1) You’re now 3 months into your traineeship, please give us a snapshot of your role and its general nature? For examples, duties, working environment, etc?
My first few months have been very busy working in the Marketing and Communications Department here at Melbourne Museum from processing Museum Victoria memberships, data entry of Market Research Surveys then using that information and turning them into slide shows using text and graphs ready for presentation.
With the guidance of my supervisor Jenine Fleming Marketing Manager of Melbourne Museum, I then went onto collaborate and plan a Museum Victoria Members event with Eva Philippou who is Acting Museum Victoria Members Coordinator. My overall role was Event Manager where I liaised with numerous internal and external suppliers to be able to bring the event together on the day. Some of my responsibilities were keeping to a set budget, hiring trades people; entertainment, catering, staffing needs, marketing the event and anticipating members’ expectations and being onsite on the day of the event to make sure everything ran to plan. The day did in fact run smoothly. The weather was perfect, we had singers, two camels, children painting with watercolours, catering for lots of members, their friends and children and viewings of the touring exhibition Australia’s Muslim Cameleers: Pioneers of the Inland 1860s-1930s.
I’ve also coordinated a Museum Victoria information give away table for The Worlds Biggest Playgroup for 0-5 yr olds which is held here once a year here at Melbourne Museum. I’ve since been involved in the marketing campaign for the Ethiopian Festival to be held at Immigration Museum on the 18th April. This involved developing the Marketing and Communications Plan and briefing with the designers producing posters and fliers and advertisements for newspapers. I then booked advertising through a booking agency for SBS radio and The Age Newspaper. And all this was done with the supervision and guidance of Fay Valcanis Immigration Museums Marketing Manager.
2) What type of support is offered to you by your team here at Museum Victoria?
The support I receive is much and varied. Jenine Fleming Melbourne Museum Marketing Manager is my supervisor here and we meet once a week to discuss my work plan and develop ways of prioritising my work load and study. Jenine has been instrumental in helping me coordinate my projects and is there if ever I have any questions or concerns. The best thing I found was to deal with concerns as soon as you identify them and communicate those with your supervisor as soon as possible and together you can review and readjust your plan to best deal with those concerns. Don’t be shame!
3) What type of support has 370˚ group offered so far throughout the entire process?
Even Henry from 370° group meets with me and my supervisor once every 6-8 weeks where we talk about what I’ve been up to and if there are any issues or concerns I may have. And if I do have any concerns they are dealt with quickly and easily. So help is everywhere you look if you need it.
4) What were your expectations before jumping on board this role and have they been met?
I didn’t know what to expect except that I wanted to learn something new and that I’m doing without a doubt. I enjoy learning and I like a challenge and it’s great that I’m learning new things all the time.
5) What advise can you give to people who are considering a traineeship hosted with 370˚ group?
Believe in yourself and dream your dreams into reality. I said to myself I wanted to learn about Marketing and at my young age of 43 I hadn’t the first idea about how to get into the industry. I had no prior marketing skills and I didn’t know anybody personally who was involved in marketing. So I thought if only I had the opportunity to work in a traineeship role in the industry which would give me a foot in the door. I would search online for traineeships talk to people until I found 370˚ group. I then had to be interviewed by them and I treated it like any job interview. I then was able to secure a place with them and they would submit my resume to prospective host employers. I was then able to have an interview here at Melbourne Museum and the rest as they say is history.