Gina Lineberger,

Internships and volunteering are very good ways to receive experience in museums. Of course, people with paid employment in the field also have very relevant experience. 

The problem, of course, is too few museum jobs and a surplus of candidates, with relevant experience, for such jobs. Hence, to "get your foot in the door," you may have to accept a lower paid job (possibly in another city) to get the experience to move up in your museum career.

But, I can tell you that when I worked at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science in the 1980s and early 1990s, we often hired volunteers for paid positions.

gaw



Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,

Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >

Electronic Mail - < [log in to unmask] >

SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:

  < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >

Twitter: < http://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >

Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >

Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >

Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --

* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: 

  < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com >

* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:

  < http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >

* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:

  < http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >

* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: 

  < http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com >

* Civil War Museum of Andrew Carnegie Free Library:

  < http://garespypost.tripod.com >

* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh: 

  < http://inclinedplane.tripod.com >

* Public Transit:

  < http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >

--- On Tue, 11/15/11, Stefania Van Dyke <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

From: Stefania Van Dyke <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Advice on Career Competitiveness
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2011, 4:41 PM


  

    
  
    Hi Gina,

    I've mentioned this book before but it's worth repeating because I
    think it would be very helpful for you:

    

    N. Elizabeth Schlatter, Museum Careers: A Practical Guide for
      Students and Novices

    

    http://www.lcoastpress.com/book.php?id=152

    

    It's an honest look at the field, including interviews with several
    longstanding professionals and useful appendices. Here's the
    official description (and you can find the table of contents if you
    follow the link above).

    

    "This concise volume is the place to start for anyone considering a
    career in museums. Museum professional and author N. Elizabeth
    Schlatter outlines the nature of the profession as a whole, the
    rewards and challenges of museum work, types of museums, and jobs
    within museums, including salary ranges. She discusses options for
    education and training, and suggestions on how to secure a job and
    how to move up the career ladder. Interviews with museum
    professionals from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds
    demonstrate different career paths and offer unique and helpful
    advice. For
    novices in the field, students in museum studies programs, or anyone
    considering museums as a career choice, Schlatter’s book is an
    essential starting point."

    

    Best of luck --

    Stefania

    

    On 11/14/2011 5:35 PM, Gina Lineberger wrote:
    
      
        I am a recent graduate of Johns Hopkins' museum studies
          master's program.  I focused my studies in registration and
          curatorial functions, however my only "hands-on" experience to
          this point comes from my internships and volunteering.  I am
          curious to hear from working professionals whether it is in
          fact true that interning and volunteering experience is valued
          as highly as paid employment experience when evaluating a
          candidate's overall competitiveness in the market.  I'm
          continuing my volunteering and post-graduate interning while
          seeking a permanent, rewarding opportunity.  I hate to think
          that the skills I'm developing and polishing will not be
          fairly and equally considered by potential employers.

        
        

        
        As a hopeful museum professional in the making, any input
          would be greatly appreciated.

        
        

        
        G.M.L.
      

      
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    -- 
Stefania R. Van Dyke
Museum Studies & Practice
Left Coast Press, Inc.
[log in to unmask]

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