Career

Current Vocational Role

I currently work as a Personal Adviser & Digital Champion for JobCentrePlus, Department of Work & Pensions.  I have been in the Civil Service for over 5 years.

My responsibilities as Adviser have included:
- conducting in-depth interviews with long term unemployed, those unfit for work due to physical and/or mental illness, and single parents (sometimes with children present).  My role is to explore what barriers are holding them back while motivating them and helping them progress.  My experience includes interviewing people from a wide range of backgrounds, including ex-offenders and foreigners with limited English.
- organising, administrating and delivering small group tutorials and larger lecture format sessions to the public on CV writing and interview techniques, using my teaching skills.
- taking part in management meetings, assist in interpretation of KPI figures, and perform various administration and statistical duties.
- liaising with third-party companies and voluntary organisations as well as in-house specialists, and refer customers to them appropriately for support.
- training five junior staff in advisory work, IT skills and tutorial delivery.
- committee work, on the diversity committee for the district.
- attending major companies (e.g. Rolls Royce, Barclays) to present to staff facing redundency.

My responsibilities as Digital Champion have included:
- Developing desk aides and handouts that are now in use across the UK.
- researching and promoting the use of online services.
- Management of official Twitter Feed @HorfieldJCP
- Creation of google map tool for staff, third-party and customer use.

I am also a designated First Aider, with up to date training from St. John's Ambulance

Previous Experience

I have done professional private online tutoring, working through the agency 'AnySubject.' I have taught Maths from KS3 up to AS level.

I worked for the computer game developer Hothouse (part-owned by EIDOS). I worked as a in-house tester on the PC CD strategy game 'Gangsters' (reached no.1 in game charts) and a programmer on the PC CD strategy game 'Cut-throats.'  My work included developing the AI system to control sailing ships opposing the player in real time naval battles.

My early work history included call centre, customer service and administration roles.