Just to beat a dead horse   :) ..........

In this discussion, I've heard many of you adivse to work as a
volunteer/intern----and to try starting in smaller museums.

I agree wholeheartedly. A couple of years ago my first internship was at a
very small (but great) museum, and I was paid a *very* small amount.

I also got to create the entire collections management system for them--- from
generating all gift/loan/condition report documents, to devising the numbering
and classification system, to drafting a collections management
policy-----everything, all at my first museum job. I could never have had such
an exciting and creative experience anywhere else.

Most museums already have these collections systems in place, of course. But
an intern or volunteer at a small museum still has a great opportunity to get
there hands into a little bit of everything.

I later found that, in many ways, this experience that was more enticing in
terms of experience to employers than my subsequent work.

Ellen