Love of history is not enough, but it's unrealistic to expect an intern to
be fully educated and have a degree and be willing to work for free (most
of the time), especially when one of the people on this list suggested they
don't care what happens to the intern.  If they can't use their experience
to find employment, how are they ever going to become a donor to your
museum?  The attitude I've seen regarding recent grads and interns has been
an eye opener the past few months.  It's as if those who do the hiring
don't realize that interns can't simply work for free with no promise of
future employment. In my field (history) museums would be far better served
by cultivating future public historians and helping them find work, instead
of just using them as cheap, disposable help.

-Victor Mobley

On Sun, Apr 29, 2012 at 10:25 PM, Dave <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Just reviewing old e-mail... I find it difficult to call someone who
> doesn't know how to write a proper letter "well educated."  If it isn't
> being taught in schools, that's a shame.  But as you say, you could Google
> it.
>
> David Haberstich
>
>
>  -----Original Message-----
> From: Callie Stewart <[log in to unmask]>
> To: MUSEUM-L <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tue, Apr 17, 2012 1:08 pm
> Subject: Re: Is a love of history enough for interns?
>
> Absolutely not!!!  I am currently in the process of hiring a summer intern
> and I expect them to already have relevant experience and a degree.  I am
> more lenient with volunteer interns, but I still expect them to earn their
> keep and "loving history" is not part of the job description.  I learned
> the hard way that accepting anyone who walks through the door with a "love
> of art" can end up being a disaster and a waste of everyone's time.  That
> being said, I think that basic intelligence and common sense can be a lot
> more valuable then specific skills.  If you have an intern who can learn to
> do A,B and C quickly and has good research skills, they can be a lot more
> useful then one who already knows X,Y and Z, but can't problem solve or
> think on their feet.
>
>  Honestly, I don't care if they stay in the profession or not.  Who knows
> where they're going to end up in life.  I wish them all the best, but their
> life is not my business or my concern.  Perhaps your experience will
> inspire them to become your future big donor.  As long as they are
> satisfied with the experience and the museum gets something useful out of
> their time, then everybody wins!
>
>  What has shocked me is how few applicants (some of them very good and
> well educated) know how to format a cover letter.  It's not hard to Google
> these things.  Why does no one know where to put the date? Or that you are
> supposed to actually *sign* your name???
>
> On Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 12:38 PM, Fox, Amy <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Frustrating as it is to devote scarce time and energy to supervising
>> interns who love history but don't plan to stay in the museum field, you
>> might think of it as an investment in future audiences, museum members,
>> board members, and supporters. Easy for me to say, since it's not my
>> investment of time, but I've known some interns through the years who
>> didn't become museum professionals but are fine citizens, nevertheless, and
>> have a good understanding of our field. Ultimately you're weighing the
>> short-term benefit of an intern with the long-term benefits, which you may
>> not reap. But that's true if they go into the museum profession, too.
>>
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>> Amy Killpatrick Fox
>> Museum Educator
>> Bureau of Historic Sites & Museums, PHMC
>> Commonwealth Keystone Building
>> 400 North St.
>> Harrisburg, PA  17120
>> 717/772-1967
>> Website:  www.patrailsofhistory.com
>> Blog: Trailheads--http://patrailheads.blogspot.com
>>
>> Notice: On **Friday, July 29th**, the commonwealth will be adding @pa.govas the primary email domain for all state employees. For example:
>> [log in to unmask] will now be [log in to unmask] The email addresses ending
>> in @state.pa.us will continue to function so that emails will never be
>> interrupted. We appreciate your cooperation as we take a small step to
>> increase the usability and consistency of the commonwealth's online
>> communications.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Museum discussion list [mailto:
>> ------------------------------
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