By Hannah Preston, Registration Collections Assistant, National Museum of Ireland

As Robert Frost famously said, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” No path is linear or as straightforward as it seems. My road to Registration is as complicated as it gets, with many twists and turns along the way. Currently I work as a Collections Assistant for the Registration Department of the National Museum of Ireland. I mainly deal with documentation for the Natural History capital project. Over 13 years I have done a variety of roles – from retail, secretarial, and archaeology – that have led me to where I am today.

The First Road

My journey began with an undergraduate degree in National University of Ireland Maynooth (NUIM) in History, Geography, and Classics. Fresh out of the structure of secondary education, I had no clue what career I wanted, and went with the subjects that interested me. Through my college years, I worked in retail and built up a healthy relationship with the public. I then decided to undertake a certificate in Secretarial and Administration, where I learned invaluable skills needed for office work. This led to several years working in secretarial and administrative roles (with some excursions around the world in between).

The Second Road

The next stage of my career was almost considered a ‘quarter-life crisis’ by my family and friends. I left my administrative work, in a lovely warm office, and threw myself on site working in the elements and digging 8 hours a day as an archaeologist. And I loved it! With the experience of one site, and amazing memories pushing me, I applied for a Master of Science in Archaeology at University College Dublin (UCD) that same year. And I have never looked back. For several years I worked on a multitude of archaeological digs, through excavation, geophysics, post-excavation, report writing, and liaising with project managers and engineers. Because of this, I had a wealth of experience that led me to work as a contractor doing inventory work on the Archaeology Collections of the National Museum. This began my first foray into the museum environment. With the skills I gained during this inventory position, I was successful in securing another contract in my current role. Thus the road to registration is concluded (for now).

All the Difference

My career path has brought me on a diverse journey, through which I gained many experiences, and a wide variety of skills. I was blessed with the opportunity to support the opening of the temporary Dead Zoo Lab exhibition in the National Museum at Collins Barracks. I am privileged to be part of a team that has created a strong foundation of documentation work for the eventual reinstall of the Natural History Museum at Merrion Street. It is also good to note that no path is linear, and your career is always evolving and changing. If you are not where you want to be, going down the road less travelled can make all the difference.

More Information

If you want to read more about career trajectories in the National Museum of Ireland, please check out my colleagues Ryan and Emer’s backgrounds in the Registration Corner: Registration Corner | National Museum of Ireland