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Building a career in the heritage and culture sector
This career guide is designed to help University of Portsmouth students and recent graduates explore job options, key employers, and entry routes into the Heritage and Culture sector.
In this guide:
Potential Job Roles
Prospects has a useful list of job profiles, each containing relevant information about key responsibilities, skill requirements, starting salaries, entry requirements, career prospects with links to major employers and current graduate vacancies. Some roles include:
Gaining Experience
Types of Opportunities
Below are some examples of the different types of opportunities to gain experience while you study.
Internships usually take place over a fixed period of time (although the length of these can vary greatly between employers and between roles). Many employers will treat interns in the same way as full-time employees, so when future job roles ask for 'at least one year's experience' you can include an internship in this type of experience.
Placements are a great way to gain substantial experience, help you to build contacts and gain an understanding of an organisation. On some degrees, work placements are part of the programme, whilst on others you can choose to complete a placement as one of your modules. To learn more about completing a placement, you can contact the Placements team in the Careers and Employability Service.
Organisations in the heritage and culture sector often rely on volunteers. Our very own Volunteering Team have previously worked with Portsmouth Museums, Portsmouth Historic Dockyards and the Aspex Gallery in Gunwharf and all of these have provided excellent opportunities for students over the years. Search the volunteering bank on MyCareer, listing roles such as:
- Visitor Experience Volunteer at Gosport Museum and Art Gallery
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Oral History recording volunteer with Portsmouth City Council
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Exhibition Volunteer at Aspex Gallery
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History Podcast Production Volunteer with Hampshire History Trust
Local heritage/cultural organisations
There are many local organisations within the heritage and culture sector which may provide work experience opportunities. If you don't see anything formally advertised, consider contacting these employers directly with a speculative application to ask about potential work experience for students. Be open and flexible! Even a day of work shadowing or volunteering at a special event can provide valuable insight into a particular industry or environment.
Getting the most out of work experience
Whether you already have a career path in mind or are still exploring your options, our work experience pages guide you to finding opportunities that match your interests and goals. You'll find advice on choosing an industry, broadening your search, and standing out while building valuable skills and experience.
Online learning
Although it is still highly recommended to gain some practical experience within your desired sector prior to securing a placement or graduate opportunity, if you find yourself with some unexpected free time, there are always ways to make yourself stand out as you enter the competitive world of recruitment. For the Heritage and Culture sector, you might consider online courses and other resources that can advance your knowledge in particular areas:
- What is Heritage? by The Open University
- Heritage Skills & CPD - course suggestions and online resources from Historic England
- Cultural Heritage Training - University of Oxford Lifelong Learning
Finding a Graduate Job
We recommend starting your search using our online jobs board, MyCareer. You can also find general online job boards and advice through our Graduate Jobs page.
Job boards for Heritage and Culture
Speculative applications
Speculative applications involve sending a CV and cover letter to an employer to ask if they have any vacancies, even if the company is not currently advertising for a role. They're a great way to access "hidden jobs" that go unadvertised.
Submitting a speculative application shows your interest in a specific company and your willingness to go above and beyond to develop your skills and understanding of the industry.
Are you looking for a role in Hampshire? Our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy can help!
If you're in the final year of your degree, you can register for support from our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy. They work with over 3,000 employers in the local area to place our students into fantastic graduate careers.
Working for yourself
Got an idea you'd like to turn into something bigger?
Whether you're planning a business, side hustle or freelance career, our Student StartUp team can help you build your confidence and develop your plans. Access expert guidance, funding opportunities, workshops and workspace designed to help you move your idea forward.
Keep up-to-date with the industry
It's good to keep up-to-date on sector developments and track any vacancies coming up. Below are some great resources to help you research opportunities available. The knowledge gained through your research may help you to target your applications and will help when preparing for interviews.
- Historic Buildings & Places
- Archives and Records Association
- Barbican
- Creative Access
- CILIP (The Library and Information Association)
- English Heritage
- Historic Royal Palaces
- How to get into museum conservation (Prospects article)
- The Institute of Conservation (ICON)
- International Centre for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM)
- International Council of Museums (ICOM)
- Imperial War Museums (IWM)
- Museums Association
- Museums & Heritage
- National Museum Directors' Council (nmdc)
- National Trust
- National Trust Scotland
- Natural History Museum
- Royal Collection Trust
- Save Britain’s Heritage
- The Science Museum Group
- The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB)
- Twentieth Century Society
- V & A Museum
- Visit Britain
- Wellcome Trust
Explore more from the Careers service
CVs, portfolios and cover letters
Find out how to increase your chances of getting an interview by writing a strong CV and completing a successful application.
Building work experience
Get hands-on industry experience and showcase your knowledge before you graduate!
Graduate job search guide
Learn about the types of roles you will encounter, and how to search for roles.
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