On Sun, 21 Feb 1999 02:35:33 GMT, [log in to unmask] (G.Krygsveld)
wrote:


>Well said, good advice. I have no formal training specifically in
>museum work but from a career oriented point of view I can say that
>location is everything. Are there enough positions in your area?
>Universities are handing out Majors in history like candy but
>Mcdonalds can only hire so many unemployed historians.
In my case they wont hire historians. May be off topic but as you
mention below if you find yourself unemployed it is very difficault to
get a lower level job. Retail and corporations just will not trust
that you want to work in their business, or they are afraid the job
might bore you.

> You may overtrain to such a degree that no one will hire you as you
>are too expensive to justify having to provide you with experience.
>You may also educate yourself out of functionality. Museum technicians
>are normally experienced but not PhD's and they do the "grunt work".
>You may end up as an administrator if you have too much theory but no
>practical.
With a MA I have found it very diffacult to get into museum work. I
have too limited experience for the higher level positions, but no one
want to be the stepping stone which provides the experience. Likewise
many of the technician jobs only require a HS diploma. If you are
lucky who knows; just plan out your education very carefully.

In my case an MA degree has closed 93% (literally) of the job market.
I have found myself looking for a solid PhD degree program and hoping
the University job market is opening up as it appears.

Im not trying to scare anyone or to wine, but just saying know what
you want and plan better than I did. Now I know what to do if I eneter
a Phd program, just wish I had known it when I entered college in
1989.:)


Samuel D. Tanner
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