Dear Job Seeker, I am sorry for the difficulty you have had finding a museum position. It took a few years for me to find a paid, full-time museum position, so I can appreciate your frustration. Two things spring to mind about your predicament. One deals with not stating your age and the other deals with the general difficulty finding a museum position for anyone. I would caution you from changing or withholding any part of your applications. I understand why you are doing it, but eventually the truth will come out in an interview. I was tired of being told I was overqualified for employment - ANY employment - so I removed my graduate degrees from my resume. I did find a job in the corporate world and was bored in 2 weeks. Ultimately I was overqualified for the job, and it wasn't a good fit. Still, I did it because I needed a job. Just thought you should bear that in mind. I think that the difficulty faced by well-trained applicants for museum work stems from the overwhelming number of students who complete graduate programs in museums studies and a great number of those who have followed particular lines of research (art history, archaeology etc.) who seek to apply it in a museum context. Put simply, there are too many people wanting to work in a museum than there are vacancies. Surely the AAM has investigated this? As it happens for me, I found a great job in Texas, but had to leave friends and family in Boston to get it. Being open to different locations can increase your chances in finding a job. Good luck to all of you who seek to work in this field. Sincerely, Ware Petznick L.W.S. Petznick, Ph.D. McFaddin-Ward House Curator of Collections 725 Third St. Beaumont, TX 77701 [log in to unmask] www.mcfaddin-ward.org 409.832.1906 p 409.832.3483 f The McFaddin-Ward House is currently showing the exhibit "Moving In," which illustrates how the McFaddins first moved in to their new home at 1906 McFaddin Avenue in January 1907. Call 409-832-2134 for tour information. -----Original Message----- From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Gayle "Indigo Nights" Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 8:42 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Discussion Concerning Potential Age Discrimination in Museum Hiring I'm forwarding this for a member who wishes to remain anonymous. Please direct all dialgoue to the list unless you need cover of anonymity, in which case, send your answers to me, and I will excise your personal info and forward it to the person for whom I am facilitating this dialogue. Thank you: I earned my museum-related graduate degree after age 50, following an early career in media and years of volunteer and paid work in small museums, and for AAM and other organizations--while my children were young. With over ten years of small museum experience--in every capacity, a solid degree from a respected university, and a super resume--I've applied to over 100 museum jobs, got three (seemingly great) interviews at historic houses--after preparing in all ways--and haven't been hired. The director at one historic house, who spent the summer interviewing, told me I was one of the top candidates--but he wasn't hiring until he found the "perfect" person. Another large history museum invited me to apply for a special job--then decided to do "something else with the position" before they announced layoffs and a budget cut. I applied for a curator's job at an historic site, for which I was very well qualified. A few weeks passed, so I followed up with a phone call to the local government which was administrator for the site. The HR person on the other end said something close to: "Oh, we held a special orientation to show the young applicants how to get jobs with us, and hired someone from that group." Her superior took the call immediately and tried to find a "way out" of her staffer's obvious error. Then, while doing research on an object in a world-famous museum, I overheard a curator discussing a job candidate on the phone: "She's just too old, but don't you think that (so-and-so) is just right for the job?" After submitting several unsuccessful applications for state and federal jobs, I refused to enter my date of birth or date of high school graduation, realizing how that information could be used as a pre-filter for age. When I complained to government EEO officials, they agreed with my assertion! In casual conversations, colleagues in the field have intimated that "over forty" is the hiring limit. Museum heads have told me that they preferred to hire young grads because they're so eager, malleable, and flexible. One important museum research division, that has over a dozen college interns, hires from that group alone. Queries to former instructors and advisors in my grad program--as to why I wasn't getting a job after working so hard for my expensive degree--were met with: "get into a PhD program," "to be honest, I always depended on my husband's income," "you should be satisfied with having learned so much," and, my favorite: "I have an inheritance and never had to worry." Meanwhile, several of my fellow grads have been working pro bono or moving from one internship to another. I barely survive by adjunct teaching and consulting, and I continue to take museum-related courses in anticipation of my next job. I would love to publish, but resumes and cover letters consume all of my writing time! I have a huge amount of knowledge to share with museum colleagues--from both extensive experience and from recent studies enriched by a mature and discerning intellect. I have a natural "blind spot" for who's a "Boomer" or "X-er," or anyone else, and my students--of every age and persuasion--know how very important they are to me, just as my volunteers and docents knew that in the context of the museum environment. Then, there's practical wisdom to add. . .and I have lived long enough to be generous. None of this seems to be of value in the hiring process: isn't that a shame? I know that I am not alone. Reduced budgets have seen numbers of talented museum pros "cut from the herd" just when they had the most to offer. On the other hand, others in the field are holding on for dear life, even after they thought they would retire. Is this a problem that deserves discussion? Are there too many museum-related degree programs? (I just heard that my program has accepted over sixty students.) Are the colleges levelling with prospective students about what may be ahead for them? (This is especially true for older, non-traditional students who are financially important for some programs, since they are better able to afford steep tuitions and less likely to require scholarship aid. . .) Should we care that degrees are so expensive even when paying jobs are considered irrelevant? Would the AAM support a conference session on "age discrimination in the museum"? (Even if you are 25 and feeling both immortal and omnipotent, one day--it will be different for you. The world that you make today is the one that you will live in tomorrow.) Indigo Nights [log in to unmask] ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . 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