Tour Guide

Petersen Automotive Museum•Los Angeles, CA

22d

About The Position

The Petersen Automotive Museum is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to explore and present the history of the automobile and its impact on global life and culture using Los Angeles as the prime example. Tour Guides at the Petersen must learn and retain knowledge of the cars and other relevant artifacts that make up the collection and articulate the most interesting stories about those cars to the public. Tours may cover the whole museum or select portions of the museum, including the Vault. Tour groups can range from families with children up to senior groups, and can include people from different countries, different learning levels and different abilities. In addition to sharing educational content, it is important that tour guides manage, control, and entertain their tour groups. Training to be a tour guide includes studying training materials, shadowing veteran guides and observing their presentation styles, buddying up with veteran guides to give collaborative tours, and giving several practice tours to staff. Upon successful completion of the training period, a new guide can then begin to lead public tours.

Requirements

This position requires a highly motivated, creative, and outgoing person who enjoys working with the public and volunteers.
Excellent interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and ability to learn quickly.
Applicants must be able to work varied hours including evenings or weekends.

Responsibilities

Leading tours of the museum, or portions of it, lasting anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours (standard tour lengths are one hour for museum tours and 90 minutes for Vault tours).
Engaging and entertaining guests on tours. Tours may include up to 50 guests.
Researching cars and artifacts and maintaining knowledge of the collection.
Preparing a tour strategy that covers a broad portion of the tour’s target while fitting within time constraints.
Working with other guides in research and preparation.
Adjusting and modifying tour content as requested by their supervisor and/or the museum administration. This includes learning information about cars that may only temporarily be on display.
Wearing the required uniform during all tours, which includes a red Petersen polo shirt, black pants and shoes, and a nametag.
Attend all trainings and read all training materials.
Arriving in advance of tours in order to walk through the museum, making themselves aware of any changes.
Committing to a regular schedule while also being able to pick up additional shifts.
Cooperating with security and museum staff in managing groups to ensure guest safetyand preservation of the collection.
Docent will be on call for tour requests and may be required to do a tour last minute if the tour is booked on the day of their shift.
Train to Gallery Interpret and interpret in the galleries during shifts that do not have tours.
Opportunity to learn and facilitate School Tours is available if docent is comfortable working with students grades K-12.
Adhering to the policies and codes of conduct laid out in the Petersen Museum’s Employee Handbook.