Here's my 2 cents, expressed in pithy maxims:

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Strike while the iron is hot.
The early bird gets...
Nothing ventured...      and:
Nothing is permanent.

In more linguistic terms:
This looks like a great opportunity.  If you pass it up, you may always
wonder if that was a mistake or not.  If it works out, great!  You may find
you like the unexpected turn in your career plans.  If it doesn't work out,
or you later become tired if it, you will not regret having taken a chance,
and you can always re-direct your career back to your original idea, or to
some new direction.





In article <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask] says...

Hello.

Since many museum professionals have entered the field in indirect
ways,  I thought participants of this list might be willing to give me
advice on a career decision I will have to make soon.

I have a B.A. in art history and arts education, and I earned my M.A. in
museum studies in May of 1997.  For the past five years, I have worked
multiple part-time and temporary positions in order to stay involved
with the non-profit sector while looking for a permanent job in museum
education.  I have recently moved and have spent the past four months
applying for positions, making contacts, and interviewing.  Meantime, I
have been working temporarily for a corporate foundation.  The position
has given me the opportunity to see funding from the corporate side and
has kept me in touch with the non-profit sector, but my background is in
education - not development.

I am still waiting to hear back about a position in museum education for
which I have interviewed, but the Director of the Foundation has asked
if I would be interested in applying for the position which I am
temporarily filling.  My questions are these:

Has anyone out there entered the museum field from this direction?

Could this be a good way to enter museum consulting?

If hiring for a museum education position, would you see experience with
a coroporate foundation as an asset?

If hired, I would be in the unique position of being able to shape my
job description.  I have considered working directly as a liaison with
non-profits funded by the Foundation and possibly developing an
evaluation component for long-term grants.  What other types of
responsibilities or projects do you think could be carried out in such a
position that would provide the professional development needed to
eventually enter the museum education field?

I appreciate any advice or insights you may have.  Thanks in advance.

Deborah Bain

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