Qualifications

Academic

I hold a BA Degree in Archaeology and Celtic Civilisation from the National University of Ireland as well as a Master’s Degree in Historical Archaeology from the University of York.

I successfully completed a Customer Care and Object Handling training course with York Museums Trust, as well as Food Safety training resulting in an NVQ Level 2 award.

Driving

I hold a full clean EU driving licence, and I have driven cars and vans with automatic and manual transmission and left- and right-hand drive in various European countries as well as in Japan.

Skills

Independent and team working

I am comfortable working both as an individual and in a team. In previous positions as a translator and language teacher I worked under my own initiative, researching various teaching methods and approaches, continually evaluating their strengths and weaknesses and learning from both failures and successes. Many of my students exceeded their exam targets. During my postgraduate course I prepared and delivered numerous group seminar presentations using PowerPoint and conducted a geophysical survey as part of a team of students and staff.

Between March and September 2010 I independently researched, compiled and edited my postgraduate dissertation ‘From ploughed earth to plate- The story of British bread over the last 500 years’. For this I devised my own schedule, setting myself deadlines for the completion of specific stages of the process, occasionally adjusting them where necessary but always managing to set aside sufficient time for revising, final editing and printing of the completed work. Being self-disciplined as well as methodical in my approach, I succeeded in submitting my dissertation ahead of the final deadline, and I achieved a final mark of 64%.

Report-writing

I honed my report-writing skills in compiling detailed reports on 15 archaeological sites in Co. Galway, Ireland, which I independently selected and surveyed during my time at NUI Galway.

Organisation

I am very methodical by nature, and I perfected my organisational skills in previous roles as a language teacher, where I developed tailor-made curricula, lesson plans and materials for language students, adapting them to suit individual requirements, as well as by completing various essays and projects and two dissertations, which required devising my own study schedule and working to tight deadlines. I frequently submitted assignments ahead of time. I also planned and organised numerous trips abroad, most recently to Japan, Estonia and Canada.

Communication

While running my own language service business I gained strong communication skills through dealing with commercial and private clients on a regular basis, and I further enhanced these skills in completing written assignments as well as giving numerous seminar presentations, both on my own and in small groups, while at university.

As well as being a native German speaker (and completely fluent in English) I have a good standard in French, having studied it for five years at secondary school, where I also passed the Groβes Latinum (Major Latin Examination). I also completed introductory courses in Spanish and Welsh as part of my undergraduate degree.

Both my current and previous volunteer roles have involved communication with a wide range of museum visitors, from instructing children in basic archery skills to answering detailed research queries regarding various aspects of railway history.

Teaching

Through working as a language teacher I gained extensive experience in instructing people of various ages, backgrounds and abilities. I developed tailor-made curricula, lesson plans and materials for students of varied ages, standards and learning goals, continuously adapting them as necessary as well as preparing additional practice materials e.g. relating to specific points of grammar that had caused difficulties for students in the past; depending on the specific student or group of students, these materials might or might not be required. Furthermore I had to manage my time so as to ensure to prepare adequately for all my lessons, which regularly included the preparation of students for important state examinations.

Administration & ICT

Having developed my administrative skills during my time as co- owner of a translation and language business run from a home office, I am highly proficient in MS Word, MS Outlook and various internet browsers through daily use in university, business and private contexts. In the course of my postgraduate studies I became familiar with MS PowerPoint by using it to prepare and deliver numerous presentations and lectures. I am currently in the process of refreshing and enhancing my MS Excel and Access skills.

Customer Service

As a self-employed translator and language teacher I had to be extremely customer-focused in order to make a living, both in dealing with translation clients and in teaching German to a variety of ages, standards and goals, from teenagers preparing for major examinations to older adults interested in acquiring the foundations of a new language as a new interest. More recently I have worked in customer-facing roles in two different museums, interpreting, instructing and providing information.

Experience

Museum Experience

Assisting in the Exercise Yard, York Castle Museum

During the summer of 2011 I worked as a Museum Studios Volunteer at York Castle Museum, interpreting various aspects of medieval knightly life to museum visitors and instructing both children and adults in archery and jousting skills.

As a Search Engine Access Point Volunteer I am currently welcoming visitors of the National Railway Museum’s library and archive section, providing general orientation and assisting them with research queries regarding museum collections and general railway history.

Fieldwork

As part of my undergraduate degree I conducted an independent archaeological survey of 15 sites in Co. Galway, ranging from prehistoric cairns to 19th century railway buildings. To this end I utilised building survey methods, drew accurate plans and sections, took detailed digital photographs and completed monument sheets. I also assisted fellow Historical Archaeologist David Byrne on a survey of the Burren, Co. Clare.

As part of my Master’s degree in Historical Archaeology I participated in a geophysical survey at Heslington East, York, using resistivity meters and magnetometers and later compiling and analysing the collected data.

Desk-based assessments

While I specialise in the archaeology of the last five centuries, with a particular focus on 19th and 20th century agriculture, foodways and living conditions, I have written on a great variety of periods and topics, including the Christianisation of the Vikings, Crusader castles, Irish tower houses, deer parks in medieval Britain and Ireland and working class and middle class urban experiences of the 18th and 19th centuries.

For my postgraduate dissertation ‘From ploughed earth to plate- The story of British bread over the last 500 years’ (awarded 64%) I carried out extensive research into cereal cultivation, harvesting technology, milling, baking and food consumption patterns over the course of the last 500 years.

My consistent attention to detail contributed to my achieving good to excellent marks in all my university assignments.

Traditional building techniques

As part of my MA degree I studied and practised a number of traditional building techniques utilising timber, earth, brick and thatch and their specific application in the conservation of vernacular buildings both in Britain and overseas.