Working in an auction house is enjoyable, exciting and challenging. You learn something new every day, and no two days are the same. Bu the sector faces a problem attracting school leavers and graduates. There are just so many strong preconceptions about our industry, based on its portrayal in the myriad of auction-based TV programmes. And from the outside, it can seem that the auction scene appears to be solely peopled by posh whacky individuals, buying and selling objects that do not seem relevant to today's world!
What many young people don’t realise is that these days, saleroom staff and the customers we serve come from a wide range of backgrounds. And there’s a green side to the business, as buying from auction is a very sustainable way of a furnishing and accessorising family homes. Auctions are also great for hobbyists wanting to add to their collections or for people looking for unusual gifts.
So we thought it would be an interesting exercise to take the auctioneering world back to school. When Careers Teacher Selena Burroughs offered us the opportunity to have a stand at the College’s Career Fair we jumped at the chance.
Our media specialist, Courtney Round, created a video display of our social media reels. Jenny Bell and Barnaby Willis, two or our valuers, attended the event and brought along various items. They engaged the students with a basic/better/best challenge and a demonstration of the gem and jewellery equipment that is used. We also produced a simple information leaflet.
Our team really enjoyed meeting the Honiton Community College students and found the event personally rewarding. Several students were genuinely very interested, asking about work experience and educational requirements.
We would like to repeat this out-reach with other local schools. We hope that, in introducing the career opportunities offered by the auction industry, we may have made a positive difference to someone, and helped, in a very small way, to improve auction house recruitment!
On a similar note, we’re delighted to be welcoming students on work experience this year, one from The Kings School and the other from Colyton Grammar. We hope to inspire them to consider the world of auctions as a potential career opportunity.
