Line Manager Name: Annette MacTavish
Job Title: Director of Museum of Cornish Life
Pathways Programme: Pathways to Arts, Culture & Heritage
Organisation Summary: The Museum of Cornish Life is a fascinating place to work where something different happens each day. The museum houses one of the largest social history collections in the
South West, and ranges from archaeological evidence of the earliest settlers to the Lizard
Peninsula, to a fully stocked 1950s kitchen to Henry Trengrouse Life-Saving-Apparatus to
Flora Day dresses and souvenirs.
How did hosting an intern via the Professional Pathways programme benefit you and your organisation?
Hosting an intern from the Pathways Programme is something we look forward to annually. It is a moment for our organisation to benefit from the input of somebody new into the team who can bring a fresh perspective and crucially dedicate the time to undertake work that we currently cannot resource.
How was your experience of hosting a Pathways intern?
The two interns we hosted in 2023 both worked remotely but in previous years we have also hosted students in the museum. Each internship was designed to maximise the advantages inherent in each distinct offer but all interns were tasked with completing a defined project. The students who were hosted remotely researched items in our collection. To make sure this was successful and there work could progress we set aside time each day to follow up on questions and to send them any required information or evidence.
Given the Professional Pathways internship is 35 hours in total, how would you recommend ensuring both you and your intern(s) gain as much as possible from the experience?
In advance of the internship we send the student a suggested timetable. We then have a follow up chat to check everything is clear and there are no changes that need made to the timetable. At this point we also make clear the projects that we have available that they might like to pursue or they can suggest their own. Having timetabled conversations with members of the team pre-arranged in the timetable means that the student doesn’t waste time or opportunities.
Why would you recommend Professional Pathways to other employers?
As with all employers we never have enough capacity. The internship every year has connected us with committed and professional students. They have brought their own enthusiasm and interest to allow us to share our collection to more people.
What advice would you give to a student considering applying for Professional Pathways?
Take the time to think about what you would like to get out of the opportunity and consider if their is an employer who can help you to do this. It is always helpful if you can have a completed output so sometimes scaling down your ambitions will allow you to succeed. The opportunity allows you to make connections with potential future employers and to build networks.