I have to say that selecting and supervising an internship is very
different than hiring someone for a staff position.

Frankly it is illegal to use interns as you do other workers. An
educational component is required. This hit the news almost two years ago
where audits by the IRS had turned up abuses in the use of interns in
for-profit and non-profit organizations.

So why are some out there looking for interns who already have the skills
they would require for a staff job? An internship is about developing those
skills and in continuing their education with experience so that they can
get a staff job in the field after the internship.

I agree that general and critical thinking skills are needed and that
those, along with communication and people skills, may be more valuable
than previous specific experience.

Over the years I have had many interns who I selected to work for me in a
museum and a regional conservation lab. These ranged from those who were
getting their BA to those who were post graduate interns aspiring for staff
positions after the internship. I always looked for the love or enthusiasm
of the field (including History, Art, and Science) along with writing and
critical thinking skills. And since this was a conservation lab internship
demonstrated hand skills were essential.

Yes, the interns I had did a lot of the basic work we had to do, but I
always made sure that they had time to be involved and to get to know the
wider activities of the museum, they were assigned a minimum of one project
where they were required to do research and write an article or paper about
their project. We also spent time to help them understand what a career in
the field consisted of. I am proud that many of my interns went on to
graduate school and also important positions in the field. And I am equally
proud of those who loved the experience but their lives led them elsewhere.

In my opinion to educate and enhance a young person's life in a positive
way, to be part of a process of mentoring them into the field, and to
encourage and support their careers, makes internships as valuable a
component of my life as it is to theirs.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Senior Conservator and Museum Conservator
Los Angeles CA



On Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 10:07 AM, Callie Stewart <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Absolutely not!!!  I am currently in the process of hiring a summer intern
> and I expect them to already have relevant experience and a degree.  I am
> more lenient with volunteer interns, but I still expect them to earn their
> keep and "loving history" is not part of the job description.  I learned
> the hard way that accepting anyone who walks through the door with a "love
> of art" can end up being a disaster and a waste of everyone's time.  That
> being said, I think that basic intelligence and common sense can be a lot
> more valuable then specific skills.  If you have an intern who can learn to
> do A,B and C quickly and has good research skills, they can be a lot more
> useful then one who already knows X,Y and Z, but can't problem solve or
> think on their feet.
>
> Honestly, I don't care if they stay in the profession or not.  Who knows
> where they're going to end up in life.  I wish them all the best, but their
> life is not my business or my concern.  Perhaps your experience will
> inspire them to become your future big donor.  As long as they are
> satisfied with the experience and the museum gets something useful out of
> their time, then everybody wins!
>
> What has shocked me is how few applicants (some of them very good and well
> educated) know how to format a cover letter.  It's not hard to Google these
> things.  Why does no one know where to put the date? Or that you are
> supposed to actually *sign* your name???
>
> On Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 12:38 PM, Fox, Amy <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Frustrating as it is to devote scarce time and energy to supervising
>> interns who love history but don't plan to stay in the museum field, you
>> might think of it as an investment in future audiences, museum members,
>> board members, and supporters. Easy for me to say, since it's not my
>> investment of time, but I've known some interns through the years who
>> didn't become museum professionals but are fine citizens, nevertheless, and
>> have a good understanding of our field. Ultimately you're weighing the
>> short-term benefit of an intern with the long-term benefits, which you may
>> not reap. But that's true if they go into the museum profession, too.
>>
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>> Amy Killpatrick Fox
>> Museum Educator
>> Bureau of Historic Sites & Museums, PHMC
>> Commonwealth Keystone Building
>> 400 North St.
>> Harrisburg, PA  17120
>> 717/772-1967
>> Website:  www.patrailsofhistory.com
>> Blog: Trailheads--http://patrailheads.blogspot.com
>>
>> Notice: On **Friday, July 29th**, the commonwealth will be adding @pa.govas the primary email domain for all state employees. For example:
>> [log in to unmask] will now be [log in to unmask] The email addresses ending
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>>
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