Deborah Cavanagh
Edinburgh
Summary
Dynamic and resourceful professional with a strong foundation in problem solving, customer service, and critical thinking. Demonstrates exceptional office admin skills and excels in establishing interpersonal relationships. Adept at time management and complaint resolution, with a proven ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing. Committed to leveraging these skills to enhance organisational efficiency and client satisfaction. Secures team success through hard work, attention to detail and excellent organisation. Shares knowledge to achieve results.
Overview
33
33
years of professional experience
Work history
CAHSS Undergraduate Admissions Administrator
University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
2022.07 - 2026.05
- Responsible for the administration for all PGDE Secondary applications including arranging in person interviews with Moray House.
- Check email multiple times per day to retrieve time-sensitive requests.
- Approach student queries with a positive attitude and helpful demeanour.
- Having in person meetings with Students/Parents/Guardians on all aspects of the Admissions process.
- Resolved Students concerns and needs through active listening and effective communication.
- Handled customer complaints with calm and diplomacy, employing active listening and genuine tone to de-escalate conflict.
- Handled basic enquiries with direct approach and escalated serious issues to higher-level assistance.
- Addressed telephone, email and website enquiries with accuracy and precision.
- Approached customer service with a positive attitude and helpful demeanour.
- Confident in handling my own workload and able to organise myself.
- Work well within the team, bringing my relative skills which include patience, tolerance, empathy, flexibility, reliability, and strong people skills.
- Confident in the University of Edinburgh systems.
- Right to Work Administrator for the College Office, liaising with new employees to provide correct Right to Work documents and verifying documents are correct.
- Contributed towards positive work environment by maintaining cleanliness and orderliness in shared spaces.
- Assisted senior administrators to effectively coordinate large-scale events.
Team Manager in Customer Support
John Lewis & Partners
Edinburgh
2011.08 - 2022.07
- Steered project execution whilst adhering strictly to timeline constraints.
- Coordinated with various departments for seamless workflow.
- Prioritised workload effectively, resulting in timely completion of tasks.
- Cultivated a strong rapport with team members, fostering a cohesive and collaborative workplace environment.
- Boosted morale by recognising and rewarding exceptional work.
- Ensured adherence to company policies, resulting in fewer discrepancies and conflicts.
- Fostered a positive work environment through effective communication and conflict resolution tactics.
- Addressed customer complaints promptly, ensuring customer satisfaction and retention.
- Developed action plans for continuous process improvement initiatives.
- Encouraged open dialogue amongst employees for better problem-solving ability.
- Implemented staff rota schedules to ensure adequate coverage during peak times.
- Achieved higher team efficiency with regular training and mentoring sessions.
- Delegated responsibilities efficiently amongst team members.
- Handled employee grievances to maintain harmony within the workforce.
- Facilitated weekly meetings to discuss progress on projects, deadlines, objectives and concerns.
- Maintained up-to-date knowledge of industry trends, enabling informed decision-making processes.
- Provided consistent leadership to maintain high levels of team performance and satisfaction.
- Enhanced team productivity by implementing effective project management strategies.
- Conducted performance evaluations to identify areas of improvement.
- Streamlined operations, leading to increased team performance.
- Maintained smooth-running business operations by delegating priorities to staff abilities.
- Led and managed administrative staff to maintain smooth daily operations.
- Coordinated hiring, recruitment and training strategies to build successful administrative team.
- Translated senior management directives into actionable front-line policies and implemented changes with staff.
- Designed and implemented training to further develop staff based on business goals.
- Represented organisations at seminars, conferences and business events.
Owner
Deli/Sandwich Bar
Edinburgh
1993.01 - 2011.01
- Managed daily operations, ensuring smooth running of the business.
- Delivered high standards of service by training all staff members thoroughly.
- Established a positive work environment by implementing comprehensive health and safety protocols.
- Oversaw inventory management, preventing stock shortages or overages.
- Delegated tasks effectively amongst staff members, promoting teamwork.
- Boosted customer satisfaction with consistent quality control measures.
- Resolved conflicts professionally amongst staff members or customers, maintaining a harmonious work environment.
- Provided exceptional customer service, resulting in repeat business.
- Negotiated contracts with suppliers, reducing overall costs.
- Established and successfully managed profitable business, demonstrating exceptional entrepreneurial skills and business acumen.
- Supervised staff to deliver top-quality service in alignment with company objectives.
- Liaised with vendors to achieve favourable product pricing and timely stock replenishment.
- Facilitated team-building and morale-boosting activities to support employee satisfaction.
- Established strong rapport with stakeholders to enhance business credibility.
- Coordinated with other team members to complete projects within set time limits.
- Planned tasks and workflows for teams to achieve goals and meet deadlines.
- Increased overall productivity by working to understand professional goals of team members.
- Managed staff using targeted approaches to training, hiring and employee engagement.
- Developed new processes for team communication and coordination.
- Upsold products to increase individual sales.
Education
1st Class Honours Degree - Scottish History
University of Glasgow
1987.01 - 1 1991
Royal Grammar School
Jesmond 1982.01 - 1 1987
Skills
- Problem solving
- Customer service
- Critical thinking
- Office admin
- Establishing interpersonal relationships
- Resourcefulness
- Time management
- Verbal and oral communication
- Complaint resolution
- Mentoring expertise
- Decision making precision
- Talent development
- Staff recruitment
- Staff performance evaluation
- Positive reinforcement
Affiliations
- Choir
- Dog walking
Timeline
CAHSS Undergraduate Admissions Administrator
University of Edinburgh
2022.07 - 2026.05
Team Manager in Customer Support
John Lewis & Partners
2011.08 - 2022.07
Owner
Deli/Sandwich Bar
1993.01 - 2011.01
1st Class Honours Degree - Scottish History
University of Glasgow
1987.01 - 1 1991
Royal Grammar School
1982.01 - 1 1987