I want to echo the advice given by John, in Boise ID. Do not forget about
the National Park Service, BLM, Forest Service, not to mention State
Parks.
After seven years of working in a private non-profit museum that I loved,
with a salary that did not allow me to make ends meet at all, with no
improvement in sight I decided to focus on federal museums. The federal
pay scale is quite decent for those in our field, especially if you have a
Master's degree.
I applied to every federal museum anywhere I thought I could live, over a
two year period. The hardest part was figuring out how to write a federal
resume, which bear no resemblance to anything in the private sector (but
the on-line federal application system in USAJOBS offers lots of tips). I
made the short list for every job I applied for, got lots of practice with
phone interviews, and did land a fantastic position in a region I love,
in a great federal museum.
USAJOBS is a great web-based search engine for federal jobs in all
agencies. You can tailor your search to be as broad or specific as you
want.
While I am on the subject, I got my first museum job while I was still in
grad school. I had worked as a work-study student, volunteer, intern,
you name it, at my undergrad university's museum. I went on to grad
school and had been working as a field archaeologist when I heard through
the grape vine about an assistant collections manager's position at the
museum in the town where I was in grad school. I did know two people who
worked there, and they did speak well of me, but there were quite a few
applicants. I did get the job, the first professional museum job I had
applied for. Go figure! Right place, right person, right time. The
experience I had gained as an undergrad paid off.
I did apply to half a dozen federal museum jobs before landing the one I
have, but I knew that was the direction I wanted to go, and just stuck
with it until I was the right person for the job. I had the all-around
skills they wanted, but my niche was my experience as Systems
Administrator for the collections management database both museums use.
This specialized experience sealed the deal.
One thing I kept in mind during my ramen noodle days at the private
non-profit museum is that it is easier to find a job when you have a job.
So find a job you like well enough, while you keep searching for the one
job that makes you excited to go to work every day.
Good luck all you searchers out there.
Tracy Murphy
Museum Specialist - Curation
ARGUS System Administrator
BLM - Anasazi Heritage Center
27501 Highway 184
Dolores, CO 81323
(970) 882-5643- Direct
(970) 882-5600 - Information
http://www.co.blm.gov/ahc
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