As a DC-er I have to agree. You can't expect to move to town and be able to get a museum job right away- it's 95% luck, 3% connexions and 2% ability. People who get Smithsonian jobs stay there forever- there is not much turnover. And Laura failed to mention that of those few SI
openings (as well as lot of other jobs in town) the people hiring actually already have the person they want to hire and are posting it as mainly a technicality. I also don't know too many mailroom-to-boardroom SI stories.

I've done the Smithsonian job route- on one of those above positions created for me. I have also done a whole lot of other jobs in this town- not all museum related. The job I have right now is curatorial yet not in my academic interest field. So I still keep my eyes open, just not
as urgently.  But every job you do adds to your experience and resume- no matter what it is. It might even open up a new area you never thought you would want to do. I have a friend who temped at an insurance company while looking for that anthropology museum job and is now living
in Africa developing insurance products there- and loving it.  I have another friend who works as a volunteer co-ordinator and she says that out of all her previous jobs and internships, it was her job as a salesperson in the Nordstrom shoe department that gave her the most useful
experience.

DC is a great town for meeting different people from all over the world, seeing new things and enjoying yourself. It's full of adventures you'll never have anywhere else. It is also a place you can live in easily poor- there is alot of free stuff to do. It  has alot to offer and if
you move here, I recommend enjoying the whole city and getting out and meeting people. It's a city for young people full of dreams and excitement. I could never have imagined living anywhere else in my 20s. I might not be in the exact place in my career I had planned to be right
now, but I am having a great time and have wonderful friends.

Museum work is a calling, not a career choice. You do it because you need to and are willing to make all the sacrifices needed to pursue it.  It is not a field you go into for the money or the early retirement to France. You will have to make some hard choices if you do pursue it,
but in the end it is full of personal rewards and happiness.

That being said- I know of some positions around town, so you can contact me off list.

Pamela Feltus
Historian
The History Factory

Laura Mahoney wrote:

> I was going to pass on responding to this since this thread appears on MUSEUM-L
> on a regular basis, but I guess I couldn't resist any longer...
>
> Speaking from years of experience, getting a job in a museum in the Washington,
> D.C. area is next to impossible.  I graduated the George Washington University
> in 1996 with my Master's in museum studies.  I had very high grades, lots of
> good internship experience and good connections (most of my teachers worked for
> the Smithsonian).  Unfortunately none of that helped much.
>
> Jobs at the Smithsonian especially are few and far between.  Competition is
> fierce for those jobs that do occasionally open up. The application process at
> the Smithsonian and other quasi-Federal agencies (National Park Service,
> Holocaust Museum, etc.) takes a minimum of 3 months.  The typical time you can
> expect to wait is closer to 6 months or longer.  I started applying for
> Smithsonian jobs a full year before I graduated.  Consider yourself lucky if you
> EVER get a response back.
>
> I made the mistake of taking the first job I was offered at the Smithsonian.  My
> job was in sponsored research.  I thought that I could get my foot in the door
> and that it would lead to other jobs at the Smithsonian.  Unfortunately I
> quickly got typecast as a "grants person" and found even getting considered for
> collection related jobs more difficult than before.
>
> After two years at the Smithsonian I thought that I'd have a better shot of
> getting a collections job if I left the Smithsonian.  I was fortunate that a
> consultant position opened up at the National Park Service.  I had been an
> intern at the National Park Service while in graduate school.  That job let to
> my current permanent government position, also at the National Park Service.
> Even though I'm still doing grants, the grants I work with now are much closer
> to my academic background than those I was working on at the Smithsonian.  What
> can I say -- sometimes it really does depend on who you know.
>
> I guess the lesson in all of this is to keep plugging along.  Getting a job in
> D.C. is not easy and may take you a LONG time.  Believe me, if it wasn't for my
> husband I would have left this area a LONG time ago.  Don't settle for any old
> job at the Smithsonian (or any large organization) thinking that you can work
> your way into the position you really want.  The Smithsonian is much bigger than
> people realize.  More than likely you'll get typecast and people will forget
> that you have other skills beyond your current position.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Laura
>
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> Laura M. Mahoney
> Heritage Preservation Services
> National Park Service
> [log in to unmask]
>
> ____________________Reply Separator____________________
> Subject:    Re: job openings?
> Author: Sarah Spreitzer <[log in to unmask]>
> Date:       2/16/00 10:55 AM
>
> Dear All,
>
> I am a student, currently completing my masters, who is also looking for
> a museum job in D.C. starting around May.  If anyone has any advice
> regarding
> this could you please reply to me also or post to the list-serv.
> I have been checking the AVISO, MERC and the Washington Post on a daily basis.
> Are there any other hints for finding a job in D.C. or at the
> Smithsonian, especially in collections?  And does anyone know how long
> the application process at the Smithsonian takes?
>
> - Sarah Spreitzer
>
> =========================================================
> 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).

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