Instructions for Applications
Thank you for your interest in the Museum Pathways programme at Fulham Palace.
We are pleased to enclose an Application Pack.
To apply:
1. This document comprises two parts; Part 1 explains how to apply and
information about the program. Part 2 is the Application Form.
2. Complete sections 1 to 8 of the Application form in full.
3. When completed, return only the Application Form (Sections 1-8). Return
them to us by email to miranda.poliakoff@fulhampalace.org. Please include a
short covering letter, or email, confirming that you are applying for Museum
Pathways and that you are available for interview between the dates specified.
Important Information:
1. Please note the closing date for applications is 12:00 noon on Monday 4
August 2014. Applications received after this time will not be considered.
2. The interview process will comprise of a group activity day on 19 August, from
which candidates will be shortlisted for a second interview on 20 August.
3. If you application is successful, you will be invited to attend the first stage of
the interview process by 8 August.
Further enquiries:
If you have any further queries about your application please contact us on 020 7610
7165 or e-mail miranda.poliakoff@fulhampalace.org.
MUSEUM PATHWAYS Programme Introduction.
Museum Pathways is a programme supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund in which
the British Museum works closely with a partnership of museums across London to
support new entrants into the museum sector who are interested in gaining skills and
who are considering a career in culture or heritage. The programme runs for 18
months with each trainee being based for six months with their chosen partner
museum before spending six months working at the British Museum, returning to
their partner museum for the final six months. During the entire program each
trainee will benefit from the network of other participating museums through regular
training sessions and the community of Museum Pathways trainees. Candidates are
not expected to have any prior experience of working in museums but it is important
that anyone who applies is interested in how culture can be relevant to diverse
communities and new audiences, and has a passion for working with people, history,
culture and art, as well as thinking creatively about the role museums play in people’s
everyday lives.
The aim of this programme is to seek out people who may not have considered a
career in museums before and equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to
go on to start a museum career and make an informed decision about their career
direction. By taking part in the programme trainees will gain a better understanding
of what they would like to do in the future, complete an accredited qualification in
Cultural Heritage and gain real experiences to refer to in future job applications.
Role Description
The role will offer trainees the opportunity to develop skills, experiences and to gain
a recognised qualification.
At Fulham Palace, trainees will work mostly within the curatorial and learning
departments, gaining experience of working with museum collections, putting on
exhibitions, working with children and community groups, and developing and
running events for families and adults.
During their time at the British Museum trainees will work in many different aspects
of museum work, but will focus on how to effectively manage a museum collection
by working with real objects housed at the British Museum. They will take advantage
of the diversity and expertise available at this world class institution. The trainee will
form part of a skills exchange by bringing practice and knowledge from their partner
museum to the British Museum and in turn learning skills from the British Museum to
enhance the work at their partner museum.
Key Responsibilities:
 Attend all Museum Pathways training sessions
 Assist in the organisation and care of the museum’s collection.
 Work on the digitalisation of collections and assist with inputting of records
onto computerised databases.
 Contribute to the evaluation of the Palace’s public programmes through
gathering and analysing feedback
 Devise (with line manager) and undertake an individual project at Fulham
Palace
 Be a flexible and committed member of the Palace team as occasional
evening and weekend work may be required.
 Carry out the responsibilities of the post having regard for the Palace’s Equal
Opportunities, Child Protection, Customer Care and Health and Safety Policies.
 Attend all Museum Pathways training sessions
 Attend meetings with Supervisor and Mentor
 Complete all required documentation for the training qualification (Cultural
Heritage QCF Level 3)
 Develop a wide knowledge of the museum sector
 Partake in all physical aspects of the job. Any other tasks related to role.
Personal Specification
We are looking for people who meet the following criteria:
 Passion and enthusiasm for providing engaging experiences for the public
 Interest in working directly with diverse and fascinating world collections
 Curious about museum objects and the stories they can tell
 Commitment to an 18 month programme of self-development and learning
 New or inexperienced in the museum sector
 Reliable, punctual, and adaptable to new working environments and teams
 Articulate, enthusiastic and conscientious
 Able to empathise with a wide range of groups
 Motivated to develop and learn new skills
 Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
 Creative and confident in putting forward new ideas
 Able to plan and organise their time
 IT literate with experience of using Microsoft Excel and Word
 Proven manual dexterity
 Able to work independently and as part of a team
 Be over 18 years of age and have eligibility to work in the UK.
Please note:
 The programme is geared towards applicants below undergraduate level.
 This role will require the successful applicant to undergo a Disclosure and
Barring Service check as they will be working with children. Having a criminal
record in itself is not a barrier – we are only concerned about convictions that
show a person might pose a risk to children. Any information revealed by
these checks is kept strictly confidential.
Main Contacts:
Supervisor- oversees role on day to day basis
Mentor-supports role
Partner Museum colleagues- supporting, collaborating, learning from
Museum Pathways Coordinator- liaising with, supplying qualification paperwork to.
Accredited Qualification:
The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) Level 3 Diploma in Cultural Heritage
comprises a number of Mandatory and Optional Units. These relate to different work
activities. As an integral part of the placement, trainees must record their work and
progression towards each of the Units. An external examiner will regularly assess the
trainees’ progress.
