Volunteering in the record-keeping sector
If you can become a volunteer before doing a course it may help confirm if this is the career for you. We have a list of volunteer opportunities available for you.
Take a look through the current placement opportunities across the UK and Ireland.
These are either voluntary or paid placements for those seeking work experience prior to undertaking a post graduate course in Archives and/or Records Management.
If you are an employer looking for volunteers or trainees then please contact us at membership@archives.org.uk to register your details and the type of role you can offer.
Work Experience Advice & Guidance
Be clear on the type of experience you're looking for and where you're happy to work.
Read the descriptions of opportunities offered carefully, and apply only for those which offer the type of experience you are seeking in locations where you would be prepared to work.
The Forum for Archive and Records Management Education and Research has produced two additional guideline documents for the applicant and the organisation offering the placement.
Remember the quality of the experience is more important than the quantity: a couple of months volunteer work where you experience a range of different tasks and gain exposure to different areas of the work will serve as better preparation for the course than a year in a very routine role.
Finding a placement
In Archives
In addition to the list held at the ARA, Archive Assistant/temporary posts are also via the archives-nra listserve, The archives-nra list homepage allows users to view and search past messages sent to the list and includes instructions on joining and leaving the list. A similar list for Records Management is the RECORDS-MANAGEMENT-UK listserve.
In Records Management
The Information and Records Management Society posts job advertisements for records managers at all levels in the UK on their website. Whilst their job section does not separate advertisements into levels of experience required, there are often a number of assistant or junior roles on the site that can act as traineeships or entry-level posts.
In Archive Conservation
Work experience placement in conservation departments is possible for those who would like to find out more about the career and especially for those currently enrolled on courses. Contact either national or local organisations directly to find out if they have an in-house conservation service and if they offer placements for specified periods.
The ARA offers training in book and archive conservation via our Archive Conservation Training Scheme.