The museum sector is a wonderful and dynamic place to work. You get to learn about fascinating objects and places, share stories and knowledge with others, and work alongside people who care about what they do. But there are challenges, including a lack of job security and low pay.

One of the biggest hurdles is competition for jobs – even volunteer roles. While some employers require academic qualifications such as a postgraduate degree, most will expect applicants to demonstrate hands-on experience of working with collections or audiences.

In this article, we look at some of the most common routes into the sector and speak to people who have had success along the way.

Postgraduate qualifications

A postgraduate or master’s degree gives you a unique opportunity to study something you’re passionate about in depth. You’ll study alongside like-minded people, and hone not only your museums knowledge, but also your research skills and ability to communicate ideas.

Sophie Culverwell, a retail assistant at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, completed an MA in museums, galleries and contemporary culture at Westminster University, studying part-time from January 2021 to January 2023.

“The combination of modules like ‘museum narratives’, ‘collecting today’ and ‘current issues’ equipped me with the skills to critically engage with museum challenges,” she says. “These courses developed my expertise in exhibition planning, audience engagement and ethical collections management.

“My dissertation allowed me to apply this knowledge to the real-world issue of inclusivity in historical art curation, preparing me to create exhibitions that are both relevant and accessible to contemporary audiences.”

There is a cost associated with doing a master’s degree, and fees can vary a lot. According to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, the average cost is £11,000. Having a qualification doesn’t guarantee a job either, though it can help you develop your knowledge and skills.

Master’s degrees can be competitive, and usually require you to have an undergraduate degree too, although this doesn’t have to be in the same subject. Many people work part-time alongside studying, which can ease the financial burden, as well as offering real-life experience to complement your degree. There are also various funding options available, from scholarships to the government’s postgraduate loans.

Apprenticeships

“Apprenticeships are a fantastic entry route into the museum sector, as they offer the chance to earn a qualification while gaining valuable experience from professionals at work,” says Sophie Millward, the apprenticeship and skills pathway manager at the Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum, which has sites in London and the West Midlands.

“Apprenticeships are a way to gain varied experience, alongside a qualification – all while being paid.”

Many employers recognise that some people applying for apprenticeships won’t have experience or qualifications. They look for other qualities, whether extra-curricular activities at school or college, or hobbies. Being able to demonstrate soft skills, such as having delivered presentations in your work or education, can help.

“If an applicant doesn’t write it down and evidence it, we can’t just assume – so make sure you fill out an application with as much detail as possible for the best possible chance,” says Millward.

The low level of pay offered by apprenticeships can be a barrier. The RAF Museum pays its apprentices the minimum wage in line with their age (£10 for 18-to-20-year-olds from April), but others pay the apprenticeship rate (£7.55 an hour from April), which can be a challenging amount to live on.

Museum apprenticeships are often advertised by museums themselves. You can also find opportunities at Gov.uk’s apprenticeship search.

Training schemes

Meg Barclay, the learning and community development manager at Heritage Doncaster, did a full-time Norfolk Museums Service traineeship between 2015 and 2016. The programme dedicated one day a week to training from industry experts, alongside working in a museum.

“One of the things that attracted me to it was that I didn’t have any experience other than a bit of volunteering in my gap year before university,” she says. “My impression was that Norfolk really wanted enthusiasm and a willingness to learn and to get stuck in, and not necessarily being too focused on the theory.”

Barclay’s traineeship focused on learning and youth engagement. She split her time between delivering for schools, helping youth engagement clubs and supporting the administration of school visits. She also got the chance to learn about other elements of working in museums, including marketing and working with visitors.

“I absolutely loved it,” says Barclay. “I think having that holistic approach to the industry was really valuable. It was this solid foundation that has helped me to build a good career.”

She recommends that anyone interested in a traineeship should attend an information day, which are normally advertised by museums online.

Another museum professional who benefited from a training scheme is Megan Stamper. She did the Skills for Success programme in Scotland, working at Dumfries Museum for a year.

“It provided hands-on experience with museum practices, which helped me understand the day-to-day operations and the various museum roles,” says Stamper. “It emphasised the importance of community engagement and audience development, equipping me with the skills to connect with diverse visitors.

“The training covered preservation techniques and curatorial strategies, enhancing my knowledge of how to protect and present artefacts. Overall, it fostered a passion for cultural heritage and equipped me with the practical skills necessary to contribute effectively to the sector.”

Stamper found the Museums Galleries Scotland recruitment process inclusive and enjoyable: “The selection criteria for the Skills for Success programme focused on personal qualities and transferable skills, and the opportunity was open to non-graduates of any age, making the process feel
very accessible.”

Volunteering

Volunteering provides hands-on experience and allows you to try out what it’s like to work in a museum before applying for paid positions, enhancing your CV and networks along the way.

But having to fit your volunteering around paid work or study means that it is not accessible to everyone. And volunteering at a museum doesn’t guarantee a paid position in the future.

Annie Brewer volunteered at Manchester Jewish Museum for a year and now works as a producer at Lakeland Arts in Cumbria.

“My role at Manchester Jewish Museum solidified that I wanted to try and get a job in this sphere,” she says. “Volunteering at the museum and places like the Scouts prepared me for working in the sector.

“They both gave me the experience of delivering educational activities, planning learning sessions, and helping to build confidence. I was always learning about how the sector worked and what it needs to deliver on, which helped give me a wider understanding of how important museums are.”

When looking for opportunities, think about what your main interests are: do you want to gain customer service experience, for example, or understand more about what goes on behind the scenes?

A willingness to try different things can also help. “Getting involved in everything from visitor experience to curatorial and marketing will give you a good sense of what working in the sector looks like,” says Brewer.

While many museums advertise for volunteers online, smaller venues, in particular, may be responsive to speculative enquiries.

Transferable skills

Many skills that are useful for working in museums are not unique to the sector. Called “transferable skills”, these can be developed from other jobs or through education.

Aurogeeta Das is senior curator (cultural policy) at Ipswich Museum in Suffolk. She has a wealth of experience from working in other sectors, including the media and teaching, as well as having an MA in visual culture and a PhD in Indian art.

“Juggling multiple projects and timelines taught me useful organisational and time-management skills, and gave me insights into diverse organisational structures,” says Das. “I’d worked in the media before my PhD, so that experience, as well as my post-doctoral freelance work, gave me excellent communication skills.

“Clear communication is underrated but essential to good museum practice. I had worked with a wide range of people in my media jobs, as well as with underrepresented communities in my freelance curatorial roles, so those honed people skills stood me in good stead too.

“The research skills I developed during my academic courses and beyond have also proven invaluable to my role in the museum.”

Lynne Minett was a history teacher for three years before getting her first museum job as an education officer at the National Coal Mining Museum, Wakefield, and is now the group leader for heritage and museums at Barnsley Council.

“The ability to assimilate and distil information, and to present it to encompass a range of learning styles, has helped to inform interpretation and project work I’ve been involved in,” she says.

“Museums are increasingly more people orientated – whether through telling more diverse stories or through co-curation – and my experience helps me lead this approach with my teams and be an authentic advocate for engagement. These skills have also helped me during applications
and interviews, when you need to be able to communicate with clarity.”

Minett advises anyone looking to enter the sector to find something they are passionate about.

“Having a specialism and a passion can be great assets to bring to working in a team and being an advocate,” she says. “For me, it’s helping people connect with culture in ways that are meaningful to them, increasing access, enjoyment and wellbeing.”

Caroline Butterworth is a freelance journalist