A 'Pity Party'???? From what I've seen here and what I have wrote...we are
trying to cope with obstacles and situations and are looking for support and
information. Lamenting (or what may seem like it) is unfortunately part of this
process.
I don't think you will find too many people here that are merely lamenting,
we are taking action and applying what we learn - and this list has been an
excellent resource to do this. I have been grateful for the support and
information I am receiving on this list! Some things, I can talk to my friends
and family about, and they are attentive but being able to network with other
museum professionals, students, volunteers, etc., is most helpful!
When I go into the employment office to ask for assistance and advice, it
is limiting because an employment counselor is not directly familiar with the
museum field. I am attentive and have none-the-less found a lot of helpful
information.
Last time I went in there, there wasn't anyone available to help me. Since
I had to drive a distance to get there, I was a little more persistent (I don't
mind waiting, etc) about getting info. The employment office manager assisted me
and has since taken me on as a client.
He told me about a new program (that was only available in the eastern part
of my state) that would enable me to take online classes for free..up to a year.
I had him sign me up. Although I am well-versed in Microsoft Office '97
Professional, I am working on updating to 2002 and will have a specialist
certificate.
If I hadn't gone to the employment office, hadn't been persistent, I would
have missed out on this opportunity. But I did tell the manager my current
situation (I have 2 academic degrees, I have work experience, I am anxious to
re-enter the workforce following surgery and illness). Believe me, I am not
presenting my struggles in order to merely lament and not too many people on the
list are doing that. If it was up to me, I wish I wouldn't have to rehash some
of my experiences, but often, in order to get assistance, people need to know
where you've come from, where you want to go in order to help you get
there.
No doubt that if I had a second household income, that my situation would
be different and sometimes I can only joke about that. Humor, is a great way to
deal with some of these issues. But in all seriousness, I am aware of my reality
and I have to find ways to work around and with that and I have to be
resourceful. Resourceful = talking to people, doing research, working 2-3 jobs,
etc).
When we mention and discuss the difficult and low paying positions we have
held...we similarly find that these jobs have had other benefits, and that's
what we're trying to express - we are not moaning and groaning because we had to
do them. But there is a lot of moaning and groaning involved when you have
blisters on your feet and 2 hours left to go on your shift.
I found a way to cope with this, and next time a fellow waitress complained
to me about her feet, I highly recommended 'maxi pads'.
Waitressing? How many of us here have had to do that and know how much the
$$$ helped! And not just the money, I have been able to network with a lot of
people and gain some great people skills. The 6 years that I worked at a local
hospital as a psych aide, mostly with elderly people...well I used to be
'afraid' of elderly people. Now I work with elderly people all the time in
museums and have many elderly friends.
To address another issue you bring up - I see a lot of museums that are
doing as much as they can to create more jobs and obtain as many grants as
possible. Other museums can certainly do more and I know of many who watch grant
deadlines come and go. An good example of this is the more recent IMLS Museums
for American grant. It is clear that many entire states are underrepresented in
these grant awards.
Grants are an issue in of themselves and there are museums that simply do
not understand the processes involved. One of the worse grants I ever saw was
written by a professor who proposed a project that had a vague goal and didn't
outline steps to attain that goal, nor any benefits resulting from this goal.
For those of us who write grants, we can read and understand the language of and
requirements for a grant. But I have been surprised at how many people find
these strange interpretations for grant requirements and/or guidelines that they
choose to ignore.
I hope there hasn't been any list members who feel dissuaded from posting
their experiences and issues they are personally facing. Anyone who would like
to is always free to contact me offlist too!
Pam
In a message dated 8/25/2005 1:24:47 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
Ok, so
you're all overworked, underpaid, and your
museums underfunded. In
the aggregate, a pity party
of some start gets started on this list every
couple
of months (I can't find a job, my job doesn't pay
enough,
etc.). My thinking was that, if you don't act
in the collective,
proactively, the profession may
just dry up. How many times have
there been posts to
this list about a museum here, there, or
somewhere,
sometimes a long-established museum, closing?
It's
not up to somebody else to keep the profession
going. It's up to
those of us who happen to believe
there is extreme value. My
suggestion may have been
ill gotten and/or unappreciated (oh, please, beat
me
some more with that wet noodle), but I'm trying to
convince you that
you have to do more than lament.
The old tools aren't working, and some of
those (as in
funding because estate tax made it worth the while of
the
donors to do so) are being ripped away.