Ayah-Sofia Semlali

Experience

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  Mary's Living and Giving for Save the Children

  Jul 2013 - May 2018

  - Brainstormed fundraising and stock donation opportunities- Utilised social media platforms such as twitter to promote Mary's Living and Giving- Increased follower count and social media engagement- Co/Hosted several events, including an information evening on child trafficking, and a Blues and Shoes night, in order to raise money and awarenessI was promoted to head of social media team at the end of 2014. Previous title was brand ambassador. - Prepared new stock to sell by steaming, pricing, colour coding, and processing gift aid- Managed the shop and team- Updated the mannequins, the window and the walls- Processed cash and card payments through an EPOS system, and cashed upI was promoted to shift leader at the end of 2014. I previously worked as a sales assistant.

  • Head of Social Media Team

    Jul 2013 - May 2018

  • Shift Leader

    Jul 2013 - Sept 2016
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  GKBC Writer's Academy

  Jul 2013 - Mar 2014

  Academy Writer

  - Covered and researched specialist articles to the likes of home security, product design, and marketing strategies- Liaised with upper management to coordinate article releases- Wrote under a tight deadline

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  Hot Tin Roof

  Oct 2013 - Oct 2013

  Public Relations Intern

  - Maintained office systems including data systems and filing- Carried out background research- Screened phone calls- Wrote a press release and a series of blog posts

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  Iomart

  Jul 2015 - Jul 2015

  Marketing Intern

  Was invited to undertake work experience in the marketing department of a cloud computing company for three days, as part of a youngscot competition.- Carried out background research for articles- Wrote publishable materials for the company including a press release, a blog post and an article on the history of data storage- Learnt about cloud computing and big data- Shadowed various employees including the head of the marketing department and the social media manager

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  YWCA Scotland - The Young Women's Movement

  Jul 2015 - Aug 2018

  Feminist Fest Blogger (2015) (2016) (2018)

  July - September 2015:- Collaborated with a team of bloggers- Reviewed shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival which discussed gender issuesFrom July - September 2016, I was invited to join the feminist fest team for the second year running. Co-wrote a poetry pamphlet called RISE which was published in May 2018.In August 2018, I reviewed a short selection of shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

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  Network Research

  Jan 2016 - Apr 2016

  Telephone Interviewer

  - Met individual targets through carrying out phone interviews to the general public- Delivered excellent customer service- Liaised with upper management- Collected quantitative and qualitative data

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  Splendid

  Jun 2016 - Jul 2018

  Event Staff
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  Mercy Corps

  Nov 2016 - May 2018

  Was responsible for overseeing the growth of Mercy Corps Student Corps at Edinburgh University, with the principle aim of raising awareness and funds for Mercy Corps.Duties as president involved:- Being the principal contact between the committee and Mercy Corps staff- Liaising with external bodies (e.g. ESCA, EUSA)- Chairing committee meetings- Being the main contact for volunteers and potential new members- Coordinating and driving the groupSuccessfully gained official recognition as a society by the Edinburgh University Student Association. Show less

  • President of Edinburgh Mercy Corps Student Corps

    May 2017 - May 2018

  • Events Representative for Edinburgh Mercy Corps Student Corps

    Nov 2016 - May 2017
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  Edinburgh University Students'​ Association

  Jan 2017 - Apr 2017

  Supergroup Leader for Edinburgh Global

  Edinburgh Buddies is a tenet of the EUSA Global programme to connect students at Edinburgh University with visiting International Students.- Supported six international buddies through acting as a social contact- Organised a number of events to connect the buddies to the University community- Was also responsible for four buddy groups (supporting 24 International Buddies and 7 Edinburgh Buddies in total)- Acted as a liaison to the Buddies committee

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  Ashinaga

  Jan 2017 - May 2018

  Co-President of Edinburgh Chapter

  - Built Ashinaga's presence in the university community through organising events to raise awareness about the charity, and collaborating with other charity societies- Managed the committee, and highlighted Ashinaga's internship opportunities, and achievements

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  LoPair Education

  Jun 2017 - Aug 2017

  English Teacher

  - Delivered high quality English lessons tailored to each child I worked with- Designed a range of extra curricular activities to the likes of arts and craft classes, sports sessions and singing lessons - Developed teaching and organisational skills through lesson planning

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  Edinburgh University Students'​ Association

  Jun 2018 - Aug 2018

  Festival House Team Member
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  Ashinaga

  Jun 2019 - Apr 2020

  - Developed and delivered training sessions to staff members and interns on leadership, marketing, event management and development theory/political economics- Oversaw international student chapters – analysed performance and identified strengths and weaknesses, and opportunities for growth in annual report- Assisted with Ashinaga activities in regular work trips such as the summer camp tsudois, and liaised with staff in the office

  • President of Edinburgh Chapter

    Sept 2019 - Apr 2020

  • Student Ambassador Intern

    Jun 2019 - Sept 2019
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  YWCA Scotland - The Young Women's Movement

  Oct 2019 - Nov 2020

  Young Women Lead Participant

  Research group convened to investigate the transition between education and employment for young minority women in Scotland.In partnership with the Scottish Parliament, the Young Women Lead Team gathered evidence (through surveys, focus groups and a parliamentary inquiry) and recommendations were set out to the Scottish Government.I was selected as a part of a competitive leadership programme and was trained in digital activism, local governance and qualitative research.

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  Frontline

  May 2020 - Aug 2023

  • Suitability Officer

    Jun 2022 - Aug 2023

  • Suitability Coordinator

    May 2020 - May 2022
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  Acquire BPO

  Feb 2024 - Jul 2024

  Members Service Representative

  Acted as a first point of contact for members of a non-profit private health insurance fund. - Carried out inbound/outbound phone calls in line with the Privacy Act- Answered queries about private health insurance and premium payments- Managed complex casesIn April 2024, I was named Employee of the Month (within the Australia division) and was promoted to ‘floorwalker’, helping staff with challenging member queries.