Although I agree with David, I also disagree. Yes, the market is crowded.
And yes, you might not get a museum job right away. And of course you need a
job- very few people have the luxury to be unemployed until the perfect
museum job comes available, which might take years (plus, you'll need to
answer for that big gap in your resume). And that non-museum job can be a
great job that gives you amazing experience.
But don't give up on your dream because you didn't succeed right away
(unless you find you prefer something else). Get that other job- make sure
it's something you'll like because you do need to be there every day and who
knows for how long. But still spend some time every week looking and
applying for that dream job. And the good thing about already having a job
is you can afford to be picky now- you don't have to take the job as a shop
clerk in a history museum if you really want to be a painting conservator at
a modern art museum. Enjoy where you are at the moment- this might be the
last time you have a chance to work with a lot of other people or in the
for-profit world!
All jobs have valuable experience- I used to know a visitors service
director who said the most valuable job she had ever had was not another
museum job, but selling shoes at Nordstrom. Valuable experience can be found
in all different forms. Museum employers appreciate non-museum experience.
Don't give up your dream because you didn't get a job in a few weeks. It'll
come, it just might take a few years.
And recent grads remember you have about 40 years of work ahead of you,
don't rush it.
Pamela
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David E. Haberstich [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2001 12:38 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: recent grad looking for direction
>
>
> In a message dated 01-11-20 02:41:14 EST, Christopher Wise wrote:
>
> << Beth, you are not alone. I'm beginning to become
> concerned, though hope that persistence and patience
> will pay off. >>
>
> and...
>
> <<Hang in there. I'm sure that there are a lot of us
> out there.>>
>
> The latter is precisely the problem. There are too many
> people competing for
> a small number of jobs. I hate to sound negative, but I
> think it's important
> to be realistic. When a field is overcrowded, not everyone
> will succeed in
> finding a job, no matter how persistent they are. Period.
> Do the math.
> Persistence and patience are necessary, and yes, wearing a suit to an
> interview, but they're not enough. As someone else said, you
> may well need
> connections, plus luck. But you know, even if a pool of 100 people,
> competing for 20 jobs, all had equal patience, persistence,
> connections,
> luck, superior qualifications, and Armani interview suits, 80
> would fail to
> get a job. And don't wait for me to retire: I'm told that I won't be
> replaced if I leave or die!
>
> I think it's extremely important to have an alternative plan
> when you're
> competing in an overcrowded job market. Keep your options
> open, and be ready
> to fall back on another career (whether related or unrelated
> to your primary
> focus) if it proves necessary. You can still continue
> looking for your first
> choice after you (temporarily) give up and pursue another
> line. Ironically,
> I took a museum job at a time when the museum field was not
> overcrowded, but
> my original career choice was too competitive, and I've tried
> to make the
> most of it. I became just as passionate about my second
> choice as I was
> about the first, and my regrets are minor. While I
> sympathize with your
> problem, I think it's important to set a time limit and be
> ready to move on
> to something else if necessary.
>
> David Haberstich
>
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