Eliott Keogh

My name is Eli, I’m a non-binary 21 year old making a move from brighton to Manchester. With this change of cities, I would like a fresh start with a change of careers. I’m currently a manager of Brighton Wahaca, a Mexican restaurant.

I’d love to change careers from restaurant work to the world of fashion. Fashion has always been an interest of mine, I always take the upmost pride in the way I dress. I love to follow the world of fashion, scoping out current trends and taking inspiration from them.

I also love to experiment with styling and makeup. To me, the world of fashion and cosmetics should be completely genderless. I use this belief in styling myself everyday, often opting to wear skirts and dresses, as well as painting my face.

My main goal in life is to show the world that gender norms need to go and to be able to do that in the world of fashion, that would be a dream come true.

I have worked in hospitality for the past five years, working in pubs, clubs and restaurant. in this time, I have been a bartender, waiter and manager. My current job as Duty manager of Brighton wahaca gives me a higher skill set. As duty manager, I must: open/close the restaurant; order stock; deal with customer grievances (in person and online); write rotas; manage a Team; and make sure the restaurant is safe.

Wahaca was my first restaurant job and I have progressed rapidly from waiter to manager in less than a year. I take pride in my ability to learn rapidly, and this progression is testament to this.

I completed my A-levels in Philosophy, politics and history. I received ABB and was subsequently offered multiple spots at top universities, including Manchester and Edinburgh. I did not take this, as I did not want to continue down the academic path.