Amber Hurn

"Of all personality types above Communicator matches myself the most. I try to work things out on my own however I am always asking questions, getting work checked and updating my manager on where the work is at. Through good levels of communication a task can be achieved more efficiently and to high standards, as a project is less likely to get too far being completed incorrectly if it is being discussed along the way.As well, being a coordinator suits my role in the sense I am patient and enjoy collaborating with others, which is helpful where projects involve working alongside people in other departments on tasks which my knowledge may not be as good in.I also feel I am very thoughtful/careful, which helps in tasks such as creating detailed plans for various things along the river, where boundaries are very important (explained further below)."

"Having worked in my current role for only 6 months I have already gained so much in terms of experience and knowledge.The organisation's online GIS system was created to allow all members to see the data they may only currently have on paper in a very visual way on a computer. Therefore most of the outcomes of my work have involved creating the 'layers' which get pushed up to this system online for organisation wide viewing.My main involvements towards this so far include: River Thames Safety Mapping (i.e. collecting data on locations/quality of life rings, ladders, boats and chains), mapping important legal boundaries of the PLA (including navigational, pilotage and property limits), Wreck and obstruction mapping of the Thames and estuary, creating plans to register PLA land with Land Registry, as well as putting together data on terminals and wharves along the River Thames.Future Projects: Include mapping the moorings/bouys along the river.The aspect of my job I enjoy the most is it's varied nature. As GIS can be applied to anything 'spatial' (which has a location) my manager receives many varied requests for the GIS team, and I like learning along the way if projects involve a topic I have not yet been exposed to."

"In my first year at, a lecturer introduced me to GIS (Geographic information systems), explaining how this mapping software would become more popular in the future, i.e., for businesses who need to map their ownership and work out statistics on this in order to improve and grow.Therefore I picked as many GIS modules as I could, and focused my final year research dissertation on using GIS to map how Studland Bay beach changed in height and width over 10 months in order to study erosion and accretion. This gave me GIS experience and showed me how much I enjoyed it.I also gained some work experience at university in GIS, creating a story board on a fieldwork trip to Sicily, Italy, using Esri UK 'story map' software.During and prior to university had several other part time roles such as; Student Ambassador for the university of Brighton, Bar person/waitress at the Brighton FC Amex Stadium, Senior Waitress at a local Golf Club, Event Steward for the Brighton Marathon, Lead waitress in the Royal Enclosure at Ascot, etc.After graduating, I did some volunteering in order to build up my communication, work, and environmental studies experience; at Chartwell House National Trust maintaining the grounds (i.e. litter picking), and at a local Nature Reserve maintaining/improving habitats by disposing of litter, chopping back overgrown/unwanted vegetation etc. allowing for protected species to grow.From here I did a ski season in Courchevel, Three Valleys, French Alps and explored the mountainous region by skiing, snowboarding and hiking.Roughly two months later I started in my role at the Port of London Authority. I was keen to work for a company which looked at the environment, contributed to the good of the local community, and was heavily involved geographical studies (i.e. looking at the river)."

"I enjoy kayaking, surfing, paddle boarding, skiing and snowboarding when on holiday. I enjoy activities or sports which contribute to improving my personal fitness/well-being such as Pilates, Yoga, running and visiting the gym. I played netball at university and currently play for both a local and regional team. I have also trained as part of an England Netball County Academy in Essex. I also like to try and read when I can. Also, a more recent hobby of mine is attempting Cryptic Crosswords. I have put a bit of research into this and would like to gradually build up my ability to complete these puzzles."

"Whilst the short while I have been in this role means my responsibilities and requests are not yet too great, I typically check my emails first thing in the morning to see if I have received any important tasks which take priority over those I already have set. I continually check my emails throughout the day.I spend most days in the office, on my computer getting on with mapping tasks. Applications I use include on a day to day basis: Excel, Word, Microsoft teams, Adobe, Arc Pro (GIS software) and Cadcorp (GIS software). Depending on the task I may spend several hours to several days getting things finished. For example, mapping the wrecks and obstructions along the river and estuary has gone on over a few weeks and still has further to go.Sometimes I accompany my manager to have meetings with people from other departments about the work I am doing.Also, I have had a few days of field work in London when collecting the river safety data, as well as attending several conferences and events in London (including the Dredging Liaison Group, an Esri Georisk Seminar, 3D London conference at City Hall)."

"Grade A: A-level Geography at Palmers UniversityFirst Class Honours Degree in Bsc Physical Geography with Geology at the University of Brighton accredited by the Geological Society of London."