Erasmus/Internship

If you have a background in selling books or art (or related topics), or if you are comfortable in a sales-assistant-role and if you enjoy dealing with interesting clients (readers, collectors) from all over the world, Antiquity Bookshop might be the place for you.

Your duties would be:

Sales / Sorting books / Preparing Books for Sale / Creating Spreadsheets of Sales / etc.

You would also take information from clients who look for books or have something to sell and pass on this information to management.

There are several other duties we will explain if we invite you for an interview.

We are looking for someone to start on as soon as possible.

We have had Erasmus students in the past from different departments / Marketing / LIterature / Art / Economics.

Working in our company will give you an all round education.

IMPORTANT: This is an unpaid Internship. You will get a free lunch at our Bookshop Cafe (Antiquity). We will also help you find accomodation. You have to pay for accomodation which is somewhere between 450 euro and 650 euro. When you apply for Erasmus funding, you will receive money to cover your costs. This is why we can only accept Erasmus Students.

Please only applicants with European Passports (Sheng countries) due to the complications of visa applications.

If this all sounds interesting, please forward your CV to Antiquitywestcork@gmail.com

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What students say

Last year, I got to spent a magical summer in West Cork, Ireland, working with and learning from Nicola and Holger Smyth at Inanna Rare Books and The Time Traveller’s Bookshop. The beautiful Irish countryside combined with three cozy bookstores that not only offer a variety of rare and antique books but also include a cafè selling delicious home-cooked goods and heartwarming meals, makes for the perfect get-away from everyday life. In the three months that I lived and worked in Skibbereen, I met the nicest people, read a lot of books and at the same time learned so much about the book trade in general and the rare book trade in particular. Nicola and Holger made me feel welcome from the very beginning and always made sure that I knew how much they appreciated my help in their bookshops. I loved looking through all the books they offer, reading a few pages here and there, helping customers find books they are interested in and having my daily lunch and coffee break chatting with Nicola at her Time Traveller’s Bookshop. On my free days I made sure to go on long walks to the beach near the place where I stayed or I took the bus to explore the towns in the beautiful West Cork area to do some book-shopping. I have always been an avid reader, even though it has become a bit more difficult for me to prioritise reading in my free time in the past few years. However, my time at Inanna Rare Books really made me fall in love with reading all over again and strengthened my appreciation of literature which is something I am deeply grateful for. I can only recommend working with Nicola and Holger to anyone who shares their passion for books and feels like escaping to the picturesque Irish countryside.

Esther, Germany

 

Spending time in not just one, but three bookshops in Skibberee has been one of the most unexpected joys of my life. When I first started the internship, I thought I’d be shelving books and maybe making the odd cup of tea—but instead, I found myself falling completely back in love with reading, with storytelling, and with the quiet, beautiful rhythm of a life surrounded by books.

What made this experience so special wasn’t just the books (though I did read more in those weeks than I had in years). It was the way I was trained—gently, thoughtfully, and with a real sense of purpose. Each shop had its own personality, but the shared commitment to stories, to readers, and to community gave me a kind of education you can’t find in a classroom.

I learned how to recommend books not just based on titles or genres, but by really listening to people. I saw what it takes to create a space that feels like a refuge for readers of all ages. I was given real responsibility and trusted to help, to suggest, and even to make mistakes and learn from them.

If I’d had more time, I honestly believe I could have opened my own bookshop someday—and maybe I still will. This internship wasn’t just a placement. It was a doorway back into the world of books, and I’m so grateful for every moment.

Diana, Italy

 

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