Hello!
 I am a graduate student in museum studies at the University of Kansas.  A friend and I are currently working on a paper addressing the 'gap' between museum students and the professional community, and how to best close this 'gap'.  We are surveying students, as well as employers.  Please fill out the following survey from your perspective as an employer.  Feel free to forward this survey to others who may be interested.  We are very appreciative of your help, if you have any questions about our research, please do not hesitate to contact us.
 Thank you for your time!
   Alison Miller
   [log in to unmask]

Please return survey to:
Alison Miller: E-mail: [log in to unmask]; work- [log in to unmask]
OR
Laura Vannorsdel: E-mail: [log in to unmask]

Employer Survey

1.      Please list what you feel are the top three experiences or skills for museum studies students to have before applying for their first job.

2.Do you have interns at your institution?
Are they paid positions?

3.When hiring a new employee, do you give preference to former volunteers or interns?
Do you give preference to those who have previous volunteer or intern experience at other museums?

4.Does it make a difference if a job applicant is a member of a professional organization?
What (if anything) makes members of professional organizations more attractive?
Do you prefer an applicant who has participated in a professional organization over a purely dues-paying member?

5.To what degree does it matter if a job applicant has published scholarly work?

6.Have you participated in an organized mentoring program?
Do you feel that you have been a mentor to a new professional?
Did you have a mentor, and how did they help you?

7.What do you feel are the best methods for bridging the gap between students and the established museum community?

Completion of this survey indicates your willingness to participate in this project.

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).