I have just written an essay about museum internships after college which
I would be happy to share.  (I have sent it to AAM.)  Having volunteered
at a National Park Service Historic Site and a private museum in order to
get curatorial experience after an Ivy League undergraduate degree, I can
sympathize with the position of others trying to enter the field,
particularly at an age beyond 21.  I was offered several positions at the
private museum and eight months later was very highly recommended for a
full-time position at the NPS site.  After graduate coursework, I was
selected for an assistant curatorship at another museum.  (These are all
located on Long Island, so I applied to museums on the Island and in New
York.)  But applying for and getting these jobs took months and many
cannot afford to take positions which are so low-paying.  As an intern, I
gained invaluable hands-on experience, which complemented my academic
knowledge, but money is quite an important issue.  I will be beginning a
PhD program in History and pursuing an academic career at this stage of
my life.  Hope this is of use.

Susan Ferber
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