Museums and Galleries

Museums and galleries offer a wide variety of careers focused on preserving, curating, and interpreting collections for public engagement and education. While a passion for art, history, or culture is valuable, successful candidates also bring strong organisational, communication, and research skills. Roles are highly competitive and often involve volunteering to gain a foothold. There is no single route into this sector, with professionals coming from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds.

Explore job roles

Roles in museums and galleries range from curating and managing collections, to designing exhibitions, delivering learning programmes, and leading community engagement. Curators research and care for collections, while exhibitions officers coordinate displays and public programmes. Education officers create learning opportunities for schools and the public. Many roles are project-based or combine multiple functions in smaller institutions, offering varied and rewarding experiences.

Use the job profiles below to find out about, skills, entry routes and experience

See also:

Tip: Use the information about skills in the profiles to help you build a tailored CV.

Building skills and experience

Experience is crucial for breaking into the sector. Volunteer work helps you understand the field, build skills, and make connections. Positions may be short-term, fixed term, or part-time. Consider making speculative applications to local museums and galleries.

Use the job profiles above to check which skills are normally needed for the roles you are interested in.

  • Consider volunteering at both large institutions (e.g. Manchester Museum, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery) and smaller local venues to gain varied experience. You can look for volunteering positions on the University’s Volunteer Hub or reach out to museums and galleries directly. Visit Manchester has a list of Manchester based museums and galleries.
  • Apply for visitor experience, front-of-house, or education volunteering roles
  • Volunteer for cultural events or open days on campus
  • Get involved in community engagement projects
  • Use LinkedIn to connect with alumni and professionals working in museums and galleries.

Finding and applying for jobs

Entry-level roles are rare and highly competitive. Networking and volunteering often lead to opportunities. Be proactive in researching organisations and making speculative applications.

Find vacancies

Further resources

Next steps

When planning your next steps you may have additional questions or want to explore certain aspects in more detail: