ImmerQi is a Beijing-based provider of corporate and hospitality internships, English teaching internships, volunteering, Mandarin language study and university short course programs. Working in a small and supportive company like ImmerQi enabled me to take on a number of different roles during my time there and really discover what my strengths are within the sales and marketing field.Initially, my role focused on marketing. I managed the company website and blog content as well as all social media accounts and newsletters. I also created new marketing material such as brochures and flyers - this is where I really improved my Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator skills! With time, my role evolved to focus more on the sales and business development aspects of ImmerQi activities. I became responsible for managing both direct sales and sales from our university partners. This is where I discovered how much I enjoy engaging directly with customers and guiding them through the buying process. By the end of 2015, the number of sales had been multiplied by four from the previous year. In 2016 I was promoted to marketing manager and relocated to Japan. I was responsible for creating and implementing ImmerQi’s 2017 marketing strategy and coordinating the launch of ImmerQi's new website.

Sapore di Cina (SDC) is a popular multilingual (English, Spanish and Italian) website dedicated to people who want to learn Mandarin, travel around China or move and work there. I have contributed several articles introducing lesser-known regions of China such as Inner Mongolia or Gansu province. Working for SDC has been invaluable in providing me with HTML and Wordpress experience.

Field Education operates a number of English learning centres around China for students aged 2-10 years old wishing to study English after school and on the weekends. I was hired by Field Education to be the first English teacher at their brand new centre in Beijing. This initially meant being assigned an array responsibilities, anywhere from cleaning and decorating the school to taking on sales and marketing duties when needed. As the school continued to develop, my position evolved from this sales-focused role to include more actual teaching.Working with Chinese managers who spoke no English was invaluable in understanding Chinese business culture and most notably in improving my level of Mandarin to professional working proficiency. This position also enabled me to discover an interest in sales and marketing that led me to pursue a job in this area (see above!).

The UK Military Stabilisation Support Group's (MSSG) primary mandate is to provide military support for civilian efforts seeking to stabilise countries that are either at risk of conflict or emerging from conflict. The MSSG is a subsidiary of the UK Ministry of Defence, working in coordination with the Department for International Development's Stabilisation Unit. The MSSG tasked my four-person team with developing a Monitoring and Evaluation tool for measuring the effectiveness of UK stability operations. This project was carried out as a requirement for my Masters degree at the London School of Economics (LSE).The Monitoring and Evaluation tool we developed was very positively received. It obtained a distinction grade from the LSE and is currently being piloted by the MSSG.

I spent 6 months in China to obtain my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) qualification.This involved a theoretical and a practical component:• One month theoretical teacher training in Beijing• Five months as a full time English teacher at the Leqing International Foreign Language SchoolThe Leqing International Foreign Language School is a Chinese private school that places emphasis on English language studies. Many of its students aim to attend university abroad.As a full time teacher, I taught over 500 students aged 6-18 years old. Class sizes averaged at 50 students and resources were limited, which meant finding creative solutions for classroom management and to overcome the language barrier. In line with the school's priorities, I developed an English leadership program to prepare top students for university abroad. Of the 15 students trained, 8 now attend university in the UK, the USA or Australia.