Ginger M. Young wrote:
>
> I tend to agree with most of what Ms. Matharu wrote.. but ...

Big "but" to my mind. Many years ago, I was told to use the volunteer
route in order to break into video production. Fine. Amd who was going
to do my freelance writing for me while I was hanging around studios
looking stupid at my age? (I was no longer a SYT eighteen-year-old.) And
where was bus fare to the studios going to come from (not to mention gas
and auto insurance and health insurance). And me volunteering while the
honchos are driving BMWs and talking on car phones.

I pursued this as long as I could without volunteering, but finally gave
up and kept going with more traditional writing. About ten years later I
was in the midst of graduate school in history and already beating the
bushes for a museum job and I was told the same thing: volunteer. I
have, I said. I helped organize my local history museum. I belong to
12,000 history organizations (local/hands-on and otherwise). And on top
of this I have almost 20 years of work experience, a great deal of which
has to do with writing and researching history. What kind of experience
is museum volunteering going to add to my resume?

So, I ignored them and just kept whining to anyone who would listen and
sending the resume out to people who could care less and following up
leads and finally a museum directorship opened up. And I didn't have to
move anywhere and even though the pay is peanuts, it's better than doing
it for free. (Which is what occurred to me when I was helping to set up
the local history museum in my hometown and why I decided there was
nothing wrong with getting paid to do work you love or at least enjoy.)

Most of my friends, I am sure, laugh at me behind my back for going so
wholeheartedly into a field that pays so little.(In a way, I laugh at
myself.) The rest of the world counts one's success by the amount of
money you rack up each year. It's easier that way. Humanists don't see
it that way. We take the difficult route. However, we are doing
ourselves and the field of humanities at large a great disservice by
giving it away. In the eyes of the rest of the world, the more money you
command, the more respect you get. It is up to us to change the way
things are from the inside. It won't happen overnight (nothing in
humanities ever does!) BUT what if the next time you had a chance to
discuss volunteerism with your board or your director, you explained how
inefficient volunteerism can be. That you would have more leverage, if
you will, over a paid employee. That your department would function more
cost-effectively, even with a parttime paid person because that person
would be more dependable or have more experience....or whatever you can
come up with. Plant the seed. And then water it once in a while. (A
little whining never hurt either.)

The money is out there. If the government can buy $300 screwdrivers,
they can afford a couple more entry-level salaries.  Funny how a
municipality can always fund another basketball court. Or how the museum
can pay moving costs for a director that promises them the
world....okay, I'm getting bitter here, but I hope you get the
point.

Enough said.

Cheers!

Cynthia Ogorek
Director! paid! (first museum job)
Matteson Historical Museum
Matteson, IL