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AbScent
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Work for AbScent

Our current paid and volunteer opportunities

Social Media Community Executive

 

Salary: £22-24k
Hours: 37.5, flexible. Permanent position.
Annual Leave: 25 days plus bank holidays
Pension: NEST pension (3% employer contribution/5% employee contribution)
Location: Remote/home-based, attending regular meetings in Andover, Hampshire UK
Equipment provided: Laptop and monitor

 

AbScent is the UK anosmia support charity, offering the best support and information so that no-one faces anosmia alone. We do this with a range of online services providing support and interaction, trusted and accessible information, and practical resources to manage life with little or no sense of smell. We now have a combined online community of 30,000 people from all over the world, but we know there are thousands more that need support.

We’re looking for a Social Media Community Executive to join our small, hard-working, passionate team, and help propel the charity to the next level and beyond.

 
You:

The right candidate will be someone who loves life online and who has the skills and experience to be able to write community responses and create content that reflects our values and tone. Each individual is a valued member of our community and you will make sure that everyone who connects with AbScent finds the right information and support tailored to their needs.

As a small but growing charity, we’re evolving quickly which means lots of opportunities for someone keen, able and flexible, and involvement in a variety of tasks and projects all centred on providing the best experience for everyone we work with and for.

AbScent particularly loves to work with people who have lived-experience of smell loss, but empathy for the challenges of living with a sensory deprivation is a must.

The role:

As the Social Media Community Executive you will be the social voice of AbScent.

You will be the lead admin for our FaceBook and membership groups; managing posts, member requests, member admin, information queries and signposting to valued services. 

Responding to questions and comments with the same tone and approach, you will ensure AbScent’s reputation is protected by moderating posts and conversations.

With a great customer service ethos, you will be the first point of contact for customer enquiries about smell training and other services.

You will work alongside our marketing team creating and posting engaging content and feeding trends and topics across the groups, using your talent for writing concise and relevant posts.

Reporting to the executive director, you’ll be a key member of a close team with guidance to help you develop and grow in the role. The online nature of the role means you can work flexibly and will have personal responsibility for managing your workload.  

We run a virtual office which means you'll be based at home. However we do meet up regularly so you'll need to be able to travel to Andover, Hampshire.

Skills and experience:
Essential: 

Loves life online! 

FaceBook and Instagram user experience.

Excellent standard of written English adapted for audience.

Strong customer service ethos, demonstrated by customer service experience.

Attention to detail and top administration skills.

Creative: spotting trends and topics of current interest, making links with the charity’s goals.

A flexible approach, able to move with a fast-paced and changing environment. 

Empathy with people living with a long-term health condition. 

Desirable:

Understanding of the nature and impact of smell disorders.

Knowledge of online marketing and marketing channels.

Ability to interpret analytics and online user behaviour.

Knowledge of Google’s office suite.

 

Closing date: When we’ve found the right person, so please get in touch now!

How to apply: Please email Sarah@AbScent.org to tell us why you’ll be brilliant in this role, and attach a copy of your CV. 

This role was posted on Wednesday 11 November 2020.

 

Answering your smell training questions

How long does it take to get better?

Nerves take time to heal. Depending on the damage, this could be two months or it could be two years, or even longer. No one can predict how long recovery will take or how completely you will recover. But we do have evidence that smell training helps. 

Doctors recommend that you commit to smell training for a minimum of four months, but training longer, with variation in the scents used, will bring greater benefit.

How does it work?

Olfactory nerves are the wiring between the nose and the brain. They can get damaged by something as ordinary as a cold, or as traumatic as a knock to the head. The good news is that olfactory nerves repair themselves. 

With any injury, recovery can take time but smell training can help speed up the process. Just like a broken leg needs physiotherapy to build up strength, so does your nose. Smell training is physiotherapy for your nose.

What do I need to do?

Everyday, take the four fragrances and sniff each in turn. Just lots of short, light, little sniffs - we call them bunny sniffs - just taking air into your nose. Spend about 20 seconds on each smell.

You may not see an improvement for many weeks, so it’s helpful to keep a note of how you get on so you can see the progress, however small. 

Progress might also be the way you feel about your sense of smell. Smell and emotions are closely linked and people living without a sense of smell are more likely to experience low mood or depression.

Do I have to use your smell training kit?

No, you can assemble your own kit and any fragrance will do. AbScent’s Original Smell Training Kit has been formulated to replicate the aromas used in the original scientific studies into the effectiveness of smell training. Lemon, Rose, Eucalyptus and Clove were the fragrances selected for the trial and we have blended those four fragrances in a way that will remain stable over time.

All proceeds from AbScent’s Original Smell Training Kit go straight back to the charity to help people living with smell disorders.

Do I have to use essential oils?

No, any fragrance will do. There is no evidence that essential oils are more effective than other fragrances. Even herbs or spices from your kitchen can be used for smell training. Remember, we don’t use the scents because there is something special about them. We use them to stimulate your sense of smell.

It’s helpful to have a smell that you know you can rely on to remain stable over several months. That way you know the changes are in what you can smell, rather than changes in the fragrance.

When will I be able to smell normally again?

