Barry Nicolson

• Responsible for the day-to-day running of a busy funeral parlour, including admin, invoicing, stock management and liaising with local councils and the procurator fiscal. As the person in control at the branch, I am also responsible for ensuring that health and safety regulations are being followed correctly.

• Meeting with and advising families who are often in states of emotional distress or in conflict with other family members. My role frequently involves mediating tense situations to ensure that an agreement is reached.

• Arranging all aspects of a funeral service, including booking venues, transportation, florists, graphic designers and celebrants, as well as completing and returning relevant council paperwork and permits.

• In my relatively brief time in this position I have developed excellent organisational skills, often working on up to ten funerals at a time in varying stages of completion, all with different requirements and specifications, in addition to keeping on top of daily administrative office duties.

• As general manager of the cafe, I was responsible for resolving any disputes to ensure that customers always left happy, and to ensure all staff were able to handle these situations in my absence.
• Was responsible for hiring and training new members of staff. As manager and team leader, I strived to ensure all staff members were happy, motivated, and productive.
• Managed weekly inventory levels, and was the point person for placing orders and receiving deliveries from suppliers.
• Scheduled staff rotas and allocated resources to maximize team member performance
• Managed and updated the cafe's Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts to help increase footfall and online engagement. I also helped to organise numerous events, including gigs, art exhibitions, and charity auctions, and promoted them through our social channels.
• Kept accurate records in compliance with Food Standards and Environmental Health requirements. In addition to this, I assisted the owners with accounting, payroll and VAT returns, using Xero accounting software.

• Conducted hundreds of in-depth interviews with major musical acts, and other entertainment figures.
• Delivered high-quality, long-form cover features, editorials and reviews for national and international publications, adhering to strict deadlines and word counts in high-pressure environments where detail and accuracy were of paramount importance.
• Travelled to locations around Europe, the United States, and South America, building lasting relationships with artists, managers, and publicists.
• Reviewed and edited copy to correct errors in content, grammar, and punctuation, following prescribed in-house style guidelines.
• Pitched fresh, creative ideas for interviews, features, and blog posts to section editors, and shepherded those ideas to completion.
• Personally chosen by multiple acts, including The Killers, Kings of Leon, and Franz Ferdinand, to write tailored artist biographies for upcoming album releases.
• Commissioned for multiple copywriting briefs, working with major brands such as Nintendo, Google, and Spotify to deliver high-quality advertorial copy to the client's specifications.