I'll add another consideration job seekers should keep in mind. Find out if the
museum you are mailing resumes to, or applying to, is a government-affiliated
institution. I have to work through our State Personnel Office. All applications
go directly to them where they are ranked; all I get is a list of the top 15
candidates to select for interviews (according to their ranking, not mine). An
applicant will get an acknowledgement of receipt from State Personnel, but if
your name isn't in the top 15, I won't even know you applied. So I CAN'T send
you a letter of "thanks, but no thanks" (even if I had the time to do it).

One person joked that museum time is like geological time. Add bureaucratic
red-tape time and the whole vacancy-filling process can take 6-12 months. If you
are really interested in the position and its been awhile since you've heard
anything, call to get an update on the process. Don't expect the institution to
keep all applicants informed throughout the time period. (Especially if we don't
even know who all applied because we're still waiting for State Personnel to
send us the list of candidates).

And I'd like to reiterate advice mentioned by others: READ the ad. If it asks
for xx number of years of experience or background in a certain field, then make
sure you meet the basic qualifications. The ads put out by government
institutions are based on the job descriptions/qualifications defined by their
personnel offices. You have to meet those minimum qualifications to even get on
the approved list of applicants. If you are unclear as to what are minimum
requirements and what is padding ("The successful candidate must walk on
water."), then call the institution and ask.

Filling vacant positions is often a frustrating and exhausting experience for
the job seeker and the one doing the hiring. It helps, though, to recognize the
difference between a private at-will employer and a government employer. The
process is definitely NOT the same.

------------------------
Sue McGuire
Manager of Public Programs
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
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