If your olfactory nerves have been damaged, it’s possible that you won’t go back to smelling things as you did before. Thinking about the leg injury again, imagine having a scar where you’ve hurt yourself. . Smell training can help you heal, even if your sense of smell does not recover 100%.

I can’t smell anything, how will this help?

The earlier you start training the better. You may be concerned that you can’t smell anything at all when you go to sniff your jars of scent. Remember that smell training is not only about the sniff. It’s the thinking about the smell that is also part of the exercise. You’ll be engaging everything about your sense of smell from the tip of your nose up into the part of the brain that stores your memories and emotions.

Everything smells different, it’s disgusting!

If you constantly experience an unpleasant smell, or your favourite food suddenly smells like burnt rubber, you could be experiencing parosmia. This is a natural part of the recovery process as the nerves regenerate, but can last several weeks or be more persistent. Smell training will not help parosmia specifically, but it helps the regeneration process and could help you get back to smelling things normally more quickly. You can find out more about parosmia here.

My smell loss came after Covid, will smell training help?

Yes, Covid-19 is a viral infection and it’s common for people to lose their sense of smell following a virus. Studies on patients before Covid-19 have shown that smell training helps recovery. Watch our short video for more information.

I had a head injury, will smell training help?

In some cases, yes. If your head injury is less severe then it may help you. Starting as soon as possible after your injury gives you the best chance of recovery, but people who have not started smell training until some years later have also benefited. Smell training won’t hurt and your time investment is low, so everyone should be encouraged to give it a chance.

I’ve lost my smell as I’ve got older, will smell training help?

Studies have shown that 30 percent of people above the age of 75 have little or no sense of smell. Like all our physical abilities, what we don’t use, we lose. Smell training in older people has been shown to improve other abilities such as processing information and mental agility.  A study also showed that smell training in a group of older people improved mood.

Nerves take time to heal. Depending on the damage, this could be two months or it could be two years, or even longer. No one can predict how long recovery will take or how completely you will recover. But we do have evidence that smell training helps. 

Doctors recommend that you commit to smell training for a minimum of four months, but training longer, with variation in the scents used, will bring greater benefit.

Olfactory nerves are the wiring between the nose and the brain. They can get damaged by something as ordinary as a cold, or as traumatic as a knock to the head. The good news is that olfactory nerves repair themselves. 

With any injury, recovery can take time but smell training can help speed up the process. Just like a broken leg needs physiotherapy to build up strength, so does your nose. Smell training is physiotherapy for your nose.

Everyday, take the four fragrances and sniff each in turn. Just lots of short, light, little sniffs - we call them bunny sniffs - just taking air into your nose. Spend about 20 seconds on each smell.

You may not see an improvement for many weeks, so it’s helpful to keep a note of how you get on so you can see the progress, however small. 

Progress might also be the way you feel about your sense of smell. Smell and emotions are closely linked and people living without a sense of smell are more likely to experience low mood or depression.

No, you can assemble your own kit and any fragrance will do. AbScent’s Original Smell Training Kit has been formulated to replicate the aromas used in the original scientific studies into the effectiveness of smell training. Lemon, Rose, Eucalyptus and Clove were the fragrances selected for the trial and we have blended those four fragrances in a way that will remain stable over time.

All proceeds from AbScent’s Original Smell Training Kit go straight back to the charity to help people living with smell disorders.

No, any fragrance will do. There is no evidence that essential oils are more effective than other fragrances. Even herbs or spices from your kitchen can be used for smell training. Remember, we don’t use the scents because there is something special about them. We use them to stimulate your sense of smell.

It’s helpful to have a smell that you know you can rely on to remain stable over several months. That way you know the changes are in what you can smell, rather than changes in the fragrance.

If your olfactory nerves have been damaged, it’s possible that you won’t go back to smelling things as you did before. Thinking about the leg injury again, imagine having a scar where you’ve hurt yourself. . Smell training can help you heal, even if your sense of smell does not recover 100%.

The earlier you start training the better. You may be concerned that you can’t smell anything at all when you go to sniff your jars of scent. Remember that smell training is not only about the sniff. It’s the thinking about the smell that is also part of the exercise. You’ll be engaging everything about your sense of smell from the tip of your nose up into the part of the brain that stores your memories and emotions.

If you constantly experience an unpleasant smell, or your favourite food suddenly smells like burnt rubber, you could be experiencing parosmia. This is a natural part of the recovery process as the nerves regenerate, but can last several weeks or be more persistent. Smell training will not help parosmia specifically, but it helps the regeneration process and could help you get back to smelling things normally more quickly. You can find out more about parosmia here.

Yes, Covid-19 is a viral infection and it’s common for people to lose their sense of smell following a virus. Studies on patients before Covid-19 have shown that smell training helps recovery. Watch our short video for more information.

In some cases, yes. If your head injury is less severe then it may help you. Starting as soon as possible after your injury gives you the best chance of recovery, but people who have not started smell training until some years later have also benefited. Smell training won’t hurt and your time investment is low, so everyone should be encouraged to give it a chance.

Studies have shown that 30 percent of people above the age of 75 have little or no sense of smell. Like all our physical abilities, what we don’t use, we lose. Smell training in older people has been shown to improve other abilities such as processing information and mental agility.  A study also showed that smell training in a group of older people improved mood.

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