Tom Cosford
tcosford@outlook.com

I am a confident, well-driven individual, with good communication and leadership skills. I am constantly looking for ways to improve myself and am driven to succeed in everything I do. From Skiing in the Alps from the age of 4 to walking across the highest peaks in England at the age of 9, the mountains have always been a huge part of my life. My love for the outdoors has shaped who I am. Not only through my extra curriculars, but also my education and employment. I believe the experiences and challenges of the environment can be adopted to ensure that I succeed in my everyday work/life situations.

Work Experience
2021 – 2023|Lake Louise Ski Resort
Working as a dual certified instructor with snowboarders and skiers of all ages and experience levels, from under 5 to 40+. I have learned how to effectively manage groups of different skill levels while in potentially dangerous terrain and in remote areas. I am required to be flexible and make informed decisions in quick time. I recognise that individuals progress at different speeds and adapt my lesson plan to ensure the best experience for the group. The work has taught me to be disciplined whilst also being enthusiastic about the learning experience. I have found great success working at Lake Louise. In just my second year as an instructor I was able to generate the second most sales out of all the snowboard instructors.

2021-2023|Grouse Mountain
Working as a Summer Camp Team Lead. With jobs ranging from helping families check in and find the right group, organising activities and helping run the activities that required assistance, to acting as an avenue for camp leaders to express feelings or suggestions to be brought to higher management. I also stepped in to fill in for camp leaders when sick or away and was often leading groups and organising other activities at the same time. The hard work was often rewarded by watching happy and fulfilled campers returning and saying they had the “best time ever!”

I also worked as a zipline and High Ropes guide. Whilst guiding tours of up to 10 people I was responsible for their safety whilst providing them with the best experience. I often performed rescues on the ziplines and lowers from the high ropes’ courses. Through this work I was able to develop my skills in managing guests’ apprehension towards the ziplines or ropes courses, guiding them through their fears so they have an exciting and memorable experience.

2019 – 2020|The Climbing Hangar, Swansea
Working as a senior crew member in a variety of roles from customer service to climbing coaching. I was one of the first faces greeting clients and the first point of contact for any questions. I led children’s climbing sessions in which included games and exercises to have fun and feel safe on the climbing wall. Towards the end of my tenure, I worked with the accounts team to help organise invoices and expenditure. I learned how to overcome challenges with a positive and professional demeanour whilst making climbing fun for all ages.

2014 – 2019| Younghouse Farm
Responsible for the milking of three herds totalling 750 cows on rotation. I began as a part time worker alongside my studies and progressed to running the parlour and training new recruits. Early on in my tenure I learned the need to be focussed and accurate as any small mistake could cost the farm a day’s milk valued at £10,000. It was often necessary to work long shifts of extremely unsociable hours.

Skills and Experiences
Swansea University Climbing Club – President (2018-2019)
Responsibilities included chairing meetings, overseeing the committee, training, Health & Safety, advertising and coordinating local and overseas climbing trips. I successfully achieved my goal to increase the number of members and reputation of the club within the UK. In the year prior I was the club Treasurer; in charge of the clubs’ finances which included membership fees, university funding and budgeting for and financing overseas trips.

AST 1 (2021)
The AST 1 taught me how to successfully navigate dangerous avalanche terrain, avalanche rescue and understanding how changes in climate can cause different snowpacks and the dangers that they came with. It allows me to safely navigate through the backcountry in the winter.

8-Hour Remote First Aid (2021)
The 8-hour remote first aid qualification has allowed me to safely and successfully provide emergency first aid. It has allowed me to be a confident emergency first responder and has been used with great effect.

Winter Mountaineering Skills Course [5 days] (2019)
This provided me with the skills to lead groups on climbing and walking trips in the Scottish winter. I managed group risk in the outdoors, observed and managed avalanche risks safely and how to work with the environment to ensure the best experience. Clear and concise communication as well as the awareness, competence and behaviour of the group was essential to ensure their safety when out in winter conditions.

10 Tors Expedition (2011 – 2014)
I completed all three expedition distances (35, 45 and 55 miles).  Due to my strength amongst the expedition teams and last-minute withdrawal, I was upgraded to the 45-mile team a year early without completing the required acclimatisation walks.

Education – Swansea University
Sustainable Engineering Management for International Development (2019-2020)
·       My masters degree focused on learning how to successfully manage sustainable development projects in less developed countries. I worked in a team that provided an action plan for a project in Liberia, in which rural footpaths were upgraded to motorcycle tracks to increase the level of connectivity between rural villages and the local market towns.
·       Challenges requiring solutions ranged from language barriers to political instability and corruption. Navigating the maze that is International Development required patience and tenacity. I learned how to approach people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds and develop relationships between local groups that are mutually beneficial whilst always maintaining optimism.

BA Politics (2016-2019)
·       Modules ranged from political economics to political philosophy. This taught me to pay attention to the finer detail without losing sight of the overall goal.
·       I was required to debate my beliefs on topics such as Brexit and the US Presidential election. This has taught me how to argue my thoughts succinctly and effectively weigh both sides of an argument to find a positive conclusion.
·       My third-year dissertation thesis looked to understand how hiking and mountaineering tourism in Nepal’s Everest region has impacted the economic, social and environmental policies of Nepal, and whether the current model is sustainable. Researching this subject highlighted how we need to work on changing the focus of development of the climbing industry to include improving economic stability and environmental sustainability.

Please email tcosford@outlook.com for and references you require.