I was an undergrad in History at a college in DC that was wondering what I was
going to do knowing I didn't want to teach.  I became a docent for the
National Portrait Gallery and gave tours to high school kids.  In my senior
year, I sought an internship in the Education Department at the Corcoran
Museum where I researched the permanent American Art collection and developed
historical themes that were developed into tours.  Once having graduated with
a History degree, I frantically searched for a job, and my supervisor at the
Corcoran told me of a tour scheduling position at the Smithsonian.

I was able to work first for the office of Elementary & Secondary Education,
and then the National Air and Space Museum.   A grad student from the GW
Education Program happened to be an intern in our office, and was getting to
do a lot more interesting work than was given to me.  The short of it was, I
went back to school, to GW Museum Ed program and got an MAT.  I became a
curator of Education ($7500 annually! - made more as a secretary at the
Smithsonian before my degree) after graduation, and worked at an historic site
and museum for 6 years, then moved on to a directorship at a museum for the
next 10 years, and another museum for 4 years.  I am currently a director of
an historic site, taking a recent cut in pay because of certain political
difficulties with the former position.  (Health is more important to me)

Anyway, you can say I worked my way up the ladder -- oh, I also did an
internship at the National Archives and in a school in DC.  The only thing I
haven't learned to "do" in a museum is to run power tools to create cabinetry.
Everything else -- or feels like it -- I have done at one time or another.  I
think that if you are open to challenges, you will advance.  I am now working
(almost 20 years later) with women I trained as volunteer docents.  They have
stuck it out and so have I.

I think the insight you gain by experiencing the various levels in the museum,
prepares you for just about anything that can come up.  It has never been a
dull career.

Barbara Taylor
Historic Rosedale