Curriculum Vitae
Alison Thorpe
97 Brooke Street, Ipswich IP4 3RL
Tel: 01449 789152
E-mail alisonthorpe50@hotmail.com
Education
2006–2009
BA History, University of Edinburgh (2.1)
Subjects studied: Russia in revolution, 1905 to 1917;
the treatment of the Jews in the Second World War;
the Vietnam War; black rights in America in the
twentieth century.
Skills developed: excellent written and oral
communication; research, interpretation and
presentation. Worked well on my own and as part of a
team for tutorial work; set my own deadlines and
managed my time effectively under pressure.
School of History’s prize for outstanding work (2003).
1999–2006 Ely High School
A levels: History (A), English lit (A) German (B)
GCSEs: 10 x grade A or A*, including maths
and English
Positions of responsibility
• School prefect and form captain from 2004 to
2006.
• Captain of school hockey team in 2003.
• Elected treasurer of the university’s History
Society in 2007, which involved maintaining the
society’s accounts and collecting subscriptions
from members.
Interests
• Active member of the university’s
• Snowboarding Society. Have helped to plan
several excursions to dry slopes and two trips
abroad (Canada and Austria).
• Extensive travel throughout Europe and beyond.
Planned and financed a summer trip to South
America in 2007 and Thailand in 2006.
• Music journalist for the university’s student
paper, Leeds Student, and I’ve also had short
stories published in independent publications in
Yorkshire.
Employment history
Summer 2006
Retail assistant, Waterstones, Ipswich
• Developed commercial awareness, product
knowledge and client-facing skills for dealing
with customer enquires in person and by telephone
.
• Responsibility for training new members of staff .
• Responsibility for cashing up tills and logging the
department’s takings.
• Deputised as department manager in numerous
occasions.
2005 to 2007
Waitress, Bar Rhumba, Edinburgh
• Developed excellent interpersonal skills when
dealing with customers and other staff members.
• Developed time-management and multi-taking
skills as well as tolerance and patience in stressful
situations.
Summer 2003
Retail assistant, WH Smith, Stowmarket
• Demonstrated flexibility, working shifts at very
short notice.
• Dealt with customer complaints and enquiries.
Summer 2002
Telesales, Eastern Electricity, Ipswich
• Developed excellent telephone and
communication skills in a pressurised business
environment.
• Worked as part of a team to achieve set business
and sales targets.
Additional skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Word
and Excel and familiar with the basics of HTML.
• Good written and spoken German and French.
• Full, clean driving licence.
Referees
Dr I Timms, Department of History, University of
Edinburgh
Ms B Anderson, Waterstones, Ipswich
(Contact details available on request)