Young People's Blog Series - 5 things I wish I’d known before joining the Young Freelancers programme

Hi, I’m Veronica! I’m one of the current Young Freelancers at London Transport Museum. I graduated from a degree in Ancient History and French at Cardiff University in July 2019. After a whole series of job application and rejections, I was lucky enough to be selected for the Young Freelancers programme at London Transport Museum in September 2019.

This past year has been full of amazing opportunities to try things that I might never have got the opportunity to do otherwise. So here I am sharing some tips with you on things I wish I’d known before starting the programme that I’ve slowly discovered during my time here. They are things that I probably would have benefitted from knowing earlier, so I hope they can help others who are at the start of their journey.

Freelancing is a thing!

When I applied to the Young Freelancers programme, I had no idea what freelancing was. Coming from a more academic background, I didn’t realise that so many people in the arts freelance as a job and that this could also be an option for me. Freelancing can give you the freedom to work on lots of things that interest you at the same time. You can work for lots of different organisations and in different roles, and it’s up to you how you manage your time. That’s not to say that it’s easy! This was one of the things I found the most challenging to begin with, that I could not do this full-time and would have to find other part-time work.

All experience is good experience

This has been my motto since the start of the programme. I set myself the goal of applying to all the briefs available so I could get the widest range of experience. This has meant that over the past year I have worked on briefs across all different teams including learning, curatorial and digital marketing. Just through trying new things, I have learnt so many new skills that I can now use in my future career.

Networking is essential

There are lots of industry talks and events that you can go to and find out what’s happening in the  sector. It’s also an opportunity to network with other people who work in museums. This is an opportunity to tell people about what you’re interested in as well as finding out about what they do. It’s a good way to get your name out there, which is essential when you’re a freelancer as this is how you can secure future work.

Be vocal about what you want

If there’s something that interests you, an audience group you want to work with or a skill you want to learn, tell people about it! This is especially true for the Young Freelancers programme as sometimes briefs or training will be created with the purpose of helping you get those skills or experience. It’s always worth making people aware of the things you want to do because even if it doesn’t lead anywhere in that moment, you never know what opportunities might come from it in the future.

Make the most of the Museum’s networks

When you work or volunteer in museums, you can get free entry to other museums in the country with your staff badge (depending on where you work). It’s a great way to save money and see what’s on at a lot of other places.

Overall, I have really enjoyed my time on the Young Freelancers programme. My main piece of advice would be to be brave and try as many things as possible. I hope my advice here will help anyone who’s thinking of getting into the museums sector or who wants to apply for the Young Freelancers programme.

If you’re interested in my job, make sure to keep an eye on the website for opportunities to apply!