Rafiq Murji

The varied demands of this role hugely honed and refined my skills as a researcher. I had to handle, read and interpret large amounts of data and became well-versed in processing vast quantities of information. Not only did this role enhance my skills when it comes to data collection but also for present data in a coherent manner too.

Identifying key contacts and compiling mailing lists was a key part of my role. I was responsible for contacting and meeting with stakeholders to help organise events including at conferences, business breakfasts and roundtable discussions. In addition, I also became familiar with the use of mass mailing systems too.

In this role, I advised and served customers on the range of food and drink products available for purchase on matchdays at the Amex Stadium. This role greatly enhanced my resilience and my ability to deliver high quality customer service in a highly demanding environment. In addition, this role greatly enhanced my teamwork skills too, as it was important to assist colleagues where necessary and communicate any potential problems.

Planned and delivered one hour lessons to four classes of children aged 8-12, following a set syllabus. In addition, I also covered teaching for other colleagues. I had to use visual aids to overcome the considerable language barrier and often had to improvise depending on how pupils responded to the lesson. This was a highly formative experience for me in understanding cultural differences and learning various communication and education strategies.

The summer after I left school, I worked in the Oxfam Music shop in Ealing. I advised customers on purchases and logged sales by operating the till. I helped process countless donations which included CDs, DVDs, and vinyl record, recording the donations and administering gift aid too. This role required first rate organisational skills, including punctuality and teamwork. As well as organising donations, I helped to stock the shelves and keep the window displays attractive too.

I helped to manage crowd control during busy periods Wimbledon station whilst spectators were coming to watch the tennis tournament. This role was incredibly demanding as I had to assist large volumes of people in a high-pressured environment. I offered advice and directions to those unfamiliar with the area and distributed maps to assist with wayfinding too.

Shadowed people working in various key roles at the various train operating companies under Govia Thameslink Railway (such as Southern, Great Northern, Gatwick Express). I learnt lots from those who work to operate the railway at major London hubs such as King's Cross and Victoria. I saw some other facets of the their operations too as I met those working on the frontline to assist passengers as well as engineering teams working to maintain their fleet of trains.

I was selected in a competitive process to work alongside a group of other students to help oversee the running of the school library. I shelved books and materials to help maintain a well-organised, easily navigable collection. I was on hand to help fellow pupils with enquiries and handled the library loans system to check books in and out. Another key part of my role was upholding and enforcing discipline in the library, to ensure rules were being followed. It was essential to multitask and be highly flexible in this role gives its various, often competing, demands.