In May 2020 I started working as a Real Time Co-ordinator for the PHE Test and Trace program.Duties and responsibilities include...> Monitoring online activity and maintaining work schedule adherence of up to 7500 Work at Home Tier 3 Contact Tracers through direct contact with them and their Team Leaders. > Updating Workforce Management (WFM) and Operations Management with spreadsheet data and recommendations when required.> Recording lateness, absences, inactivity, etc. and amending schedules accordingly.> Processing new starters and leavers in WFM schedule manager. The ability to Prioritise and Multitask is essential in this role as our inbox is always full, along with good written and verbal Communication, Interpersonal, Analytical and Office skills.

Despite joining Sitel with no previous call centre experience and low expectations, I quickly settled in and found the work to be challenging and rewarding, especially after being given the opportunity to work in a more senior Floor Support role a few weeks after starting. I was then able to assist and coach agents to improve their call handling skills and would take over difficult calls when required.I began working on a major product safety recall campaign in December 2019, the first few weeks as a call advisor and then as a Floor Walker until I moved over to the NHS COVID-19 Helpline. I spent my first week on this campaign working as a call advisor before resuming my Floor Support role for the remainder of my time on this campaign.In May 2020 I started working as a WFM Real Time Coordinator monitoring and supporting over 7000 ‘work at home’ outbound Call Advisors and Clinicians working on the Government’s COVID-19 ‘Test, Track and Trace’ program.

As a Sales Professional for SCS my role is primarily to sell furniture and flooring as well as being responsible for ensuring POS compliance and all updates are accurate and completed on time especially during campaign changes. Other duties include moving furniture around the store and ensuring all furniture display standards are maintained and conform to company guidelines.Despite having no experience, I hit the ground running achieving top sales figures for my store in my first weekend and I have continued to be the top performing ‘Sales Professional’ in my store ever since. I also set a new standard for crossover sales from furniture to flooring in my store from day one, and I have consistently been one of the top performers in the region since my first month. As successful as I was during my first few weeks, I realised that I still had a lot to learn before I could call myself a ‘Sales Professional.I found my first 6 months in the role very challenging and I experienced a lot of growth both personally and professionally. Now I consistently achieve and exceed my monthly sales targets and all the most important KPIs including Average Order Value, Premium Brand %, Warranty, Care Kits, Cross Over Sales, etc.I still have areas which require a lot of work and improvement, but to really continue growing and developing I need to progress to a management role with more responsibilities and the opportunity to have a greater influence on the overall performance of my store.

I originally joined Blue Square on a temporary casual contract as an ‘In Store Development Executive’ (ISDE) for Samsung Mobile Devices supporting product launches and running promotions in my assigned store (Carphone Warehouse) in Plymouth. As well as giving face to face sales advice, and technical support to retail customers, my role includes providing product training, and coming up with sales incentives for store sales staff. After only a few weeks I began to rank in the top 5 in the country for sales performance to targets and I continued to be the top ISDE in my region and one of the highest earners in the UK till the day I left. As well as covering for Area Managers running the regional chat group, used to inform, manage and motivate ISDEs in our region I ran a chat group which I created to help with ISDE development and offer one to one support and mentoring. From October 2016 to March 2017 I was seconded to be the lead Client Support Executive for a new, high profile client in the Financial Services sector. With our ‘best in class’ engagement skills and innovative use of VR technology we were able to increase the effectiveness of our client's corporate training events and exhibitions all over the UK by as much as 500%.During my last 3 months, as well as working 3 days/week in store I worked 2 to 3 days/week in the field covering Cornwall and Plymouth for an Area Development Manager who was on secondment in another region. Key responsibilities included meeting with store managers, training retail sales staff on new products and promotions, ensuring POS compliance was met and all tasks were completed to set deadlines including all KPIs .

My father developed a complicated mental and physical health issues which, after a few months, caused him to became permanently bed-ridden. Both before and after becoming bed-ridden, he required 24 hour attendance, care and support, including taking charge of his medications. I chose to give up work to stay at home and look after him full-time rather than see him admitted to a residential nursing home. In my role as my dad's primary care giver, I discussed & approved the care plan, liaised with the care agency managers, and supervised the carers sent to support me. Due to my experience of Quality Management Systems, and constantly voicing my concerns and/or offering constructive feedback, I was invited to attend internal quality meetings at the agency's head office where I offered recommendations for improvements to Procedures, etc.

I decided to make use of the knowledge and skills I developed while running my own, and offer a consultancy service to other business owners wanting to build their own website and promote their products & services via the Internet.The service I offered included Website Design using the 'Wordpress' platform, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), PPC Advertising Strategies, and making effective use of Social Media, especially Facebook to build brand awareness, and create loyal followers. My aim was to to provide a highly effective, affordable service to small business owners who would otherwise be fleeced by expensive Web Designers, and where necessary educate clients about the benefits, and necessity of creating an online presence, and how to do it in a cost effective way. Due to User Friendly nature of 'Wordpress' clients were able to take over the management of the website themselves after minimal training if they wished to do so, and by including SEO strategies in my Website Design I was able to guarantee that their websites would be easily found (via Search Engines) by potential customers. This reduced their need for expensive PPC advertising, and meant that their online marketing costs would be much lower than traditional marketing strategies with greater results.

