Even though many of our graduates will have progressed in their careers since completing a case study, they are still of interest to students who wish to gain an understanding of the world of work.

I am responsible for taking care of the volunteers. This includes recruiting and training new volunteers, organising the rota, keeping the volunteers informed and up to date, assisting with difficulties and developing a training and social calendar.

I am also responsible for taking care of the front of house and the daily operation of the Museum. This includes opening up and closing the tills, Museum, and collection. Managing the on-duty staff members and volunteers. Functioning as a point of contact.

When I come in I check whether the Museum is tidy and clean and I begin with opening up the collection. I then open and prepare both tills. I then lead the daily catch-up with the volunteers and on-duty staff members about anything unusual happening that day.

After this my day is divided between working in the office on recruitment, rotas and answering emails, and assisting the front of house team with covering breaks, dealing with difficult customers and the smooth running of the Museum.

I love the continuous process of learning new aspects of history.

However, a massive appeal to me is the variety a small Museum has to offer in terms of work. In all my heritage jobs I have assisted in many different things that were not in my job description per say; from fixing melting cakes, to gardening, to giving tours, learning about budgets, dealing with piles of administration and learning the finer details of retail.

Working in a very small team and being pulled in many different directions. You will need to do things outside your job description, and you are expected to work irregular hours occasionally. You will meet some very challenging personalities that you will need to learn to deal with as every Museum is its own micro-universe.

I love history, engaging with history and sharing this love with others. I have a particularly strong passion for historic houses.

The part that drew me to this work, aside from being able to work in the most amazing spaces and buildings, is the interaction with people.

Organisational skills. This includes drawing up documents, creating excel files sheets, and being organised in terms of time management.

Communication skills. This includes giving presentations, communicating clearly and succinctly with a wide variety of people through different media (spoken, written, digital, etc.).

April 2012 - June 2012
Outreach Officer, Seoul Multicultural Museum (S. Korea)
Commentator, Korean Broadcasting System (S. Korea)

July 2012 - January 2013
Cultural Assistant, Cobliss (S. Korea)

March 2013 - December 2015
Freelance Language Teacher, Cactus Language Training

April 2013 - March 2014
Volunteer Front of House & Education Assistant, Benjamin Franklin House

May 2013 - May 2014
Shop Assistant & Supervisor, Frae Frozen Yoghurt

October 2013 - September 2015
Freelance Korean & Dutch Data Analyst, FACE

February 2014 - April 2014
Volunteer Room Steward, Charles Dickens Museum

May 2014 - June 2016
Front of House Assistant, Charles Dickens Museum

August 2014 - February 2015
Volunteer Room Steward, Kenwood House

June 2016 - June 2017
Front of House Supervisor, Charles Dickens Museum

I hope to see myself working in a small, independent house Museums and in heritage as a front of house, volunteer or retail manager. In order to do this I am hoping to gain a lot more experience in the Garden Museum, and in other small independent places.

If you want to work in heritage, be prepared. It is hard work, especially to get that foot in the door. Be prepared to do multiple, different jobs for at least 2 or 3 years, on top of doing loads of volunteering. Be open about what you want to do and achieve and tell everyone you meet. Grab all opportunities with both hands, no matter how small they seem.