Bottom line.  Target museums and positions in which you are qualified.  If 
you do not hold the qualifications (e.g. content knowledge and/or museum 
knowledge).  Get it.

Erik J. Heikkenen





>From: Pamela Silvestri <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] There is no silver bullet; there are (almost) no 
>jobs
>Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2007 09:22:08 EST
>
>
>
>I disagree with 'some' of what you say...my academic  background/training 
>is
>archaeology, anthropology,sociology and social  service...not forestry nor 
>did
>I have much previous knowledge  about the Civilian Conservation Corps. 
>People
>don't study forestry to go  work in a museum. And not all subjects/themes 
>of
>a museum nor museuology  for that matter -can even be studied within an
>academic program.
>
>So...absolutely, I agree that acquiring the museum experience and the
>multiple skill set along the way is key. 1 1/2 years of field/lab work 
>while
>pursuing my degree, I was ready. But mostly, the museum part came about in 
>order  to
>fill a staffing need for a collections care manager (3 1/2 years while I 
>was
>an undergrad) in a university museum.
>
>Utilizing work study, student labor funding and even some volunteer time in
>there -I took the initiative to do this work. This required very hands-on 
>work
>  and intense research. I worked along side of and was taught by experts. I
>also  catered my academic work to my paid work (and vice-versa) where ever
>possible.
>
>It was my unrelated per diem job, working in a hospital that  led me to my
>work at the CCC Museum -passing by the museum for over 5 years.  I came in 
>there
>with a skill set -strong research skills, public program  experience, a
>well-rounded academic background, etc. The forest supervisor  taught me 
>about
>forestry, forestry related programs -there was interpretive  guide training 
>too. I
>have access to many, many resources for information on  forestry and the 
>CCC,
>I utilize them fully. If I have a question about  silviculture...there is 
>much
>literature or I could ask a forester. We have at  least a dozen books
>pertaining to interpretive guide training.
>
>Learning about the CCC...caring/for and interpreting the collections
>requires me to rely on a wide multitude of resources. Intense document 
>research,
>oral histories and even being on the other end of a two-man saw.
>
>My 'subject' work/research just prior to doing this...was pertaining to a
>Middle to Late Woodland Native American archaeological site excavation. I 
>was
>researching mortuary behavior in the Northeast for the study of a cultural 
>soil
>  feature found at this site. And doing this while excavating an unrelated
>site,  waitressing too(sometimes working on a dig in the morning, and 
>cleaning
>myself  in the restroom in time for the lunch shift).
>
>There are hundreds of more like me who have gone about learning and gaining
>experience in a similar fashion. Our specific experiences may vary, cross
>paths,  meet etc., but the bottom line is that we have what it takes to be 
>the
>conduit for the 'expert', acquire a level of expertise...even become  the 
>expert
>ourselves and whatever it takes to apply what is required of the  museum.
>Subject experts are not always available and able to apply their work in  a
>museum setting. Museology requires us to be able to branch off into many
>directions.
>
>When State Forestry was in its infancy at the beginning of the last  
>century,
>Austin Foster Hawes, fresh out of the Yale School of Forestry and Tufts  U,
>had reservations about accepting the position as Connecticut's 2nd State
>Forester because he would be required to give public talks. (The 1st State
>Forester, after serving a very short time, had resigned to become 
>Massachusetts  1st
>State Forester) Hawes had never given public talks before, was very nervous
>about having to do so and didn't want to have to. This was the only thing
>holding him back from accepting the position. After consulting with  
>Gifford
>Pinchot, he accepted the position.
>
>And the rest is a very fascinating history of forestry, including the CCC,
>and this and more has everything to do with what I'm doing today. Having
>studied  museuology, I know why museums exist to begin with, the purpose of 
>museums,
>  etc., no matter what the subject or specific mission of the museum is. 
>The
>general public -many subject experts...even someone working in a museum who
>never studied museuology...may not know this or need to.
>
>And this can be an in-depth discussion, so enough said here right  now. For
>my work, I am able to provide a service and I know what I'm doing,  why I'm
>doing it and who and what I'm doing it for.
>
>On that note...after Austin Hawes retired from his position as State
>Forester, he pursued his interest in archaeology. All those years he worked 
>in  the
>forests, coming across the cultural remains of the past, he finally had the
>time and took the effort to learn and understand more about what he had 
>seen. At
>  this point is his life and having completed his career, this was mainly 
>for
>self-fulfillment. As it was, he did above and beyond what was required of 
>him
>as  a forester - in regards to interpreting and preserving these sites. I
>especially  enjoyed reading his research pertaining to the economic reasons 
>for
>the  abandonment of homesteads/farms during the mid-late 1800s, in one
>particular  region that became a state forest.
>
>I'd be most certain that his subsequent work in archaeology, had he written
>about it, been pursuing it as a career etc., would have been a contribution 
>to
>  the field as was his work in forestry.
>
>In posts...we can only get so far in-depth and are simplifying as a result  
>-
>providing basic information to new grads, others considering studies, those
>wishing to further their work in a museum. Letting them know some of what 
>is
>required/expected of them in order to do this.
>
>We can't give all the info in one post, from one person...nor in many posts
>from many people. What I think we should be doing, is also discussing  what 
>is
>expected/required of a mid-level professional in the field. This would  be
>helpful for the new grads and those of us that haven't been able to fully  
>reach
>or benefit from this stage in our careers.
>
>Pam
>
>
>
>
>
>
>In a message dated 2/6/2007 5:52:33 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>[log in to unmask] writes:
>
>You're  so right.  People with advanced degrees, every single one, are
>tedious fuddy-duddys, incapable of communicating to the masses. They're
>so very boring.  I don't know why anyone would bother getting one, or
>why anyone would want to hire an egghead.
>
>David, seriously, do you  need to trot out that old stereotype?  Did you
>really think I was  suggesting that an advanced degree should trump every
>other consideration,  including the ability to communicate?  Hardly.
>
>Look, ultimately,  I think we're on the same page: the ideal curator or
>educator or  collections specialist has training in the academic
>discipline related to  the museum where s/he works AND has training or
>experience in museum  work.  It gets tiresome when people dismiss
>academic training as  irrelevant to work in a museum.  Without
>scholarship and research,  you just have a pile of nice things collecting
>dust.  And I think  you'll find that the people who do get satisfying
>work, do have multiple  skill sets.  That, perhaps, is an answer to the
>original question of  this thread: how does one get a job in a museum?
>Pick a field of  study (science, anthropology, art, elementary education,
>history, etc.)  AND ALSO acquire museum training and knowledge.  One of
>these is  simply not enough.
>
>
>
>David Harvey wrote:
> >  Jill,
> >
> > I have to ever so politely disagree.
> >
> >  Having been on both sides of this issue in my long career I have to
> >  say that just because you are an expert in any field of knowledge does
> >  not make you a natural or a good communicator or interpreter. There is
> >  a special skill set and innate talent for communicating with the
> >  public - whether it be as an interpreter, guide, or lecturer that many
> >  people do not possess. Sure, some of those skills can be taught but
> >  the natural ability and ease with people cannot.
> >
> > How many  professional conferences have you been too where you have
> > really,  really been enthralled by an "expert" giving a paper or a
> > lecture? I  can count them on one hand - but those were among the most
> > inspiring  and motivating moments I have had the pleasure to
> >  experience.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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