My name is Nicole and for 10 weeks this summer, I was an intern with the University’s Museums and Special Collections. The aim of my internship was to improve the visitor experience of Digital & Information Services, with a focus on sustainability and accessibility.
This internship seemed like it was made for me, as an Art History student going into my final year, my career ambitions heavily focus on the heritage sector. From a personal perspective, sustainability and accessibility are concepts that are close to my heart, and I was excited to see how the various elements of this internship would weave together.
What did I do?
After our intern induction, I got to sit down with every member of the department and spend time learning what their specific role entails. This included such perks as getting a behind the scenes view of the Museums and Special Collections in all sorts of stores across campus, and in Marischal College. It was a really great opportunity to see the inner workings of this sector.
My main focus throughout the internship was creating an action plan to aid the department in its attempt to secure a Green Tourism Award. The Green Tourism Award is an official recognition of your institution’s sustainability efforts. For me, this covered social media, training, and public outreach. While there is still a long way to go, I think we’ve definitely taken a step in the right direction.
In line with my action plan for the Green Tourism Award, I created social media content relating to museums and sustainability. I assisted with promoting the Old Aberdeen Library in the Sir Duncan Rice Library as a sustainable and helpful resource for staff and students, as well as the local community in Old Aberdeen. I also assisted in curating accessible webpages for the University's Gallery and newly re-opened Zoology Museum, as well as helping out with exhibitions.
What did I learn?
I got to learn some new skills, which really helped me to engage with my internship. I got to create some content for social media which was a fun creative outlet. I made action plans, which I had never done before. They proved to be very useful for actively measuring what I was doing and what still needs to be worked on even after I leave. I also had the opportunity to attend workshops online with various organisations and connected with some interesting people in the sector.
Before applying, I already knew that I had an interest in this sector but now I know that this is what I want to pursue when I finish my studies. The insight I gained from each person in my department was invaluable and provided me with so many opportunities to learn and grow.
The people that I worked with throughout this experience are what made it what it was. I was lucky to have not one, but two, line managers who supported me the whole way through. Every single person in the department was incredibly kind and willing to help me and chat to me about what they do. It was an amazing 10 weeks!
