"I spent my year abroad in Bochum (Nordrhein Westfaland) working as a foreign language assistant in a Gymnasium. It was without doubt one of the most rewarding experiences of my life so far, as I was able to not only drastically improve my knowledge and grasp of the German culture and language but also become more independent and had a really fun time to boot!

Having graduated from Hull University I spent a summer working as a translation assistant for Schuco before starting to work for Virgin Media Business. I did use my German knowledge with some foreign customers, but the most transferable skill to come out of my year abroad was the confidence to speak in front of large groups of people, which really improved my ability to hold my own in job interviews and presentations. All of which contributed to me being named salesperson of the year for Virgin in 2010 (after selling £1.25m of products and services) and UK New Sales Professional of the year for 2011 at the BESMA awards.

Outside of work the people I met in Germany are still friends of mine and several made the trip across to attend my wedding earlier this year. I speak German with my wife and we make regular visits to several regions of the country to meet friends and explore more of Germany. All of which has certainly enhanced my life, the start of me realising who I wanted to be and what I wanted to do with my life came from my year abroad."