I ran my own Salsa Classes, Evenings & Courses, as well as larger Regional Events with my own team of instructors I trained from complete beginners. I have also taught salsa courses at various Colleges, and been a guest teacher at National Salsa Congresses. As a small business owner I had to Negotiate Contracts with venue managers, run Advertising Campaigns & Promotions, Design my own Website, and use a variety of Internet Marketing Strategies to bring in new clients. After moving to Plymouth in 2010, I taught classes at Plymouth University for the UPSU members for a while until I had to give up work to become a full-time carer for my father.

I worked Self Employed as an Executive Driver/Chauffeur clients in the London & South Essex area but occasionally further afield. Most of my work involved Airport runs which included a 'meet & greet' service on arrival, taking clients to and from hotels and business venues, as well as days and nights out to corporate events, private functions, etc. I also had a client for whom I provided a Patient Transport Service for outpatients going to various hospitals in London & Essex. As well as keeping my car (Mercedes E-class) in pristine condition, and always being smartly dressed in a suit, I had to be able to communicate effectively with clients of various backgrounds, nationalities, cultures, etc. which I found enjoyable, and rewarding.

AVL had major project & contractual commitments to Ford Motor Company, so for the first 18 months after leaving AVL I continued to provide support as a consultant. I assisted with the commissioning of new State-of-the-Art Test Bed Systems at Ford Dunton Engine Lab, and provided 24 hour on-call support for Ford Dagenham Engine Manufacturing plant. Following this I was approached by Ford Dunton management to work in their Engine Lab overseeing final stages of Ignition Advance Meter development work. I was responsible for identifying & overcoming development problems, and providing service support to Test Cells during this difficult period. In addition to my contracted responsibilities, I introduced new Quality Control procedures to reduce downtime and running costs associated with this range of equipment.

I was a College Lecturer & Course Team Leader for the Public Services BTEC First Diploma Course for one full college year. I was responsible for creating the full program of materials and lesson plans for the course & ensuring the course criteria was met. As well as teaching the main Syllabus, I was required to teach basic Maths and I.T. Skills. The course included many practical elements aimed at developing relevant skills for working in the Public Services such as Teamwork, Leadership, and Communication skills.

I was one of only two Senior Engineers based in the South East of England. My main duties included the Commissioning of new Installations, Field Service Support (UK & Europe), Scheduled Maintenance (PPM), Workshop Repair, and Calibration of the full range of AVL Products. At Ford Dunton Research Laboratory I was one of two VMS System & Network Managers. I also provided 24 hour on-call support (1 week on/1 week off) for Ford Dagenham Engine Manufacturing Plant.I worked closely with the AVL UK Service Manager to create a Quality Management System to meet BS5750 and ISO9001 standard requirements, which we did successfully becoming the first companies in our industry to do receive both certifications. As a Senior Engineer I was responsible for ensuring Health & Safety, and Quality Standards were always met by all Service Engineers working in under me. I was also the AVL UK Specialist for Software Application support for AVL's Ford Dagenham Engine Plant Test Beds, and providing Customer Training to their Engineers, Operators, and Maintenance Technicians.

When I joined the RAF in 1981 I had my pick of technical careers, and chose to become a Flight Simulator Technician as it was the most diverse and challenging. My duties & responsibilities included the Maintenance, Fault Diagnosis & Rectification of all Flight Simulator Systems to component level, including Computers, Aircraft Instrumentation, Electro-Mechanical Servo Systems, CCTV & Optics, and Hydraulic Motion Systems, as well as finding & correcting Software Bugs. One of the most challenging, and rewarding requirements of my job was flying the Aircraft Simulator, which we did for diagnostic purposes, and for VIP Visitors when requested. This was something I excelled at, and was often complimented by Senior Pilots. When I was promoted to a Corporal my extra responsibilities included, Shift Management, Training and Supervision of Junior Technicians, and Team Leadership in Military Exercises.

Cold calling door to door to generate sales appointments for sales reps. I was one of the youngest canvassers in the area at just 16, and one of only two who agreed to work on a commission only basis when asked by our area manager. Despite my young age and lack of sales experience after only one month I was the number one canvasser in the area earning more than twice as much as the best of the rest. I not only generated more appointments than anyone else but I also had a greater than 1 in 2 sales conversion rate due to the quality of my leads and the customer information I was able to gather and pass on to the sales reps.

While I was waiting to join the RAF, rather than be unemployed, I took advantage of the YTS scheme, and worked for an Electrical Contractor for 6 months work experience. I worked alongside an apprentice helping with new installation, and rewiring of domestic properties, and wiring work for factories. Experience gained - Lifting floorboards, pulling through cables, cutting holes, fitting conduit, and chasing out walls, stripping wires, connecting electrical fittings & fuse boxes, testing installations, and fault finding.