--- Ehr Nine <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> What I'd like to know is how many (if any!) of you got
> jobs *without* doing any volunteer work (including
> unpaid internships), whether for the institution that
> hired you or somewhere else. If you didn't have
> volunteer experience, did you have other applicable
> experience? Has anyone found it possible to get a job
> without *any* experience of some sort?

Like I said in my infamous list, in the museum field you are competing with
people who have at least a masters degree and several years of experience. The
field is just that glutted. You need to have *something* that gives you an edge
over the competition.

While I didn't have any volunteer experience, I have gotten my museum work
through connections. Sometimes really random connections. For instance, I was
at a "haunted house" halloween gig (back you scientists, back!! ;) at a local
historical house. Between tours, I struck up a conversation with the lady
playing the dead body in the coffin. Turns out she worked for the women's
memorial at Arlington cemetery so I asked her if she had any positions open
since i was temping at the time. She did and I started the next week. It was
data entry but I was then able to get to work with the curator on some
education stuff and eventually I started working with the exhibit design
company that did their exhibits. All from talking to a "corpse". :)

So you need some experience just ot get in, even for low-level positions
because the competition is just that tough. If you are fresh out of school,
look for program assistant type jobs, especially at smaller places. It will get
you out and get your feet wet. While you are looking, get a "real" job as well
as that will also give you experience. Temping is a good way to get a variety
of experience and you never know where that will end up. Tell the agencies that
you are interested in the museums and find the ones that place in museums as
well. Non-profits like local public broadcasting stations are also great places
to temp or to work. There's a ton of things out there to do and a whole
lifetime to do it in. Don't sweat if you take a few years to get a job. Think
of it as being that much closer to paying off your student loans.

Deb

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