Emily, babysitter in London

I gained my first experience of working with children alongside a qualified TEFL teacher in Italy. I’ve always been interested in a career teaching young children, and this direct involvement enforced this further.

My previous experience working with children includes baby sitting for family and friends which has given me some idea of what I might expect from a career working with young children. During my years in Pizza Express I have been in charge of organising children’s pizza making parties. The children’s ages ranged from 3 to 9 years and the parties lasted approximately 3 hours. This experience involved communicating and engaging with the children, playing games, understanding their individual needs, and generally overseeing their behaviour. Remaining patient and calm, especially in a busy working environment has given me some of the skills I feel will be necessary in working with children. In addition to this, I oversaw and helped alongside a Head Chef, local school visits to the restaurant. These included groups of up to 40 pupils, sometimes with special needs, who were taught about ingredients, food safety, and together we demonstrated how to make the perfect pizza. These visits required skills such as time management, organisation, communication and working under pressure.

I’ve done a variety of different jobs since a fairly young age. Ive always had a really strong work ethic and desire to be independent. Most of my jobs were in the service industry, but I also worked in retail, responsible for a small independent shop. I spent one summer working in a warehouse which gave me an introduction to a different vocational route. In Pizza Express I worked as a Manager on Duty. Manager duties included making rotas and managing floor staff, and engaging with customers via social media. This job could be fairly stressful at times, but definitely gave me a great experience of managing people which I think is relevant to a career with children. I think my experience of working in hospitality has been one of the biggest educations in my life. Not only has it greatly advanced my interpersonal skills, but it has helped me appreciate other nationalities and cultures, and learnt how to work alongside others in a team. I’ve met some of the most interesting people and have learnt a great deal about myself and others.

I hold a 2:1 Bachelors degree in English and History at Goldsmiths University. I also completed an Intercollegiate programme in my final year, producing a second dissertation at University College London. Studying and completing two dissertations at two different universities was testing at times but I feel I learnt a great deal and I’m very proud of this experience. I’m currently finishing a Masters Degree in Social Anthropology. I feel its extremely important to have a wide ranging education as it prepares you and equips you with many skills necessary for life and for the working world.
My extracurricular activities include working as the Goldsmiths W.I events co-ordinator, writing book and film reviews for the student magazine, and working as events manager for the university Vegetarian society. All of these activities helped improve my team working, organisation and time management skills which are all transferrable to the working world.
A few years ago I was called for Jury Service. This was a vastly interesting opportunity and I learnt a lot. It was extremely difficult and emotional, and I think I learnt a lot and grew as a person. We spent 6 intensive weeks, and I learnt a great deal about the workings of the justice system in England.

Outside of work and study I have various hobbies. I love music. I also enjoying reading when I have time. I love travelling; when I finished my college I went travelling to Asia, USA and New Zealand. I am really devoted to animal rights, often participating in marches and demonstrations. I have two pets who I absolutely adore! I really enjoy cooking vegetarian and vegan dishes. I am also really concerned about the environment, and take great care to make sure I do as much as I can to cut down my carbon footprint. I am also interested in women’s rights, and attended many Reclaim the Night events in London.
I can speak a little Portugese and am currently learning Italian.
I like to make jewellery, and did a few part time courses to enhance my knowledge.
I am fairly sensitive, friends and family have told me that I’m very compassionate and I’ve always been told that I should pursue a career working with children.