a consultant based in Uganda for a non-governmental organisation specialising in the provision of micro-finance awarding small interest free loans to local entrepreneurs. My role was to work as part of a team consulting four entrepreneurs.Activities undertaken included:• Provision of financial education such as cash flow, profit margin analysis and break-even points. • Performing qualitative and quantitative business analysis (SWOT, PESTLE, BMC, Cash flow).• Conducting detailed market research to understand the competitors. • Segmenting potential customers to understand different needs (price, packaging & quality).• Creating a brand, logo, packaging and labelling.• Writing a pitch deck outlining the justification for the loan.• One of the businesses I worked alongside was recommended for phase two of the Balloon Programme with Citi Bank.• I was selected to sit on a pitching panel evaluating the suitability of different businesses loan applications. The role enabled me to add practical knowledge to a number of subjects studied as part of my degree and I was able to critically assess my placement in a nuanced and informed way.