Archive Work

Archive Work
How to get a Job in Archive Work

There are very few jobs in archive work and it is unusual to move directly from a degree course immediately into permanent employment in archive work. However for those willing to undertake further study in addition to relevant work experience and volunteering, opportunities do exist. Employers of archivists are government agencies, local authorities, businesses, universities, hospitals, museums, charities and professional bodies.

For those considering a career in this field work experience and shadowing is very important. A local county records office is a good starting point for work experience but opportunities also exist in a wide range of other organisations. Universities host some of the largest archive services while effective records management is a key element of all professional organisations. The 'ARCHON directory', which is available on the National Archives website, provides a list of contact details for record repositories in the UK. The Society of Archivists maintains a list of volunteer opportunities; you can also submit your details to the society's list of work experience candidates. If appropriate, use your dissertation/course work as an opportunity to do some research using archives; this also provides an opportunity to meet staff working in this area.

Paid experience may be possible; there are a limited number of traineeships available each year. The Society of Archivists provides information on institutions offering one-year traineeships; the range of employers is very broad, including museums, universities and large corporations like Boots and Unilever. It is also appropriate to speculatively approach organizations that interest you, particularly as the society's traineeship list is not exhaustive. Without additional qualifications, employment in an archive or records management context will be difficult but clerical and assistant level roles will arise that you can apply for.

Postgraduate study is very important to securing employment; a list of institutions offering postgraduate study in this field is available on the Society of Archivists website. At present there are only six programmes available in the UK; competition is high and pre-entry experience is necessary. Records management is a feature of library and information management postgraduate courses; an information management qualification will be appropriate to job opportunities in records management but may be less relevant to archivist roles.

As you can see, it is a competitive area and successful entrants normally have substantial work experience. You may need to employ networking skills and apply speculatively both for work experience prior to graduation and a job after graduation. For further advice on this see the Job Search section of the Information Room and the leaflet 'Networking'.

Regarding vacancies and placement information, some organisations may advertise their opportunities via university careers services. If we receive details of any opportunities they will be filed in this folder and advertised on the 'vacancies' section of our website www.dur.ac.uk/careers-advice. Opportunities can also be sought in the national/local press, The Guardian for example, and via more specialist sources such as the 'Museum Jobs' website and ARC Recruitment (a vacancy service provided by the Society of Archivists). Employers will also send vacancy details directly to those institutions offering courses in archive and record management.

In your final year, make contact with organisations that are currently advertising vacancies or have done so recently. Networking of this nature may lead to work experience opportunities; crucial in terms of your employability and in any application to a postgraduate course in this field. It is important to research the available postgraduate courses and make enquiries to the admissions tutors, particularly in respect of entry requirements; they may be looking for at least 12 months relevant experience. It is also worth enquiring about any assistant or trainee posts that have been advertised with them. Information on postgraduate courses is available in the postgraduate study section of this folder and the Postgraduate Study section of the Information Room. General information on postgraduate study can be found on the Prospects site (www.prospects.ac.uk) and www.findamasters.com. Unfortunately funding for postgraduate study is very limited. Ask the Admissions Tutors for the courses how previous students financed themselves. A career development loan or graduate loan may have to be considered. See the leaflet 'Thinking about Postgraduate Study?' and the AGCAS booklet 'Postgraduate Study and Research' for details.
Useful websites:

Society of Archivists - www.archives.org.uk

British Library - www.bl.uk

Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) - www.mla.gov.uk

The National Archives - www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

The National Archives of Scotland - www.nas.gov.uk

The National Library of Scotland - www.nls.uk

The National Library of Wales - www.llgc.org.uk

The National Library of Ireland - www.nli.ie
Employment:

Society of Archivists (job vacancies) -www.archives.org.uk/careerdevelopment/jobvacancies.html

Museum Jobs - www.museumjobs.com

Academic Jobs - www.jobs.ac.uk

Guardian Jobs - http://jobs.guardian.co.uk

Sue Hill Recruitment - www.suehill.com

Record Management Society (job vacancies) - www.rms-gb.org.uk/jobs

Jobs in Information - http://web.jinfo.com/jobs/

TFPL - www.tfpl.com