Auction houses are at the very heart of the art market. In their sales rooms collecting trends are established, with buyers travelling across the world to bid on major lots, ranging from Renaissance paintings to Contemporary prints. The high prices and glamour make it easy to forget how much work happens before the showcase sale event, and by whom. As many auction houses are large organisations, this means that there are very varied job roles, from communications, marketing and advertising, to art shippers, client representatives and IT staff. Everyone has heard of the auctioneer, but what else can you do?
Types of jobs
Administrator
coordinates various activities, such as seller agreements, shipping and logistics, especially during busy sale periods. Requires exceptional time-management and organisation skills.
Auctioneer
appraises and evaluates items to determine starting bid, organizes and runs auction sales. Requires numeracy, interpersonal and communication skills, commercial awareness, and a voice to project the infamous ‘going, going, gone…”.
Cataloguer/Researcher
researches and writes about items for sale; fully involved in catalogue production. Will have a strong interest in art history, excellent written skills and attention to detail. This is often an entry point for graduates wanting to get started in the auction house.
Client Service Representative
handles client queries in person, on telephone, and via email as they relate to all transactional aspects of bidding, buying, selling and locating lots for sales. Needs a personable and professional manner, and additional languages are highly desirable.
Registrar
Oversees shipping of lots, from time of arrival at auction house until they are sold and released to client. Closely works with specialist departments, shipping team and client services. Requires excellent time-management and organisation skills.
Social media manager
responsible for the planning, implementation, management and monitoring of the company’s social media strategy, with a focus on increasing participation in auctions.
Specialist
responsible for business-getting, finding and appraising lots, leading cataloguing, developing and maintaining clients. Often starts working as a cataloguer/researcher first. Usually has an additional language, alongside commercial awareness, communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills.
Technician
responsible for the safe receiving, handling, storage, packing, transfer and releasing of a wide variety of lots; assists in sale room during sales. Requires practical skills, alongside specialist knowledge of art handling and conservation issues as well as teamwork.
Entry routes
Professionals in this sector have a strong interest in art and/or antiques as a business. Many have studied art history, although business, economics and language graduates are also often sought after. As the larger auction houses have several offices worldwide, a second language is highly desirable.
Doing a masters or completing a postgraduate qualification could help you develop specific skills and specialised knowledge that the industry is looking for. The sector values experience highly so postgraduate study alone will not get you further in this competitive industry.
Most auctioneers and senior specialists will have climbed the career ladder that takes them from department administrator to registrar to researcher and then specialist. They then build a client base that they enjoy working with.
Getting experience
Pre-entry work experience is extremely desirable, and enables you to make some valuable contacts to use when you’re looking for a permanent role. It will also provide you with an understanding of how the art business of an auction house works. There are work experience and internship schemes in place at most well-established, large auction houses including Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Bonhams. With smaller organisations, you can make speculative applications – just make sure you express an interest in their areas of expertise.
Finding a job or internship
- Sophie Macpherson Ltd – are a London-based recruitment agency specialising in international opportunities in the art world.
- Antiques Trade Gazette – the magazine has a job listing page, with auction house roles.
- Contact a local auction house – in Birmingham the auction house Fellows has taken students on for work experience after they have made speculative applications.