Annie, I'm sorry that you were cheated out of a job that was rightfully
yours, but I have to disagree.  A number of smaller organizations,
especially if they feel that a sensitivity to the community and a
thorough familiarity with the organization is desirable right away,
choose to hire from their volunteer base.  Here, for example, one finds
the following career paths among the current full-time paid staff:

VOLUNTEER----PART-TIME PAID STAFF------FULL-TIME PAID STAFF (most
common)
VOLUNTEER----CONTRACT FACULTY MEMBER-----PART-TIME PAID STAFF---FT PAID
STAFF
VOLUNTEER----BOARD MEMBER------FULL-TIME PAID STAFF (our Executive
Director followed this path)

Of course, we also hire for vacancies the traditional way, but we like
to reward our trained, competent, and loyal volunteers and part-timers.
I guess it boils down to whether the institution prefers staff that is
loyal to the institution/community or loyal to the field.  Sometimes if
one is overly loyal to the field, the institution may actually suffer.
It is the joint decision of the executive director and the board to set
that policy.

Julia Moore
Indianapolis Art Center


> agree that volunteering, while giving one valuable experience, does not lead
> to a consequential position in the management area. However I have seen
> volunteers move successfully into being birthday party coordinators or to
> being a board member, but not much more than that.
>

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