Yesterday I was in the position of interviewing candidates for a VERY
entry-level short-term contract museum job.  If desire of and need for a
job were the sole criteria, I would have given a job to every single one of
those candidates.  We ended up turning down a number of people who had
multiple degrees, spoke 5 or more languages, and were enthusiastic to work
for the paltry wage we were offering, all in favour of someone whose
qualifications included volunteer experience working for a  not-for-profit
group with needs similar to that of our museum.

I have to agree with those museum-Lers who stated that experience speaks
louder than most things when looking for a museum position.  Experience
that can be gained through volunteering is quite often the same as that of
many paid, entry-level jobs.  I have always been a strong proponent that
any gap on a resume can work against you, so if paid work is unavailable,
volunteer work is the next best thing.

Alex Avdichuk
City of Toronto
Arts, Culture and Heritage Services
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