Less then two years ago I took the route suggested by Ms. Fuller.  After graduating from college with a BA in history and no museum experience, I landed a job as archivist for a small city museum in Central Texas (500 miles away from where I went to school).  After a year in that position I applied for and was offered a job as a museum tech with the National Archives & Records Administration at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum in Austin, Texas. 

Getting your foot in the door is a very important first step.  Small museums do not have the prestige or glamour as the nationally known museums, but they offer valuable job training and experience might help you move up to a better position.   

I found that the museum world is kind of like professional baseball; you have to spend some time in the minor leagues before you get to play in the majors. 

Good luck in your searches.

Michael MacDonald
Museum Technician
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library & Museum 

>>> Deb Fuller <[log in to unmask]> 05/29/00 08:14PM >>>
For all the new or soon-to-be graduates out there:

Not to be pessimistic but the museum field is GLUTTED right now. You have
chosen to enter a profession where there are HUNDREDS of applicants for
mainline museum jobs and most of them do have a master's and 5+ years of
experience. Hell, the Smithsonian gets at least 100 applicants for every
professional opening they have.

But, if you are willing to travel and live somewhere that isn't a booming
metropolis, there are plenty of small, rural museums that are deperate for
people. This is a perfect way to get experience and try lots of different
things as smaller museums have smaller staffs that have to do multiple jobs.

Good luck!

Deb

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