I have a relatively small background in farming as all of my experience comes from my current place of work which is outlined above, however, I am looking to begin a career in livestock farming. When I studied at college I did Animal Management rather than Agriculture as at the time I didn't think that agriculture was the route that I wanted to go down, but after volunteering at the Open Farm for work experience I then realised that farming was the path that I wanted to follow. I passed my Level 3 Extended Diploma in Animal Management with D*D*D* in the summer of 2022 from Plumpton College and have considered going back to study Agriculture but I want to try and gain more experience working in the industry first as I am more comfortable learning on the job than I am with theory in a classroom.

A majority of my work experience during my BTEC was on the farm, however, I also worked at the casualty centre for a Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service where I routinely worked in a clinical environment administering oral medication, feeding, cleaning and dressing wounds for a variety of wild species (from hedgehogs to swans, foxes and birds of prey). Although not farming related this experience gave me a lot of knowledge and hands-on experience with the different methods of handling and dealing with different species, and the different approaches that are appropriate for them. The work I carried out was completely independent unless it required additional hands, which I enjoyed because I generally prefer to work on my own as part of a bigger team to achieve the overall end goal. Equally, I really enjoy working with colleagues because I've learnt a lot from other people doing so.