Hi Erin:  welcome to the list!

Laura gave you some great advice in urging you to broaden the
geographic area of your job search; I had to bounce through several time
zones to get my career going!  I know it can seem daunting to have to
pick up and make a long-distance move, particularly when it may be to a
more rural location than what you're used to, but the museum market is
tough all over--sometimes being flexible enough to go where others
can't, or won't, can make the difference in getting a job.

There are several websites you might look at to find jobs not in your
immediate area--Roger's Global Museum site is one that comes to mind,
but there are others that cater to the arts/history/culture job seeker.
Find as many of them as you can, and check them regularly.  Don't be
afraid to apply to anything that might interest you; as Wayne Gretzky
used to say, "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take."  A few years
ago, I applied to a small local history museum over 3000 km away from
me--I knew they couldn't afford to bring me in for an interview (and I
couldn't afford to go to them), and I thought they wouldn't even
consider me, seeing how I was applying from so far away--instead, they
set up a telephone interview, I got the job, packed up, moved and
started work 2 weeks later.  And, the job was a great experience!

Laura also makes a good point about looking at internships--another
time, I made a 1000 km move for a 2 1/2 month internship.  It was a bit
of a gamble, but it payed off--the internship got translated into a full
time job, and I stayed there for 2 1/2 years (and would have stayed
longer had not re-organization eliminated my job).

There are a bunch of other things you could also do to improve your
visibility--join the AMA, attend conferences and "network," get as much
museum volunteer experience as you can, etc.  I'm sure if you check the
list archives (http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/museum-l.html) you'll
find plenty of advice--this is a topic that comes up fairly regularly.

Good luck!


------------------------------------------------------------
Tim McShane, Assistant--Cultural History
Medicine Hat Museum and Art Gallery
1302 Bomford Crescent S.W.
Medicine Hat, AB   T1A 5E6
(403) 502-8587

>>> [log in to unmask] 10/20/03 12:29PM >>>
Hi All-

I'm a graduate student i history and fairly new to this listserve, so
I
wanted to introduce myself, and ask you seasoned professional for some
advice. I am currently in my last semester at George Mason University
in
Fairfax, Va, where I concentrated in Applied History (historic
preservation,
archives administration, museum studies, etc.), and I am searching for
a
career job. So far, I've been looking for about six months, and have
been
unsuccessful in even obtaining an interview. I am interested in a
variety of
areas, which include: museum education, historical research, archives,
historic resource management,  historic preservation, and exhibit
design. I
am searching for a job in the Washington, D.C. metro area (DC,
Maryland, and
Northern Virginia).

Would those of you who have time please review my resume and a sample
cover
letter (which I've copied and pasted in below) and give me some tips on
how
to improve them. I'm sure since I'm not getting any calls in response
to
them, that they can be improved. Also, is there some professional way
to
communicate the fact that while I may not have an extensive amount of
experience, I am willing to start at an entry level position, work
hard, and
learn the ropes? I guess I just need someone to notice my resume and
give me
a chance, so how do I do that?

Thanks in advance to those of you who are able to help me. I really
appreciate it.
Erin Spahr
Bowie, MD


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