For the Love of Volunteering

Let's be honest, my first two blogs are a tad grim. It's hard to sugar-coat job hunting & I would be doing a disservice to the purpose of this blog if I did.

But... I felt writing three sad blogs in a row might be a bit much so, this month, I'm sharing something a bit different. A bit happier. A reminder of what keeps us Wannabes going through the repeated applications, rejections & seemingly hopeless requests for feedback. Also, an opportunity to let you know a bit more about myself besides "I want to work in a museum".

Here's the story as to how I ended up chasing this wonderful heritage dream:

When I was 5, I wanted to be a pop star.

When I was 10, I wanted to be a scientist.

When I was 16, I wanted to be an audio engineer.

Although I loved visiting cultural sites, my childhood self would be quite surprised to learn I’ve set my heart on working in a museum. Into my teens, I misguidedly assumed that all museum work was monotonous and solitary. However, when it was suggested that I found some work experience for my university applications, I figured I could tolerate a dull week in a museum for the sake of a History degree. So, I emailed a local site asking for holiday work and awaited a response. Several emails later and I was offered a couple of weeks volunteering in the museum’s Learning Department.

... No idea what a Learning Department is.

A special department for people wanting to learn about the sector?

Oh well, I’d find out soon enough.

I remember rocking up to the museum, nervously repeating the name of the staff member I needed to ask for in my head. I found an unassuming door round the back, which I knocked, hoping it was the staff entrance and not a random fire exit. Fortunately, my guess was correct, and I was let in by a member of Visitor Services.

I’d like to say, in that moment, I was hit with the sudden epiphany of what my future career would be... but I wasn’t. Instead, I was slapped in the face by a gush of warm air. While galleries might be air-conditioned, behind the scenes, it turns out museums can get ridiculously hot! I was taken from a stuffy foyer to a boiling office where, along with another volunteer, I was given a contract and briefed on what we’d signed up for.

Okay, so the Learning Department creates and delivers activities for visitors. Nice. Not solitary-sounding and hopefully not dull!

Dull it was not, and I had a great time. Although I lacked confidence initially, as the days went by, I gradually slipped out of my shell. It turned out I enjoyed working with families and, according to the feedback forms I received, I wasn’t entirely awful at it either. At this point, it’s worth mentioning that I was not in a good place in my personal life, and those weeks as a volunteer did more for my well-being than I can really express. For the first time in a while, I felt comfortable, confident and happy: the work was rewarding, I loved interacting with visitors, and the staff were… Utterly amazing. They helped me, they pushed me, and, although I was a random teenager only here for work experience, they really made me feel part of the team.

But before it had started, my time at the museum was over. This is probably the point where you’d assume I’d found my ‘true calling,’ but it wasn’t. There were other avenues I wanted to explore, different interests to dabble in. However, the joy of volunteering was an ever-tempting allure that saw me return, year after year, to work at that same museum.

I think my colleagues knew I wanted to make a career out of my hobby before I did. Halfway through my degree, I was veering towards a very different industry, and I can remember their confused but polite reaction when I shared my aspirations. Even when a staff member sat me down and gave me a list of resources for museum job hunting, I still wasn’t set on working in heritage.

I’m not sure when my mind changed, but by my last shift, I knew I’d discovered the sector I wanted to work in. I think it was the people I worked with that inspired that decision. Everyone was so positive, so in love with their job, so keen to guide me in my work and share their knowledge about museums. Sure, they all said it was a bugger of a sector to work in, but they said it with a smile and never discouraged me. They’re generous too: those I’m in touch with beyond the workplace have been vital in helping me find job posts, reading over my applications and keeping me motivated. I owe an awful lot to them and their kindness.

For me, volunteering was never about getting a foot in the door or ‘paying my dues’. I realise I’m lucky to have spent so much time working in the sector for free, and I can’t deny how valuable the experience has been when applying for jobs. However, as someone who was mostly unsure, and sometimes adamant, that they didn’t want to work in a museum, there must’ve been something else that motivated me as a volunteer.

Joy.

I volunteered for the sake of volunteering. I did so because all elements of the role brought me happiness: my colleagues, the visitors I worked with, the site I worked at. If money was no object, I would have volunteered there forever, and I’d certainly love to volunteer in the future. Next month, five years on from my first week volunteering, I’ll be starting work as a Learning Assistant. As you can imagine, I'm excited to get back out there working with families, as well as trying my hand at all sorts of new things! It’s not what I imagined my future to be when I was looking for work experience, but it’s certainly where I’m glad to have ended up.