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January 30, 2025, by Leah Sharpe
My summer of work experience
By Hannah Kane, biblical studies and theology
Over the summer, I completed a mix of voluntary work and a paid placement in and outside of the university. I aimed to get as much experience as I could, before entering the all-important final year in September.
From June to July I completed the Faculty of Arts, Summer Research Placement Programme (SRPP). The SRPP is a four-week paid placement to aid an academic in their research.
During August and September, I volunteered at two local museums to gain sector specific experience in digitisation and conservation cleaning. This was to close gaps in my pre-existing work experience.
During my time at each organisation, I focused on developing key transferable skills like communication and teamwork which are easily transferable across many careers.
Summer Research Placement Programme
During my Summer Research placement, I worked in Manuscripts and Special Collections at Kings Meadow Campus. Working alongside a fellow student, we were tasked with going through archival material to identify and catalogue relevant material for an upcoming exhibition. I learned the importance of accurate data entry and working together as a team to divide and conquer work.
Volunteering
At the first museum, I became a keen problem solver. Whether that be trying to locate a toy Daleks’ batteries or having to find a Kermit the Frog mask whose location was unknown. I underwent a massive learning curve and learned from mistakes along the way. As I was digitising the catalogue, I was able to interact with all different kinds of donations. Which never made for a dull moment.
At the second museum, the tasks were wide and varied. As the weeks went on, I became fascinated with minute amounts of dust. While undertaking flat textile conservation cleaning, there was no greater satisfaction than seeing particles of dirt come out of the textile! I condition checked textiles, fishing rods and books and managed to identify conservators to help conserve a damp ridden chimney
Personal highlights:
– Receiving hands on experience with digital catalogue system
– Transcribing a 30-minute interview, writing 5,500 words
– Adding almost 150 items into the digital catalogue
– Learning from people constantly (I could have never imagined learning so much!)
Top tips:
1. Plan early. Even if you are applying to volunteer, organisations may have limited capacity during peak season.
2. When applying for existing programmes, get the careers team to check your applications and go over key interview skills.
3. Look outside of your desired sector. Getting experience outside of your scope is still useful.
4. Just ask! If you can’t find any programmes or openings, depending on your desired sector, drop organisations an email.
To explore your options of work experience outside of term time, book a careers appointment.
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