Current role at UCL: Curatorial and Collections Assistant at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology
I’ve been at the UCL museums for 7 years, and in this job for three. My role is incredibly varied! I deal with the day-to-day care and management of the collection, coordinate physical access to it – for researchers, students, teaching, etc. –, contribute to curatorial projects like exhibitions and events, and run some of my own projects to research and tell stories through the objects in our care.
Please could you describe your career journey
My career journey has been quite… exploratory. I trained and worked as an archaeologist in the UK, the Middle East and Inner Asia, then worked in policy and advocacy for the heritage sector, before turning to museums where I’ve worked in both public engagement and curatorial roles. I came to work at the UCL museums in 2018, and have recently started a PhD alongside my role to explore the dynamics of co-producing impactful community engagement with heritage as a means of addressing contemporary issues.
Having explored all these different facets of the cultural heritage sector – research, funding, operations, engagement – I’ve developed a perspective on the sector as a whole that not many people have. The process of getting there felt very frustrating to me – it has only been in recent years that mentors and peers have helped me understand the value of such a breadth of experience, and given me the confidence to portray my trajectory as a strength.
As you moved through your career journey, please describe your experience(s) in how you progressed to your current role?
Throughout most of my career, I’ve held multiple part-time jobs, in different organisations, in parallel. People often expect this to be tiring, but I’ve found it to be hugely beneficial! Experiencing different work environments at the same time and having mentors and role models in several different fields, has helped give me a sense of perspective.
Most of my moves have been lateral moves – unfortunately the museums and heritage sector has very limited upwards progression. This can be frustrating at times. Working creatively on cross-departmental projects has been a good antidote to this frustration, and developing relationships with colleagues and networks not just within but beyond my department has been a great source of support.
What lessons have you learnt on your career journey?
Because career pathways are not so straightforward in my sector, I have learnt to think creatively about my professional development. To figure out what to look for in the next role, I ask myself: what do I actually want to do on a day-to-day basis? What activities do I find fulfilling in my current role, and what do I want to leave behind? Since there is no obvious route to progression in what I do, I have found that talking to people around me and in my networks, about what they do to be invaluable in helping me shape my career moves.
What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?
I was recently invited to speak at a sold-out panel on Women in Heritage, alongside someone who is a leader in my field and whose career I’ve admired for a long time – this felt like a big achievement. As was the response from the audience, and the realisation that there are many ways we can support each other!
What advice would you offer to others?
Not to be afraid of having varied interests and skillsets – rather than downplaying it, learning to string them together into a cohesive story of who you are and what you can do is a real strength.
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