Young People's Blog Series - Reflecting on the Young Freelancers Experience: One Year On
When I first heard of the Young Freelancers programme I wasn’t exactly sure what it entailed. I heard the words ‘entry-level’, ‘paid’ and ‘museum work’ so instinctively jumped on it because, let’s be honest, opportunities that fulfill all three criteria are rare within the sector. A few weeks later, I found myself at the group interview where I learned more about the programme - the fact that it works on a brief-by-brief basis, we apply, get accepted (sometimes not!) and work with teams across London Transport Museum on a range of projects. I left that interview very excited about the programme because, firstly, it offered such a wide variety of experience and secondly, it allowed the freedom of being able to manage my own time/workload. The only thing left to do was to get on the programme which fortunately happened and that brings us to now - one year on!
Whilst reflecting on my experience of the programme, one thing I recognised is that it gave me the chance to look past my interests and explore aspects of museum work that I previously hadn’t considered. This isn’t to say I started the programme with a clear idea in my head of what I wanted to get from it but that’s a topic for another blog post. I think as well as being able to discover and develop new skills, I was aware of my privilege of being able to access these opportunities, so the least I could do was try them out.
The brief that sticks out in my head is working on an Inspire Engineering Day delivering the ‘Travel Challenge Trail’. This involved taking students on a tour of the Acton Depot to showcase how engineers have helped to keep London moving over time. In any other context, I wouldn’t have considered applying for such a role because the idea of public speaking intimidated me. However, being part of the programme I knew I would be working in a safe and supportive environment that encouraged me to apply. Despite the initial nervousness, I found it to be a rewarding experience because of the enthusiasm of the students. They engaged well with the content and asked loads of questions - some of which I didn’t know the answer to but it was a great learning experience!
Ultimately, I learned about the importance of always looking beyond my comfort zone and grasping new opportunities, however scary they may be, as that is the best way to develop and truly learn and build upon your skills!