Hi! I’m Georgie, and I am the Graduate Trainee at St John’s College Library and Study Centre (LSC). Founded in 1555, St John’s is now one of the biggest colleges, with stunning old quads, a beautiful garden where I eat my lunch, and a brand-new Library which opened in 2019.
When I was applying for the trainee role, I was working on my MPhil in Modern British History, and before that I did my undergraduate degree in History too. Given my love of history, it’s probably unsurprising that my favourite afternoon so far was an exploration of our Special Collections with the College Librarian. At St John’s, we hold everything from an illustrated second edition of Caxton’s Canterbury Tales to the first Bible (1661) published in what would become the USA, written in the North American indigenous language, Algonquian. I’m really excited to work more with these Collections throughout the year.
During Sixth Form and in the pre-pandemic University holidays, I was a Casual Library Assistant in my local public library, but it wasn’t until the final years of my University experience that I started thinking seriously about a career in Librarianship. When I began to research the Trainee Scheme, it seemed like the perfect way to learn more about the academic Library sector and confirm whether this is the right path for me.
Prior library is by no means essential if you want to apply for a Graduate Traineeship, and I’ve found myself drawing on skills from other jobs as much as those gained as a Library Assistant. Creating social media content, for example, is something I had previously done as an adventure holiday Tour Representative, and not in the library setting. Customer service skills are always handy; my experience from working in call centres has already proved helpful. Whatever your voluntary or work background, you will most likely have relevant experience to call upon!
