I would like to join the chorus of thank you's for Len Hambleton's heartfelt words.  I have always felt that those of us whom are lucky enough to have fulfilling careers in museums have an obligation to identify and mentor young talent.  

Often we can only offer volunteer opportunities or unpaid internships due to budget constraints.  This can certainly be frustrating for all sides.  Are we only offering these formative educational and experiential opportunities to those lucky few who can afford such unpaid work?  Managers who are hiring for entry-level positions look for and value those applicants whom have some level of experience - usual acquired through an internship.  There is such competition for full-time staff positions that even those with considerable employment experience and education have a very difficult time of it, as has been often noted on this list.

When I gain a new intern, volunteer, or temporarily funded technician I try to educate them to some of the less than inspiring realities of a museum career.  

If you are in it for the money - stop!  Go sell mutual funds or be a computer programmer.  If you are in it for research - stop!  Only very few positions in few institutions can support full-time research.  Museum work often encompasses applied research at it best and formulaic methods at its worst and all of it accomplished on short deadlines.  If you are in it for the objects - stop!  To become an effective museum professional you have to learn how to work with a large variety of people and to struggle with diverse micro-technical issues. Your time actually spent with the objects is inverse to your experience.  As you go further up the ladder you will find more of your time spent in meetings and in memorandums.  You should treasure those halcyon days of internship when you could spend a whole summer sorting through a collection or doing research for label copy.

I also endeavor to educate those in my charge to the truly inspirational aspects of work in a museum.  The fact that you are often working on a project which is greater than the sum of its parts.  It is an amazing experience to attend an opening that you and a team of hard-working and talented colleagues have created.  It is inspirational to see the enthusiasm and interest of the public in your collections and educational programs (how many people come to the museum just for the food?).  And, most importantly - working in a museum and with collections is just plain COOL.  It is truly inspiring to have the special opportunity to study, preserve, and display the stuff we have!

This issue of how young talent is fostered and how we can increase entry-level opportunities is perhaps one of the most vital issues out there today.  This would be a marvelous issue to debate in some sort of professional forum. 

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Associate Conservator,
Metals & Arms
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
P.O. Box 1776
Williamsburg, Virginia  23187-1776  USA
Voice:   757-220-7039
E-Mail:  [log in to unmask]