Case studies: Assistant programme manager (learning): Laura

Laura worked for several years in arts administration roles following her degree in history of art before securing a position as an assistant programme manager in the learning department of a major national museum in London.

My role involves supporting our team’s three programme managers (schools, families and young people) and involves coordinating programmes within the museum, sourcing materials, supervising staff and volunteers, monitoring budgets, and designing and delivering activities. Much of my work centres around the educational programmes we run at half-terms, holiday weeks and during special one-day events. It requires imagination, super time management, effective organisation and good communication with other departments. With more than 10,000 participants in the last October half-term, we are a very busy team delivering activities and working with artists to develop workshops, ensuring they are pitched at the right level for all ages and appropriate materials are used.

My route into the role was a bit circuitous. I have a long-standing interest in art and in education, hence the reason I studied history of art at university. When I left, I was aware that if I wanted to work in a museum I would have to get some experience, which I did by writing to all kinds of arts organisations in my home area. Eventually I secured some volunteering at Bolton Museum and then in a local arts centre doing administration work. That led to an administrative post with Surestart, which gave me an insight into children and families, and then after two years, a move to London and an administrative post in the museum where I now work.

When I moved to London, I applied for every possible job in museums for which I thought I was qualified and ended up working with the visitor services department of this museum before a secondment allowed me to join the learning department and eventually become an assistant programme manager. My initial role with learning involved the practical aspects of programme organisation (booking tutors, planning catering and front of house activities, etc.) but more recently I have been able to have a much more creative input to the programmes and am now more involved with delivery within the museum.

What advice would I give? Do something you enjoy and if that is working in an educational role in the heritage sector, be prepared to take a roundabout route to get there. Build up your volunteering experience (and be prepared for rejections and no replies to your requests for volunteering) and take the best job on offer when you graduate to build up your skills, your CV and your contacts. Whatever you do, work hard and make a good impression, which will help if you want to move sideways into a more educational role.