Laura P.
About me
| Laura P. | |
| English and Related Literature | |
| English and Related Literature | |
| Undergraduate | |
| James | |
| 2018 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Tour guide and researcher | |
| The Dylan Thomad Birthplace | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Library, museum and information services | |
| Small business (0-49 employees) |
Like this profile?
Add this profile to your favourites so you can return to it later from your account.
A day in the life of a Tour guide and researcher in the United Kingdom
Summer internship connected to my English Literature studies
My advice to students considering work
I would say just to go for it. Time can usually be spent more wisely and productively in the working world than sitting at home wasting away the summer. Build up your confidence and don't be afraid to challenge yourself: at Dylan's, I had to learn as much as I could and impart that knowledge to strangers, who I also had to engage and manage in a polite and friendly way. Dealing with the public can make you feel out of your 'comfort zone', but the only way to conquer that is to actually try to change it.
Other advice
Make the most of your free time and don't let it slip away. Your student years are the perfect time to use it wisely and prepare for your future career. Don't graduate, come to write your CV, and find you've done nothing at all.
Contacting me
I'm happy to mentor anyone with an interest in cultural heritage management (ie: museum and heritage work) or anyone looking for opportunities linked with literature.
What I do
I spent my summer on a placement at the Dylan Thomas Birthplace in Swansea, giving guided tours, providing information to the public, researching Dylan's life, and publicising the House.
Skills I use and how I developed them
I was able to competently use my customer service skills in dealing with the public and in providing detailed, well-researched information to enliven their Dylan Thomas experience in Swansea. This came with time and patience, and was helped greatly by the excellent support and mentoring given by the House's curator. It quickly became natural to introduce myself to visitors, to develop a rapport with them, and to engage them in my knowledge. Aside from this, when the House wasn't busy, there was also plenty of time to work alone conducting independent research on Dylan. This included reading his poetry and prose, reading autobiographies and the latest academic research online, and also writing my own article on one of his short stories, which was subsequently published on the Dylan Thomas Appreciation Society's website.
What I like most
As an English Literature student, I looked for an environment which would benefit me academically, and Dylan’s was the perfect place. I could teach others while also learning myself, especially because the staff are just so knowledgeable and passionate, and they stand at the forefront of current research on Dylan’s life and work. It was the closest I could come to actually spending my summer inside a university or research centre. I’m also a writer myself, but my hometown doesn’t have anything as creatively-illuminating as Swansea: here there are many groups of local spoken-word artists who find their muse in the city itself. I was lucky to spend my whole summer in such an intellectually and creatively-stimulating atmosphere.
What I like least
I wasn't too confident working with children, and unfortunately they were quite regular visitors to the Birthplace. But actually, by the end of the summer, I found I could actually communicate well with them and speak on their level without alienating them when I discussed Dylan with their parents. It was important to involve children in the experience.
What surprised me most
I found that I'm actually a fairly decent teacher. I didn't expect that so much knowledge of Dylan's life and works would be needed, but I was happy to learn as much as I could in order to reinvigorate his writing and bring him alive for the public again.
Next steps...
If you like the look of Laura’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Laura a message to find out more about their career journey.