As I have read this thread, I have heard some graduate students worrying
over the fact that they would not be able to get internships at the"right"
institutions, and therefore, would be at a disadvantage in the marketplace.
Then, Amy Marshall states that her husband's valid museum experiences are
not considered by prospective employers to be suitable for the types of
jobs for which he is applying.

Allow me to contribute my $.02.  In the long run, the internship experiences
that one has will cease to matter.  Just like your high school grades,
they become irrelevant.  Performance is what matters, and prospective
employers who do not take all job and life experience into account when
hiring are limiting their choices and almost guaranteeing that they will
not be happy with the person they ultimately hire.

Get an internship that interests you at an institution that will work with
you to make your experience worthwhile.  Work hard, think deep thoughts,
ask the professionals questions about what you see that does not jive
with what you have learned in class--then listen to their answers.  I would
rather hire someone that has a good grasp on reality than someone with
impressive credentials as long as my arm.  After all, we have to work in
the real world.

Then, when you get that first job, do all the same things.  Become a
person of accomplishment.  Work hard at your job and involve yourself in
professional activities.  Write for publication.  Your next job will be
much easier to find, and the one after that, easier still.

There are a lot of ways to get where you want to be in this business.  If
you don't make it through one of the "prestige" internships, do it some
other way.  Ultimately, it is performance and ability that counts.  ANy
hiring officials who does not understand that, makes bad hires.

Good luck, all, and don't worry so much!

Claudia Nicholson
Curator of Collections
South Dakota State Historical Society, Pierre

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