Name: Jessica Leary.

Job title: Visitor Host.

Employer: Copeland Borough Council.

Age: 20.

Where are you from? Whitehaven.

Where do you live now? Frizington.

Where do you work? The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven

How long have you done this job? I have worked part-time at the museum for two years.

Take us through your typical day: Each day at the museum can vary, depending on what kind of job we’re assigned to do that day. Usually we begin the day with our daily morning meeting where we go through what’s happening on that particular day and what we have going on.

Sometimes I can be based at front of house, working on the tills where customer service is vital in order to ensure we provide our visitors with the information they need for their visit.

My job also involves making sure each exhibition is ready for our visitors to make the most of their day.

I also enjoy helping out in the many different kinds of workshops we offer. We’ve had lots of different kinds of workshops during my time at The Beacon, from making paper pirate telescopes to recycled milk bottle elephants.

Alongside my work in the Beacon Museum itself, I also help in our conference and learning centre, The Beacon Portal, where we offer room hire, work with schools and also hold community events.

What do you like most about the job? I love working with people, and this job allows me to engage with the public on a daily basis. I also enjoy learning about the local history of the area through the museum. Although my job involves providing others with information on the heritage of this area, I learn something new for myself every day too.

What do you like the least? It can be sad when we have to take things down for our new exhibitions or when a big event is finished. When the poppies at the front of the museum that were made by local children and visitors for Remembrance Day were taken away it was a shame. They stood as a lovely tribute and lots of people who passed by also seemed to think this.

Why do you want to do this job? Every day is different at the Beacon Museum, which makes it an enjoyable place to work in. I also enjoy doing a job that provides people with the opportunity not only to learn new things but also to have fun.

What qualifications or experience do you need? It’s good to have prior experience in a customer service role. Completing travel and tourism in my A-levels put me in a good position because this gave me knowledge of customer service and the tourism industry.

What is the typical salary for the job? The salary at Copeland is competitive compared with a lot of national museums, as salary can vary across the museum sector depending on where you work.

Any advice for people wanting to get into the profession? A positive attitude and good customer service skills are a great start for working as a visitor host in a museum. It’s also good to have some knowledge of and an interest in the history and heritage of the local area.