Name of Student: Niamh
Pathway Programme: Pathways to Arts, Culture and Heritage (2024 cohort)
Internship Role: Archive Assistant
Internship Employer: FXPlus Archives and Special Collections
Summary of Organisation: The Archives and Special Collections Service brings together original records with specialised book collections – unique, eclectic and inspiring sources for use in both research and creative practice. Situated on Level 0 of the Exchange on the Penryn Campus, our Collections are available to view in our Reading Room on request by appointment.
Please briefly outline the project/tasks/responsibilities you worked on during your Professional Pathways internship: “My project was working on the Len Truran Papers, to sort through documents sent to the archive, repackage them and upload them on FXPlus’ archiving software. I then completed a blog post on St Piran’s Oratory after finding some interesting documents on the conservation of the site.”
How do you think this experience will impact on your employability as you enter the job market as a recent graduate?
“As I developed through my internship, it became clear that this sector was something I would like to continue with in my career. To be fully immersed in the working environment for a week was extremely valuable in deciding whether this would be suitable. In addition to this, I am planning to apply for postgraduate study in Archiving! For this, I need valuable experience in the field beforehand, so Professional Pathways was perfect to get a head start on this!”
Why would you recommend the Professional Pathways programme to other students?
“I would highly recommend the Professional Pathways programme to everybody! Especially those from Cornwall, its a wonderful opportunity to travel up to Exeter and live there for a week, it is very different to Penryn. It was also exciting to meet new people and explore a new city!”