Christie’s explained.
Written by ERIC team.
Christie's is a world leading luxury auction house.
A luxury auction house is a business that sells high-end, rare and expensive items; art, couture, antiques… even archeological finds like rare dinosaur bones.
Christie’s mainly sells luxury items and fine arts, but dabbles in the rest. Don’t underestimate how much goes on in an auction house! Christie's was established in 1766 and has auction houses in London, New York and Hong Kong.
What things do Christie’s sell?
LUXURY ITEMS: This includes watches, wines, jewellery and handbags. You may have seen them in the news for auctioning rare and one-of-a-kind Hermès Birkin bags. Christie’s also sells luxury antique furniture and clothes like the personal collection of Audrey Hepburn.
ART: The Arts department centres around sculptures, paintings and statues. Christie’s has sold art by Andy Warhol, Picasso and even sold the most expensive painting ever - Leonardo DaVinci’s Salvator Mundi at $475.4million!
DIGITAL ART: They are also making their way into NFT space and have partnered with Crypto art megastars Fewocious, World of Women, Friendies and Beeple. The history of art auctioning has changed as we know it and Christie’s is at the forefront of this.
What are the different departments in Christie’s?
Art Department
Perfect for people who have a passion for art & history. This is made up of the luxury items experts and historians who specialise in valuing and inspecting the items being sold. They also help to gather information about the item like what time period is it from and who did it belong to previously.
Sale Co-Ordinators
Perfect for people with meticulous organisation skills. This department supports the coordination and management of the online and live auctions by making sure the auctioned goods arrive from the seller and to the buyer safely.
Operations & Support:
Perfect for people who want to support the action. These departments include areas like Human Resources, IT, Event Planning, Marketing & Finance. They ensure that the business runs smoothly, effectively, and professionally.
How can I work at Christie’s?
Christie’s offers a lot of entry-level career pathways. You don’t need to be a specialist in any department or have any specific qualifications. There’s a role for everyone.
London Apprenticeship: Christie’s Award Winning apprenticeships combine on-the-job experience and formal training to give you the knowledge and skills to kick-start your career. Christie’s offers different types of apprenticeships based on your career goals. Applications to apply for the Apprenticeship Programme will open in January 2023 and close in Spring 2023.
Internships: Internships are available throughout the year and across Christie’s London, Hong Kong & New York. We advertise these directly on ERIC or our Careers page, so keep an eye out.
Graduate Training programme: This exciting 18-month programme offers 10 outstanding graduates the chance to experience Christie’s business through a series of placements, spot rotations and workshops. Christie’s also keeps on all of our Graduate Trainees – the next generation of Christie’s business leaders. Applications for the next programme opens in October 2022, which we will promote on ERIC. There are 10 spots available globally.
London Work Experience Programme: Christie’s London offers a limited number of work experience placements per year; placements are between two to four weeks at set intervals (depending on department) throughout the year. You can register your interest in the Programme by emailing Workexperience@christies.com. It is important to note that demand for Work Experience placements are high and so they can only respond to those who have been successful in securing a place.
Like the sound of Christie’s? Check out the rest of their career content on the ERIC app, including a sneaky tour of their London office.