Museum assistant
Help people enjoy visiting a museum. You'll keep valuable exhibits safe from accidents or damage.
Also known as: museum attendant
About the job
What it's like
As a museum assistant, you'll play a key role in preserving history so people can enjoy and learn from it.
In this role, you'll help visitors get the most out of their time in a museum. You'll be responsible for keeping valuable exhibits safe from accidents or deliberate damage.
Museum assistants look after the visitors, answer their questions and help them find their way around the building.
This job comes with a sense of responsibility. You'll need to scan your surroundings for security issues unfolding – some of the items on display could be unique and extremely valuable.
As a museum assistant, the best quality you can bring to this role is an interest in museums, galleries and the heritage sector!
Your tasks might include:
patrolling the building to monitor security and making sure the exhibits are in good order
talking to visitors and helping them with their enquiries
helping museum curators and other senior staff to move and change displays and exhibitions
issuing entrance tickets and serving customers in the museum shop
cleaning the building and carrying out administrative tasks when needed
monitoring the museum for security risks so you can act quickly if anything unfolds
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
Museums Association – learn more about working in a museum and find volunteering opportunities
Disclosure Scotland – find out about the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme
Other careers that you might like
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Lifeguard -
Wardrobe assistant
Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
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Tourism and hospitality -
Creative
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- time management
- filtering
- concentrating
- attention to detail
- respecting
- researching
- problem solving
- verbal communication
- listening
- positive attitude
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Classical Studies
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English and Communication
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History
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Skills for Work: Hospitality
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Social Subjects
You don't need any formal qualifications to become a museum assistant. Although, most employers will expect you to have a good general education.
Work
You can apply directly for museum assistant vacancies.
However, there is often a lot of competition for these jobs. You can improve your chances of success by:
building experience in a customer service or building security job
having a keen interest in museums and their services
showing knowledge and enthusiasm for the topics covered by museums you're applying to
volunteering experience in a museum, gallery or heritage attraction
You can use the My World of Work job search to find vacancies.
Apprenticeships
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) mean you learn on the job. You'll get paid and work towards a qualification at the same time. You might want to consider a Creative and Cultural MA.
Any experience or skills you have in customer service, museums or galleries will look good on your job application.
Volunteering in a relevant role can help you build the skills and experience you’ll need to become a museum assistant. Search for customer service or museum-based opportunities on Volunteer Scotland.
It helps if you're physically fit – you'll likely spend a lot of time standing and there may be some heavy lifting involved.
Depending on where you work, you may need to be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, run by Disclosure Scotland.
