Matthew White said:  You will be happiest and most productive at the
position
that best suits your skills, temperament, experience, education, career
stage, and professional goals.

He is right, of course, as he usually is (I think).  However, there is a
tendency, especially among the young-and-just-starting-out to think that if
they are going to work in a museum, then they must work at the Smithsonian.
The problem with that thought has already been expressed by several listers
intimately familiar with the hiring prospects there.

I can tell you, from experience, that the job that suits you best will give
you the greatest rewards, both personal and professional.  And I can also
tell you that all of these jobs are not at the biggest museums.  For me,
having the responsibility for a collection, and the absolute trust and
respect of my boss was the best professional experience I could have.  It
prepared me better for the next steps than any job in a huge institution
could have.

As we have all said, there is not one road into this field of work, and by
extension, there is not one proper career path.  It is fairly obvious to me
that there are enough different types of jobs available out there in museums
that the dogged, smart, and persistent can find one that suits them to a T.

Know thyself!

Claudia Nicholson

=========================================================
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).