Some examples of the QCF Units that trainees are likely to cover are:
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Taking responsibility for work in a creative and cultural context
Maintain competence and undertake work-related learning
Work effectively with other people in a creative and cultural context
Represent a creative and cultural organisation
Plan and deliver learning or interpretation activities
Engage with communities on behalf of a creative and cultural organisation
Undertake marketing activities in a creative and cultural context
Provide information on a cultural heritage collection
Design exhibitions and displays for cultural heritage
Contribute to the care of cultural heritage objects
Provide guided tours in a cultural venue
Support the organisation of creative or cultural events or exhibitions
Catalogue objects and collections
Demonstrate understanding of customer service
Additional Information:
Start date:
Trainees will be required to attend a two week Induction at the British Museum from
6 October 2014. They will begin at their partner museum on Monday 20 October
2014. The programme will end in April 2016.
Bursary:
Trainees will receive a bursary of £14,333 per annum for the 18 months of the
programme.
Working Hours:
5 days (37 hours) per week, 9.15am - 5.30pm, with some option for Bank Holiday,
weekend and evening work. Time off will be given in lieu.
Annual Leave:
Trainees will have an annual leave allowance of 25 days including bank holidays. The
annual leave year commences on 1 April and new staff will receive their annual leave
allowance on joining.
Museum Pathways Application Form
Please complete this Application Form and return it by email to
miranda.poliakoff@fulhampalace.org by no later than 12:00 noon on Monday 4 August
2014.
1. Personal Details
First
Name
:
Title:
Last
Name
:
Address:
Mobile
Tel:
Home
Tel:
Email:
2. Where did you find out about this opportunity?
State the name of the publication, website, radio station or recruitment service or
specify any other sources.
3. Employment History
Please give details of all previous work experience – paid or voluntary – starting with
the most recent position. Please continue on an additional page if necessary.
Job
Title
:
Name of
Organisation:
Dates of
Employment:
From:
To:
Key areas of
responsibility:
Reason for
leaving:
Job
Title
:
Name of
Organisation:
Dates of
Employment:
From:
To:
Key areas of
responsibility:
Reason for
leaving:
Job
Title
:
Name of
Organisation:
Dates of
Employment:
Key areas of
responsibility:
Reason for
leaving:
From:
To:
4. Education and Training
Please give details of your education, qualifications and any relevant training courses,
starting with the most recent.
University / College /
School / Training Course:
Subjects / qualifications and
grades obtained:
Date completed:
5. In support of your application
Please answer the following questions in order to outline your knowledge and
interests related to the skills required for this role. Answer concisely and simply,
giving specific examples where possible.
Explain why you are applying for a placement on the Museum Pathways
programme. Consider what skills and experiences you want to gain from the
traineeship. Tell us what appeals to you about the cultural and heritage sector.
Why do you think such organisations are important in the modern world? (250
words)
Tell us about a culture, heritage or arts organisation or event you have visited or
attended recently. Why did you go there? What did you think made it successful
or not? How would you have improved it? (250 words)
Explain an occasion when you have used communication skills. This could be a
presentation, a report, a debate or a time when you have worked with a group
and had to get your point across. How did you make sure you were understood?
(250 words)
Describe an event you have organised - for educational reasons, a social
occasion, or related to work. Tell us how you planned it, how you made it work,
how you managed any financial matters and how you could tell if it was
successful. (250 words)
Refer to the personal specification and describe any other skills or experiences
you have that are relevant to the Museum Pathways programme. This is your
opportunity to tell us anything else about yourself that makes you a good
candidate for this role. (250 words)
Referees
Please give details of two persons who can provide educational or employment
references. One of these should be your most recent employer if possible.
We cannot accept references from friends or family members.
Name:
Job
Title:
Company
& Address:
Tel. No:
Email:
How do you know this person?
Can we contact this person prior to
interview?
Name:
Yes / No (Delete as appropriate)
Job
Title:
Company
& Address:
Tel. No:
Email:
How do you know this person?
Can we contact this person prior to
interview?
Yes / No (Delete as appropriate)
7. Declaration
I confirm that the details provided on this form and in any supplementary
information that I provide in support of my application are complete and correct.
I understand that giving false or misleading information, or failing to provide details,
will disqualify me from the application process or invalidate any offers of traineeships.
Signed: _________________________
Date: __________________________
(Please type your name or insert a digital signature here if submitting this form
electronically. You will be asked to sign the form in person at interview if your
application is successful.)
8. Diversity Monitoring Form
The Museum Pathways programme is committed to recruiting based on merit and to
promoting equality and diversity. Information from this form will not be used as part
of the selection process, but will be used to monitor the effectiveness of our diversity
objectives and recruitment strategies.
Please mark an X in the appropriate box for each question.
Gender:
Male
Female
Date of Birth:
(DD-MM-YYYY)
Nationality:
Ethnicity:
British
Irish
White other (Please specify)
Black or
Black
British:
African
Caribbean
Black other (Please specify)
Asian or
Asian
British:
Chinese
Indian
Pakistani
White:
Mixed:
White and
Asian
White and
Black Caribbean
White and
Black African
Other (please
specify)
Other (please
specify)
Any other: (Please specify)
Do you consider yourself to have a disability?
If so, please give details,
including any special
arrangements you would
require for interview:
Yes
No