Samuel D. Tanner wrote in message <35eb0f93.23455117@netnews>...
>I have found there is no such thing as entry-level possitions in the
>museum world. The only ones I have found re part-time or seasonal, and
>one cannot live on the pay. I have a MA and one year experience, and
>find that most full time jobs require 3-5 years experience. In other
>words new graduates cannot even break into the field unless they know
>someone on the inside.


Breaking into the museum field IS hard - harder now than in the past.
The cost of living while easing your way into a museum position is a big
problem. This often means other work to keep bread on the table.

I started as a student volunteer at a local community museum. My first
paying museum job was as a tour guide at a National Historic Site. Yes it
sometimes is who you know to some extent. I was told about the opening by
two friends who worked in adjoining museums. I later completed my university
training and was able to work my way up through the system, then moved on to
other museums.  At the same time I was a volunteer curator at a local
military l museum - which I started while serving in the reserve army.
Presently I am curator of a fairly large city museum (outdoor village museum
type).  When I was hired for this position, the Director already knew me
from a museums' conference so this made it a little easier.  Some people are
able to complete higher degrees and come into the field at higher levels as
specialists instead of working their way
up from the bottom.

One advantage to volunteering at a local history museum is that it is
sometimes easy to become the curator - especially if you have the training.
That looks good on a resume.  You also learn how to do everything -
displays, accessioning, publicity, sales in gift shop, conservation, grant
writing, budgeting  etc.   In large museums you also get experience, but
usually in a more focussed area.

Some ideas to consider for breaking into the field:
* Get to know people in the museum field
* Get to be known.
* Volunteer at various museums, even if you have to have a full-time
non-museum job to pay the bills.
* Consider starting at a lower position. Sometimes (not always) you can work
your way up. Many museums ask for knowledge of local history which favours
those familiar with the museum. You are also a known entity to the people
doing the hiring, whereas a stranger is a bigger gamble.
* Join relevant museum association(s). If you are interested in local
history museums, join your local provincial or state museum association and
possibly AASLH.
* Volunteer to help in planning museum conferences in your area.
* Let friends and colleagues know that you are looking for a job in museums.
* Contract museum work seems to be a modern trend and adds to your resume.
* Collect letters of reference as you go along. Your contacts will move,
die, retire etc.

Getting in the door, even as a volunteer, allows you to hear about job
openings. If you are working with museum people, they may tell you
about upcoming jobs, act as references etc. (It helps if you are smart,
hardworking and nice). You get to see the notice boards in the satff room.
It is not pensionable time perhaps, but it is time under your belt when it
comes to applying for paid positions.

No one said it was going to be quick or easy (if they did, they were lying)!

Colin Stevens
Museum Curator
CANADA
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