Visual Merchandising and Digi Shop Volunteer - RM

Visual Merchandising and Digi Shop Volunteer - Reading Museum

Role Description

Location: Reading Museum

Why we want you:

  • We are looking for an approachable and  creative individual to join our volunteer team and support staff with online and in-person engagement for the Reading Museum shop and online shop
  • You will interact with our customers to find out more about items they might hope to purchase to enhance their visit to Reading Museum and the historic Town Hall building
  • We are looking for someone who enjoys merchandising the shop and preparing it for key busy moments during the year i.e. in the run up to Christmas
  • You will help bring our digital and social media retail portfolio to life by creating vivid and engaging digital content that showcases the key stories in the Museum shop, the history of the Museum, its collections, and the place of Reading itself

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What you will be doing: 

You will join our Visitor Services Officer, Deputy Visitor Services Officer and Receptionist on a Monday between 10am and 1pm (and/ or potentially at other points in the week if agreed) to assist with the following tasks aimed at maximising retail sales – the funding from which helps support the museum’s activities:

  • Helping merchandise the shop and prepare displays
  • Taking photos of stock ready for social media/ e-shots/ our online shop
  • Helping prepare and plan content and campaigns for social media
  • Talking to customers and collecting/ analysing data so that we can understand more about our customer and what they are looking for

You will receive full-training and will be supported by the Visitor Services officer and Deputy Visitor Services Officer.

A rest break will be arranged mid-shift.

This role will suit you if you are:

  • Interested in gaining or practising your existing visual merchandising skills
  • Have strong photography skills
  • Able to work as part of a team  
  • Self-motivated and pro-active  
  • A good communicator 
  • Creative, with an eye for detail 

What you will gain in return  

  • An opportunity to work in a heritage environment 
  • The opportunity to learn from experienced museum staff
  • Build on your photography and visual merchandising skills
  • Being part of a team and developing new contacts 

How much time will it take up? 
This volunteering opportunity is for 12 weeks from September until late December on Mondays from 10:00 to 13:00.

You will get the most out of the placement if you are able to attend as many sessions as possible during that time. However, we realise that you may have some prior commitments/ appointments in the 12 week period.  

The museum itself is closed to visitors on Mondays, but the shop and Town Hall reception remains open to customers.

To apply

Please complete your volunteer registration form on our volunteering platform by midday on Thursday 14th September. *Please ensure you tick ‘Visual Merchandising and Digi Shop Volunteer - RM’ in your ‘Interests’ section under My profile, when registering. 

 

If you are using a mobile or tablet, once you click ‘Fill in an Application’, look out for the suggestion ‘It looks like you are on a mobile device. For a better experience on smart phones, go to Mobile Application Form’ and click on the link it suggests.

 

When you are happy with your application, please don’t forget to click SUBMIT – otherwise we will never receive your form! 

 

We sometimes find that more volunteers apply for the role than we have vacancies. You are welcome to attach your CV if you wish, but please include key relevant  

information when answering the application form questions, as this may be used if we need to shortlist from a larger group of applicants. 

 

Existing volunteers - If you are already registered to volunteer with Museums Partnership Reading, please log in to the volunteering platform, click on My Profile, select the ‘Interests’ section, and ensure you tick the box next to 'Visual Merchandising and Digi Shop Volunteer - RM’ by midday on Thursday 14th September. 

 

Matching to the role

If we think you are a match for this role, we will invite you to a 30-minute informal interview with a member of the Reading Museum team and Sheila Fisher (Museum Partnership Reading Volunteer Coordinator), ideally in person, where you can have an opportunity to tell us about your interests and experience, and ask us some questions.