Microbiology undergraduate student
I am Jessica Battison, a microbiology undergraduate at the University of Surrey with an interest in Bacteriology and Virology.
I am a hard worker who cares about providing customers with the best support by forming good working relationships with my co-workers. Moreover, I am very quick to pick up new skills, and I am able to work well under pressure or when tackling new tasks.
I enjoy new challenges and learning skills that I can adapt and use to improve my abilities. The recent SARS-COV2 pandemic has further increased my interest in vaccine research and is the driving force for my choice of future career.
I have completed around 50 hours of laboratory sessions as part of my university course, which has allowed me to learn new techniques that I want to apply in a practical environment. I am eager to increase my laboratory time in order to develop and grow my skills in a high-class facility, including but not limited to teamwork, critical thinking and social communication.
I have also worked a part-time retail job for Carl Scarpa since 2021. My career has focused on selling women's footwear and accessories, such as hats and handbags. In this role, I have had various customer interactions and been given more responsibilities, including becoming a keyholder. Working alongside my study has allowed me to gain good time management skills and an ability to excel at multitasking and forming priority lists.
Since joining uni in 2021, I have been a member of Surrey Stage Crew, which has given me various opportunities, such as stage managing and being a member of the production team for events. I recently stage managed a live-streamed music concert and roles in the stage management of the musical theatre societies performances. I also regularly take a sound assist role in the day-to-day productions and any events that occur within the nightclub. Utilising my skill set in a multitude of roles has allowed me to excel at quick thinking and problem solving and working well in a group whilst sharing a space with people completing different jobs from me.
I have learnt many new skills from working with various people, including website coding, a basic understanding of networking and PAT Testing. Recently I was given the committee role of welfare officer for the society, which involves supporting the rest of the members with the daily running and helping resolve any issues that may arise. This can include arguments or any difficulties people may have.