Chellsy Manning BA (Hons) French and Spanish, 2011
English Conversation Assistant at Universidad del Caribe, Cancún, Mexico
Hi, I'm Chellsy Manning and I studied BA (Hons) French and Spanish within Modern Languages at the University of Southampton.
I use Spanish to communicate with colleagues every day. I also use the Teaching English as a Foreign Language methods learnt in my second and fourth year with the students.
What was your degree when you studied at Southampton and when did you graduate?
I studied BA (Hons) French and Spanish and I graduated in July 2011 with Upper Second Class Honours.
Why did you choose to study at Southampton?
I chose Southampton because it offered flexibility in choosing course modules - I was able to specialise in areas that I was particularly interested in.
Where do you work and what is your job role?
I work for the Universidad del Caribe. a university in Cancún, Mexico. I am an English Conversation Assistant.
What aspects of your degree do you use in your day-to-day job?
I use Spanish to communicate with colleagues every day. I also use the Teaching English as a Foreign Language methods learnt in my second and fourth year with the students.
Did you enjoy your time at Southampton - what memories stand out from your time here?
I loved every minute of my time at Southampton. The main memories that stand out for me were the societies (competing for the University in Latin and American Ballroom Dancing competitions and performing in the University's Pure Dance show) and the Language Department tutors who were always there for support and guidance - and just a general chat about life!
How did the University help you prepare for employment?
The University offered me the job - they gave me training sessions to prepare me for working abroad and particularly for working in Mexico. They gave me the chance to improve my skills needed to gain employment, i.e. presentation skills etc. My tutors were also on hand to give informal careers advice.
What advice would you give to current students in order to help them get one step ahead of the competition?
Make sure you choose a career that you are passionate about and do everything you can to get experience during your time at Southampton, like voluntary work. Make sure you take advantage of the huge variety of clubs and societies at Southampton which will show breadth of interests, time management skills, and so on.