I would love to know whether others have had similar experiences w/the Smithsonian and other Washington DC museums.... Janice Morrill Atlanta History Center 130 W. Paces Ferry Road, NW Atlanta, GA 30305 404 814-4135 [log in to unmask] >>> Laura Mahoney <[log in to unmask]> 02/16/00 02:33PM >>> I was going to pass on responding to this since this thread appears on MUSEUM-L on a regular basis, but I guess I couldn't resist any longer... Speaking from years of experience, getting a job in a museum in the Washington, D.C. area is next to impossible. I graduated the George Washington University in 1996 with my Master's in museum studies. I had very high grades, lots of good internship experience and good connections (most of my teachers worked for the Smithsonian). Unfortunately none of that helped much. Jobs at the Smithsonian especially are few and far between. Competition is fierce for those jobs that do occasionally open up. The application process at the Smithsonian and other quasi-Federal agencies (National Park Service, Holocaust Museum, etc.) takes a minimum of 3 months. The typical time you can expect to wait is closer to 6 months or longer. I started applying for Smithsonian jobs a full year before I graduated. Consider yourself lucky if you EVER get a response back. I made the mistake of taking the first job I was offered at the Smithsonian. My job was in sponsored research. I thought that I could get my foot in the door and that it would lead to other jobs at the Smithsonian. Unfortunately I quickly got typecast as a "grants person" and found even getting considered for collection related jobs more difficult than before. After two years at the Smithsonian I thought that I'd have a better shot of getting a collections job if I left the Smithsonian. I was fortunate that a consultant position opened up at the National Park Service. I had been an intern at the National Park Service while in graduate school. That job let to my current permanent government position, also at the National Park Service. Even though I'm still doing grants, the grants I work with now are much closer to my academic background than those I was working on at the Smithsonian. What can I say -- sometimes it really does depend on who you know. I guess the lesson in all of this is to keep plugging along. Getting a job in D.C. is not easy and may take you a LONG time. Believe me, if it wasn't for my husband I would have left this area a LONG time ago. Don't settle for any old job at the Smithsonian (or any large organization) thinking that you can work your way into the position you really want. The Smithsonian is much bigger than people realize. More than likely you'll get typecast and people will forget that you have other skills beyond your current position. Good luck! Laura * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura M. Mahoney Heritage Preservation Services National Park Service [log in to unmask] ____________________Reply Separator____________________ Subject: Re: job openings? Author: Sarah Spreitzer <[log in to unmask]> Date: 2/16/00 10:55 AM Dear All, I am a student, currently completing my masters, who is also looking for a museum job in D.C. starting around May. If anyone has any advice regarding this could you please reply to me also or post to the list-serv. I have been checking the AVISO, MERC and the Washington Post on a daily basis. Are there any other hints for finding a job in D.C. or at the Smithsonian, especially in collections? And does anyone know how long the application process at the Smithsonian takes? - Sarah Spreitzer ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).