Profile

CV

• Education:

  I went to Simon Langton Girls Grammar School in Canterbury from year 7 right up to the end of year 13 and no, I won’t give the game away by telling you what year that was! 👵🏼 I chose not to apply to university in sixth form as I was unsure what I wanted to do and didn’t want to waste three years and a lot of money on something I wasn’t 100% committed to. And the other truth is I didn’t want to write a UCAS personal statement as I was a naughty little rebel 🤫

• Qualifications:

  My school grades weren’t great as I didn’t apply myself (see rebel comment above!) and prioritised having fun over homework but you can learn from my mistakes and be far more successful, far quicker 🎓.
  GCSEs in French – A*, Spanish – A*, Double Science – A*A*, Maths – A, English Literature – B, Geography – B, Religious Studies – B and English Language – C.
  AS levels in Chemistry – B, Biology – C and Physics – D 🙈
  A levels in French – C and Spanish – D.
  D32 and D33 Assessor’s Award.
  Certificate in Practical Estimating for Removals – Distinction.
  NVQ 3 in National Road Haulage Operations.
  NVQ 3 in International Road Haulage Operations.
  Certificate in Solicitors’ Accounts Rules.
  CertHE in Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management – Distinction.
  BSc (Hons.) in Forensic Science – First Class! 💪🏼

  PhD in Chemistry 🎉

• Work History:

  My work history has been long-winded and very diverse. If you’re genuinely interested then read on but I warn you, it will take you a while! 😂
  I started working at the age of 12, in the Liberty gift and clothing shop in Canterbury and then moved onto working in their tea room. I had a couple of jobs in coffee shops during my GCSE years and then worked in the sports shops, Allsports and JJB sports during sixth form. My first full time job after leaving school was an administrative assistant in an Independent Financial Advisor’s office. Shortly thereafter I managed to get a job as a Key Skills Assessor at a private academy, gained my D32/33 Award and was responsible for tutoring around 250 NVQ students. After a year or so I fancied a change of scene so started working for a removals company as an estimator. I gained my CPE qualification and was then promoted to Sales Manager. I was then headhunted by its sister company, a logistics firm, to work in their accounts department. When the Transport Manager unexpectedly left the company, I decided to study for the Certificate in National Road Haulage Operations in the evenings and managed to pass the exams. I became the Operators “O” Licence holder and Transport Manager and then went on to study for the International qualification, which I achieved. After that I fancied a stint in retail and worked for Ted Baker and then landed a very lucrative position as an Operations Manager for a fruit farm. I was responsible for paying the casual strawberry pickers on 7 different farms across Kent, every day, and then processing the accounts and creating the reports the next day. It was hard work and involved 70+ hour weeks and eventually I decided that I wanted to give university a try! I applied to the University of Kent and was accepted onto their industrial relations and human resource management (IRHRM) degree program. Whilst studying I managed to get two more part-time jobs – one as a sales assistant at the clothes store “Pilot” and one at a solicitors firm. I self taught solicitors’ accounts rules, gained the relevant qualifications and became a legal cashier. I realised halfway through my first year at uni that IRHRM was not my thing but saw it through to the final exams, gained a distinction overall and then transferred to the forensic science degree program! When Pilot closed down I got another job as a receptionist and ward clerk in the Emergency Care Centre at Kent & Canterbury hospital and worked there for 18 years! I’m now an associate lecturer in forensic science and hold two postdoctoral research associate positions at the University of Kent. I think I’m probably a perfect example of someone whose career hasn’t always been a straight path 😂!

• Current Job:

  Associate lecturer in forensic science

• Employer:

  University of Kent