Hi Everyone,

Thanks Indigo for bringing up this topic.

I think that there are some deeper issues invovled than just the
perceptions of age in hiring decisions.

Let me just add one pervasive fact - even though many postiions in
museums and allied professions are posted as having a salary range or
"salary commensurate with experience" the reality is that almost every
position offered to someone will be at the minimum pay. And this means
that younger workers, many of whom are just entering the profession,
will be more attractive to organizations and companies.

Over the years I have witnessed an increasingly larger reliance on
entry level / volunteer / intern staffing to be given more skilled
tasks and responsibilities because they are a temporary and low-paid
labor force. Many in my profession of conservation desire a more
elevated professional standing and recognition - and this is one of
the many reasons why certification is being pursued, and they are
undoubtedly many in the museum field who have a similar desire to
elevate the standards and to be on a more level standing with those in
other professions (architects, lawyers, etc.). The irony and also the
problem is that, given the economics, that experienced professionals
are often bypassed and undervalued because there are younger, less
experienced, lower wage or volunteer persons who become more
attractive candidates. The other side of this is that many who are
just out of graduate school who are hired float from temporary or low
wage postions for years building up their "experience" for their CV's
to land that good job - a journey that often takes years. So people on
both ends of the age and experience spectrum can be stuck in a system
that can be seen as unfair and somewhat unsatisfying.

I ALWAYS strive to communicate to any younger interns or professionals
that if you are dedicated to working in museums or in conservation
that you should have a realistic expectation about barely making a
living wage for years and in facing a lot of competition for any
position that you apply for. Many talented and wonderful people simply
cannot afford to work in a museum career unless they have a spouse who
has a larger income or some other supplemental source of income.

I find it a tad bittersweet when I tell other folks what I do, that
they think it is one of the coolest careers on the planet and they
assume that you make an incredible income for such amazing work - and
I think many folks in musuems garner similar reactions.

We all happen to work in a field that requires a high level of
education and that demands a lot of any of us. It's just somewhat
daunting that for this you face the prospect of never earning as much
as the plumber or the electrician.

Until the field as a whole finds a strategy that supports the
profession and those that dedicate themselves to it, and can somehow
find a way to change the ecomonic paradigm, I think that things will
go along pretty much as they are for a long time to come.

Cheers!
Dave

On 9/1/06, George Garner <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Indigo,
>
> I'm glad you brought up this discussion. Unfortunately, discrimination is
> very prevalent in a lot of museums. As a museum professional on the other
> end of the age scale, references to my age and prejudices from that are all
> too common. The institution I worked for most recently is an example.
> Granted, the staff also frequently engaged in racial, ethnic, religious, and
> sexual identity discrimination, shared "jokes," etc., but age discrimination
> was just as prevalent. Despite eight years in the museum field, a degree
> from a prestigious masters program, I heard, "You're too young," or, "You're
> just a baby," etc. far too many times. I'm not exactly green behind the ears
> either (I turn 30 very soon).
>
>
> At the same time, I'll never know if my age benefitted me in getting a job.
> Was I chosen instead of an older candidate?
>
> Having this discussion, sponsoring AAM discussions on age discrimination,
> etc., are all great ideas to start a dialogue about this problem. I do think
> it's important to remember age discrimination in all its forms and at all
> ages.
>
> All my best,
> George Garner
>
> ------------------------
> AIM: musgarner
>

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