On June 3 Helen Glazer, Exhibitions Director, Goucher College wrote:

"I occasionally get letters in the mail with resumes from recent graduates
[...] asking if positions are available. They all get a boilerplate letter
saying, no, and there will be none in the forseeable future.
I suppose the theory is that I might read over the resume and tuck it
away, or pass it on to someone else, but I wouldn't pass along a resume
from someone I don't know. I can't imagine anything resulting from this
mass mailing approach..."


NO, the "theory" is that you might deign to show a modicum of respect for
a recent college graduate by actually taking a moment to seriously
consider their resume should a position be available. Apparently the only
way anyone gets a position in your institution is to know you... hardly a
diverse pool of applicants!

As a graduate student in Museum Studies at NYU, I have taken both
approaches- responding to the few and far between ads, as well as sent
resumes cold. And in fact, I've gotten more interviews from exhibition
design firms and museums via the "cold" mailings than via the ads. All I
can say is thank goodness not everyone takes the same elitist attitude you
do... I find your comments insulting to those of us who invest our time,
and hard work, not to mention thousands of dollars in grad school (or even
undergrad) only to have their resumes ignored by someone who thinks they
PERSONALLY know everyone who might be qualified for their institution.

Finally, for the many grad students who receive this list, I can say from
personal experience that sending "cold" resumes can generate results.
While I happened to find a full-time position by responding to a posting,
my fiancee found a position at the Whitney Museum here in NYC with "cold"
resume... good thing she didn't apply to Goucher College!


Dennis Kois
MA Program in Museum Studies
New York University
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