I have always thought that a good rule of thumb is do not give interns a task which you do not do yourself at some point in the course of your job. Also, to have at least one measurable project, with a definite end, that can give a sense of accomplishment and a good paper topic. Many interns for school credit are required to complete a paper at the end of their internship.
If a job appears to be menial, such as making dust covers or padded hangers, or monitoring the environment and pest traps--explain WHY it is part of our job. Many interns end up in a small institution as their first job, and these basic tasks are very much part of the job!
Dominique says it very well--team effort and in a small organization, NO ONE is above doing admin occasionally. But, it is bad form to give interns just admin jobs.
Lisa
Lisa Shockley, Curatorial Specialist, 3-D Collections
Union Station/Kansas City Museum
30 W. Pershing Road
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-460-2055
"Where there is Peace; there is Culture;
Where there is Culture; there is Peace."
Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dominique Bouchard
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2012 3:47 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: MUSEUM-L Digest - 27 Apr 2012 to 29 Apr 2012 (#2012-105)
I must say that I'm finding this conversation deeply concerning. Of course every museum will have different needs and offerings for those interested in contributing their time, but there's been a general odour of 'get nothing and like it' wafting off some comments on this topic.
I can only speak for myself, but interns guaranteed a real working experience and have real responsibilities. Of course there's photocopying and envelope-stuffing, but it's a team effort and no one is above admin. Quite frankly only giving interns routine admin is a sure sign of poor management.
I think that any institution that takes on interns has a serious responsibility to those individuals - to give them a positive and accurate experience and to give them actual experience which will help them not only to progress in their career but also help them to cope with the responsibilities they will take on when they get a job.
An internship is like any other museum learning programme - it should have measurable learning outcomes and be evaluated against them. In practice this should help align everyone's expectations at the outset and prevent what Claire has described. We perform exit interviews with all of our interns and get extensive feedback from them about the programme to make sure that we are delivering on our promises.
I would also argue that the 'experience gaining' bit begins during a rigorous and realistic application and interview process. Hiring someone who doesn't meet your expectations is bound to happen at some point, but if someone isn't an effective employee (paid or unpaid) whomever is managing them should take a long hard look at themselves and their management techniques before they apportion blame.
Just my opinion (and certainly not speaking on behalf of any institution)
/rant
Best wishes,
Dominique
--
Dr Dominique Bouchard
Hunt Museum Curator of Education and Outreach
Address: Hunt Museum, Rutland Street, Limerick, Ireland
Tel: +353 (061) 312 833
Email: [log in to unmask]
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On 30/04/2012 07:33, claire chickly wrote:
> I would like to answer as a former intern. It is somehow frustrating
> to be asked to know how to to operate a copy machine and lick stamps.
> The aim of an internship is to decide the field in which you want to
> work, and then to gain practical knowledge in this field. Is making
> copies and doing basic research the best way to know if one wants to
> make a job his/her own? I don't think so. I have always been
> disappointed by my internships when I had no responsibilities and no
> challenging tasks.
>
> Love of history is definitely not enough. If you want your experience
> to be enriching, you'd better prove your university education and your
> skills match with the internship you apply for.
>
>
> 2012/4/30 Nicole Nathan<[log in to unmask]>:
>> Simple answer: no. They have to be able to write, operate a copy
>> machine, follow directions, and think on their own.
>>
>> Nicole Nathan
>>
>> On Sun, Apr 29, 2012 at 9:00 PM, MUSEUM-L automatic digest system
>> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
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