Museums have been around for a long time in the UK, with the University of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum being founded in 1683 and the British Museum opening its doors in 1759. Heritage and museum work is an evolving sector and remains a popular choice for students when considering their career after university.

The range of roles within this sector is varied. Curators, conservators, exhibition officers, exhibition designers, education officers, and directors are just some of the opportunities available.

However, museums are constantly evolving and are no longer solely made-up of static exhibits. Digital applications, interpretative content and interactivity have transformed how museums curate and understand their collections, and engage and enable their visitors.

This means there is growth in the digitisation and visualisation of collections, creating more openings in heritage careers for IT professionals and digital innovators. However, these are areas that non-technical graduates can enter as well, when teamed with further training and a genuine interest in the field.

The University’s Centre for Digital Heritage shows the potential for research and management in the sector. Working in the areas of digital presentation, virtual reality modelling and augmentation, the centre shows the changing face of museums, as well as the future potential.

If this sounds interesting and is something that you would like to explore in more detail then we’re hosting an event on Wednesday 22 February which will see a number of digital heritage, museum policy and management practitioners on campus at the Careers In event.

The panellists will include the founder and CEO of Experience Heritage, Community Manager for Gertrude Art Technologies, and the CEO for York Museums Trust.  A not-to-be-missed opportunity to gain some insights into the sector direct from the people who know.

Read more

• Museums and heritage job sector – background information, including work experience suggestions and job sites
• University of York’s Centre for Digital Heritage
• Heritage-related postgraduate courses at York, including MSc Digital Heritage
• Museum jobs article from Prospects

And if you have any questions, contact us!