Curriculum Vitae
Education
2005 – 2008: Peterhouse, University of Cambridge
Upper Second Class BA (Hons) Natural Sciences. The first two years of this unique course required study in a wide range of disciplines of my choosing: physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, history and philosophy of science, and experimental psychology. The first three of these assumed thorough A Level knowledge from the very beginning. My final-year specialism was experimental psychology, with specific focus on auditory perception, the psychology of language, and developmental psychology.
1998 – 2005:King Edward VI Community College & Kennicott VI Form Centre, Totnes.
A-Level: Mathematics (A), Further Mathematics (A), Physics (A), Chemistry (A)
AS level: General Studies (A), Spanish (A)
GCSEs: 9: 7 at grade A* including English, French, Spanish; 2 at grade A.
I retain a degree of conversational fluency in French and Spanish, sufficient for non-technical discussion or translation of written material.
Employment History
September 2008 – August 2009: Bar and Marketing Manager, ADC Theatre, Cambridge.
Responsibilities: managing, staffing, cleaning, stocking and improving the busy theatre bar; maintaining and increasing the profile and revenue of the theatre via a wide range of marketing strategies; maintaining all front-of-house areas of the theatre in pristine condition; assuming full control of the theatre at least once weekly as “duty manager”.
September 2003 – August 2008: Waiter, kitchen porter and barman in a number of establishments in Devon and Cambridge.
Responsibilities: Serving food and taking food orders; dealing with questions, requests and complaints from customers efficiently and politely; cleaning and other day-to-day tasks in the kitchen and around the bar; conversing with customers in a casual manner; serving drinks to customers at the bar; clearing plates and/or glasses once finished with, and operating glass- and crockery-cleaning machines; chopping and preparing vegetables, salads and side orders; restocking shelves, fridges and cupboards, and making note of items that were running low, or close to sell-by date.
Voluntary experience
May 2007 – present: System administration for Camdram.net, as part of a small team of ex-University students. Camdram is the main online resource for students at the University of Cambridge who are interested in, or actively involved in, theatre and drama. Work involves dealing with support issues via email; maintaining the user-editable “InfoBase”; refining features and spotting bugs; encouraging further use of Camdram in the Cambridge area; tracking changes in society leadership to maintain active contact with the groups that comprise the Association of Cambridge Theatre Societies (ACTS).
October 2007 – July 2008: Member of Peterhouse “Rooms Committee”. Jointly responsible for ensuring all current students who require it are given college-owned accommodation for the next academic year, via a merit-based ballot system. Involved written and verbal communication with the student body and the college authorities, team work and planning, and negotiation skills when approached by undergraduates who felt hard done by the system.
March 2006 – February 2008: elected positions on theatrical student societies, including the CU Amateur Dramatic Club (Communications Officer) and Peterhouse’s Heywood Society (Technical Director, Secretary). Additionally, served as (unelected) President of a society of current and former theatrical technicians from the ADC Theatre. Varied responsibilities including (but not limited to) arranging and minuting meetings, enabling communication between committee and society members, managing websites and IT facilities; ensuring theatrical productions were technically safe and that directors’ requirements were met; organising social events and formal dinners for 60-80 society members.
Summer 2007: Designer and producer, “The ACTS Guide to Student Theatre at Cambridge”, a full-colour A5 booklet intended for incoming freshers to the University of Cambridge. Required creativity, time management and attention to detail, and developed my skills with open-source DTP and image editing packages. Copies of the Guide available on request.
September 2003 – April 2004: Company Secretary for student-run business as part of the Young Enterprise scheme. Arranged and minuted meetings, ensured active communication among board of directors, and replaced disinterested MD towards end of trading period. Also used technical knowledge to instigate and plan a highly successful school disco, requiring liaising with school staff and drafting of letter to parents of children that wished to attend.
Skills & Awards
Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award (completed c.2005) : Involved intensive four-day hiking expedition in the wild country of Dartmoor, demonstrating planning, teamwork and leadership skills, determination, and ingenuity. Dedication was required over a period of more than 18 months for completing the other sections of the award: skills development in a Young Enterprise (see above) business simulation, voluntary public service as a maths teaching assistant in my comprehensive school, and physical development in my studies of Tai Chi. I also had to organise and undertake a four-day residential vacation with a group of people previously unknown to me, specifically an Engineering ‘Headstart‘ programme at Hull University.
UK Maths Challenge: Awarded gold (best in school) at Intermediate level in 2003; awarded bronze at Senior level in 2004. The UKMC is a multiple-choice test containing 25 questions that require application of curricular knowledge to unfamiliar contexts and problem styles. Lateral thinking, logic and arithmetic are all crucial, as well as careful time management and a methodical approach, as wrong answers attract negative scores.
ABRSM Grade 4 (pass) on Trumpet (c.2003) : As part of weekly trumpet lessons during school termtime over 5 years. My playing was hindered for most of this time by an orthodontic brace. As well as developing musicality and perseverance, playing trumpet built self-confidence, especially when performing in bands in front of large audiences. I also learnt more generally to realistically assess progress and remain determined to improve.
Full clean UK Driving Licence since May 2005, with DVLA ‘Pass Plus’ certificate. Although never owning a car, I have been insured on others’ frequently since this time with no need for insurance claims at any time.
Information Technology: comprehensive understanding and practical experience in many areas, since c.1997. Ability to rapidly grasp new aspects, applications, and unfamiliar gadgets. Further details of my technical competencies on request.
Technical theatre: frequent amateur experience in a variety of areas since c.1998 developed many skills, not least resourcefulness and ingenuity, planning and time-management skills, and teamwork skills. Further details and portfolio available on request.
Debating: between c.2002 and 2004 I took part in a number of school organised debates, some within GCSE class time and others as extracurricular activity. Committing to a debate involved thorough research of the subject area, planning and making a clear speech to a large number of peers, and then quick-witted responding to questions from the floor and to points raised by the other team. I had to represent on occasion a viewpoint which was contrary to that which I personally held.
Miscellaneous Interests
Travel: I have travelled to Europe by coach with groups of peers on a number of occasions: in VI form for a 10-day educational trip to Eastern European historic cities, and whilst at University as sound designer for a touring production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. I have also independently arranged a camping holiday to the Scilly Isles with my girlfriend, and was instrumental in planning the four-day hiking expedition that formed part of my Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (see above). These trips developed communication skills across language barriers, as well as developing my knowledge of European languages; they also involved team work and negotiation skills, and gave me an appreciation of a variety of cultures and of the rigours of long-haul travel.
Physical activity: I’m a keen cyclist, forming as it does my main mode of transport currently; where free time is available I also enjoy swimming and Lindy Hop (swing dancing) for exercise and relaxation. I have a long-standing interest in the Chinese art of Tai Chi, containing both health and martial aspects, and a window onto a historic culture, language and group of philosophies. I was previously an active kayakist, obtaining my BCU Two Star award in c.2001.
