|
|
|
|
 |
What is your current role and how long have you been working in it?
I have been Head of Operations and Visitor Services at Tate Liverpool for eight years.
Has your role or job changed much throughout you time with Tate?
In 1998 the gallery went through a refurbishment and at the same time Tate as an organisation looked towards moving away from the civil service. This has meant my role has become broader and involves more financial planning and business management.
What qualifications and skills do you need for your current job?
Broad experience in all aspects of running a business including estate management, human resources, finance, gallery services, operational as well as front of house.
Where did you work before you joined Tate and what were the previous jobs you did?
I worked for Granada Entertainments, a division of Granada the TV Company, and ran an attraction in Blackpool called the Magic of Coronation Street, where I was Head of Operations.
Describe a typical working day
I open up my e-mail and prioritise. My diary is generally full so I don’t often have much time to spare. I have a list of things I need to do and deadlines. Prioritising my workload is really important so I don’t get distracted with things I don’t really need to do. I like to keep my e-mail inbox down to 100; at the moment it is 655, which adds to my workload. If I don’t prioritise, it can become pretty difficult to manage.
What attracted you to the job in the first place?
It was completely different to anything I’d done before. In my career I’ve always looked for new challenges and to work for different types of companies and gain a variety of experiences.
Describe the creative aspects of your job
I have to be creative around the budget. It’s challenging because we are grant funded, so generating income and finding ways to generate income is important. I find creative solutions in problem solving, trying to do find ways to support everything that everyone wants you to do.
Please describe a difficult or important decision you had to make in regards to your career
A difficult personal decision was to commute because I live near Blackpool and that’s where my support network is for my family which allowed me to do the job I’m doing. Commuting can have repercussions on my personal life, having to juggle everything to make it work, but I think that it’s worth it for the experience.
What are the most rewarding and most difficult aspects of you job?
The most rewarding are the people that I work with and the sense of achievement and being linked with the Tate brand, having earned enough respect so I get a lot of support, working in an environment that is flexible and understanding and caring and developing a good culture around supporting staff. The most difficult is the commuting and the constant change process.
What advice would you give to young people who are interested in doing your job?
Not to be frightened of working in a gallery nor feel restricted by your lack of art knowledge. The operational role that I do is based in tourism, leisure and general management, and you can apply all of those skills and actually contribute and support Tate just by applying your business skills. Simply gaining some experience in a front-of-house role, retail, catering or in customer service will put you on the first rung of the ladder.
Do you have any advice, links, websites or places that you could recommend for people who are interested in your job?
Job pages in the Guardian and the Tate website. Look at job specifications because it is really important to understand what would be required and what experience or qualifications you may need to gain.
