The Details

About Us

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s largest, most trusted and dynamic marketplace for art and luxury. We empower our international community of collectors and connoisseurs to discover, acquire, finance and consign fine art and rare objects. Our reputation for trust and authenticity is backed by our unparalleled global network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 44 departments, which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, jewelry, watches, wine and spirits, and interiors, among many others. Guided by our forward-thinking spirit of innovation, we host over 600 auctions annually and offer a cross-category selection of items available for immediate purchase via both digital and physical shopping experiences as well as private sales.

Sotheby’s, the oldest and largest internationally recognised firm of fine art auctioneers in the world, has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since 1744.

We are looking for exceptional candidates at graduate-level or equivalent to participate in our unique 12-week paid Internship Programme this Autumn.

The objective of the Sotheby’s Internship Programme is to provide practical training experience to candidates interested in pursuing a career in the auction world. Placements are available across our Specialist areas of the business. Interns will be assigned a department based on their academic interests and professional goals, and will work under the supervision of a designated staff member. Over the course of the autumn auction season, our interns will have the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of a renowned auction house, see great rarities and works of art, and discover potential industry careers. Interns will also attend seminars led by senior staff members on a regular basis and will be assigned a group project to present to a panel of programme sponsors during the final week of the internship.

Our Internship Programme is designed to offer selected candidates the opportunity to experience a twelve week placement in a selected department within our dynamic and fast-paced organisation. Each intern will be exposed to exceptional works of art and luxury and the inner workings of an auction house whilst having the opportunity to collaborate with passionate and innovative colleagues.

The Internship Programme is primarily designed to offer candidates an insight into the auction-cycle whilst providing additional learning opportunities to broaden a candidates skills further. Each department will have varying tasks that they will need their interns to undertake and the description below offers a general insight into daily tasks.

Responsibilities
Research Assistance:

• Research pertaining to works for auction and private sale including off-site research where required
• Identifying signatures/artists stamps
• Artist Research Projects
• Assisting in coordinating client proposals and valuation documents

Department Assistance:

• Day-to-day use of internal systems, including:
  • Cataloguing System
  • Digital Image System
  • Client System / CRM system
  • Microsoft Office/Microsoft Teams
• Updating department statistics (used for proposals/presentations etc.)
• Library & archive maintenance as required

Auction Preparation:

• Downloading of images and Condition Reports
• Downloading and resizing images
• Gallery preparation and logistics
• Event and Sale support where required
• Running Bids and Bid Spotting
• Supporting the Department Assistant with After-Sale related activities

Candidate Profile

• A curiosity and passion for learning
• Teamwork experience
• A positive attitude and self-motivation
• Strong interpersonal skills
• A strong academic record

Eligibility Requirements

• Candidates must be graduate level or equivalent
• Must be able to commit to the full-time 12-week programme
• Must be authorised to work in the United Kingdom without visa sponsorship
• Must submit a completed application (incomplete applications will not be considered)

Please note, once your application has been submitted, you may not receive a response until early July 2021. Providing you received the submission confirmation email, we have received your application. If shortlisted, you will need to have availability for interviews throughout July 2021. Due to the ongoing UK COVID-19 restrictions, all interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be shared should you be shortlisted for interviews.

Any application you submit to us will be assessed using criteria based on the knowledge, skills and experience required for the programme. Please note, any internship offer will be conditional upon your rights to work in the UK or you gaining permission to work in the UK.

If you require any additional support to complete your application and/or to attend an interview please do get in touch.

The Company is an equal opportunity employer.  All employment decisions and personnel actions at the Company are administered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, creed, national origin, age, disability, genetic predisposition, natural hair or hairstyle, reproductive health, partnership status, sexual orientation or alienage or citizenship status, transgender status, domestic violence victim status, military or veteran status, or status in any group protected by applicable federal, state or local law.  This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Departments

Using the list below please indicate within the application form up to 3 departments (in order of preference) for your internship placement. Sotheby’s will strive to match each candidate with an appropriate department based on interests and background. We cannot guarantee you will be placed in a department of your choosing and not all departments offer internships every programme cycle.