I have to agree with Debbie and go one step beyond. I think that if you look closely you'll find the same "glut" of graduates in many fields. Just for fun log on to the Chronicle of Higher Education and read about the job hunting experiences of those with PhDs in a wide variety of fields. Their comments all echo those that have been voiced on this list. Too many grads, too few tenure track positions (big trend toward adjunct), too low salaries, people scraping together a living by teaching three or four courses as adjuncts for less than they would make at a fast food chain. And these are not just humanities PhDs. I also must add that we have a number of volunteers and interns who are now receiving pay checks from us. Volunteering and interning is still a great way to make connections and to have your work/skills known to those in a position to hire you if a job becomes available. Networking is key. The best advice I ever received was from a woman who was the president of one of our Friends groups. The advice was in direct response to how to find a publisher for my book, but I've since found that it actually works for almost anything - figure out what you want to do and then TALK TO EVERYBODY. This includes your hairdresser, your banker, your doctor, the person you are seated next to at a wedding reception. You never know who might know someone who will be in a position to assist you. Good luck to all you job seekers. Robin Campbell, PhD Supervising Curator New York State Bureau of Historic Sites Peebles Island Waterford, NY 12188 -----Original Message----- From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Deborah Barlow Smedstad Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2005 10:59 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Glut of graduates "In addition to lower than expected salaries, I've also known graduate students who didn't think they had to have any experience to get a job. In fact, they expected upon graduation to walk right into a director's job because they have a master's degree in museum studies. And the few that did "luck into" such a job ended up leaving the field within a year, because reality didn't match classroom teachings." I've never responded to a post on this list, but this one caught my eye. In my experience of the last ten years, I have come to the conclusion that this is what I call "Gen X arrogance" is a generational thing. I encountered the very same thing with several recent MLS graduates in that age group. I had several 'interns' who thought they should be able to step right into a museum or art library director position right out of graduate school. Needless to say, this didn't sit too well with those of us in the baby boomer generation who worked for paltry salaries for 10 years or more before getting that coveted yet still low-paying head position. I had one intern about ten years ago tell me that he wasn't happy with his starting salary of $36,500 annually for a two-year internship he was taking. The rest of us raised our eyebrows and concluded that he was in for a rude awakening down the line. I don't gripe that much about my salary since "I" am the only one responsible for it. I didn't go into the field with blinders on. I 'did' choose to get my MLS after my MA and it was the best decision for me. I figured out the 'reality' of the jobs in the museum field and walked across the park to apply for that MLS. I tell people interested in the art library field that the current demographics are actually in their favor since many library directors will retire in the next 5-10 years. There has in fact been turnover that did not exist in 1985 when I was trying to get my foot in the door. Debbie Deborah Barlow Smedstad Head Librarian William Morris Hunt Memorial Library Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 465 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115 [log in to unmask] (617)369-3107 ========================================================= 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).