Hi all,
I am staring at this discussion from the distance. This discussion is
useful, and I say this because I still believe in the exchange of facts
and opinions. I enjoy the discussion, because here in Germany I am
missing the tolerance of a free curageous discussion in our museum
discussion list. [Why? Because most of the registered members are in
fear of their ill-paid positions...] It's the freelancers who discuss.
On the other hand, I wonder why this discusion breaks out _now_. Isn't
it a standard topic since decades?
Here in Germany, the situation had been even worse 30-50 years ago, when
each trainee job at a museum (we call them "Volontäre") was unpaid. They
did not learn too much those days, but the starting of the museum slog
"career" took them 2-3 years. The situation for these beginners with a
MA or Ph. D. degree has improved, even if these "apprentices" do not
learn too much even nowadays and are very often misused as reserve pool
employees, they do get a contract in most cases according to the
proposals of our museum association. At least one of regional museum
associations therefore offers training weekends for these museum interns.
And how about students of museology and museum studies? As a rule, they
are trained to get either ill-paid museum director jobs in mini museums
or are engaged for registration and documention jobs in larger ones. As
these young people do not have studied any special branch of science,
but love to work at museums, the chances are quite low starting a slog
career (Our term is "Ochsentour") at all. Furnished only with some
semesters of "this and that" and no proof to work scientifically, they
will always be the bottom of the barrel. These guys and girls enter the
museum under any internship level and are kept there.
Also here in Germany, universities produce much too much academics for
the market. 1% of the annual outcome would meet the demand. So
universities are overproducing in many countries an academic proletariat
which will destroy in a few our pension scheme. The unregulated free
market at the very end is self-destructive.
Getting back to your country. Has none warned you, young guys and girls,
that normal museum jobs are ill-paid since decades? That museum
administration plays with your hopes and naive expectations? Has no soul
told you what economisation of culture means? Any scientist a seller! A
seller of dreams to the visitors still believing in good old museum
work. While the number of scientist in museums is reduced dramatically
for decades and the amount of administrative and selling duties was
increased for scientists continiously, the number of better paid IT,
marketing and management positions was raised in the "advanced" museum
socities like the UK. Positions of 75.000 British Pounds p.a. are not
uncommon. You can check the websites of the larger museums which which
can be charaterized by the replacement of the "Visit me" with BRS ("Buy
me", "Rent me", "Sponsor me"). Would you love to visit a museum with a
group of hungry sellers of annual tickets in the entrance hall trying to
earn their bonusses?
Interestingly enough: Not all museum jobs are ill-paid. Some managers
(mostly lateral entrants!) earn a lot. Some are even allowed to make use
of their office time to earn money from extern sources. And some 50%
museum officials are allowed to have a second job. [In some countries of
the former Eastern block, I was told, some museum specialists have 2-3
jobs to survive].
Let me try to separate _different reasons of frustration._
1) Frustration over own illusions
2) Frustration caused by missing information on the true character of
museum jobs
3) Frustration caused by culture economisation trends
4) Frustration caused by an aggressive intern climate of a museum
5) Frustration caused by low wages for high standards and long and
costly university studies
6) Frustration caused by own decisions (f.e. resulting in missing mobility)
7) Frustration caused by wrong advices (don't need to learn more than
one language)
8) Frustration caused by missing international experiences
9) Frustration caused by unfair staffing
10) Frustration caused by an intransparent market
11) Frustration caused by own limitations of after-university-jobs.
With regard to European positions, we tried to change reason 10) by
offering a Job portal for museums and its surrounding areas (auction
houses, publication houses, heritage preservation, universities etc.).
We list each day between 750-1050 open positions all over Europe in the
respective languages from cleaners to trustees. It is interesting to see
people from the US and Canada stepping in day by day... In our European
museum portal see
http://www.museum-aktuell.de/index.php?site=stellenhinweise [you have to
register for free usage].
In the moment, I would make the following recommendations:
Find a study combination which is uncommon. Generally mistrust the
common ideas.
Combine science and business studies
Do not study "anywhere". Check the reputation of the university.
Analyse the market what "museum studies" are worth. Wouldn't a good
museological book do the same?
There are more open positions as generally accepted.
All marketing and management positions are better paid than scientific
positions.
Networkers get better payments
People speaking several languages are better paid.
People with international experiences are better paid.
Sellers are better paid than "seekers for truth"
If you look for a job in a certain area, do not stare at offered wages
alone. Find clever agreements for reduced working hours (allowing
additional jobs) and check the costs-of-living in that area.
Before you jump into the pool, learn to analyze job descriptions and the
language of recommendations
Don't apply on any job.
Greetings from good old Europe
Christian
--
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