I'll add another consideration job seekers should keep in mind. Find out if the museum you are mailing resumes to, or applying to, is a government-affiliated institution. I have to work through our State Personnel Office. All applications go directly to them where they are ranked; all I get is a list of the top 15 candidates to select for interviews (according to their ranking, not mine). An applicant will get an acknowledgement of receipt from State Personnel, but if your name isn't in the top 15, I won't even know you applied. So I CAN'T send you a letter of "thanks, but no thanks" (even if I had the time to do it). One person joked that museum time is like geological time. Add bureaucratic red-tape time and the whole vacancy-filling process can take 6-12 months. If you are really interested in the position and its been awhile since you've heard anything, call to get an update on the process. Don't expect the institution to keep all applicants informed throughout the time period. (Especially if we don't even know who all applied because we're still waiting for State Personnel to send us the list of candidates). And I'd like to reiterate advice mentioned by others: READ the ad. If it asks for xx number of years of experience or background in a certain field, then make sure you meet the basic qualifications. The ads put out by government institutions are based on the job descriptions/qualifications defined by their personnel offices. You have to meet those minimum qualifications to even get on the approved list of applicants. If you are unclear as to what are minimum requirements and what is padding ("The successful candidate must walk on water."), then call the institution and ask. Filling vacant positions is often a frustrating and exhausting experience for the job seeker and the one doing the hiring. It helps, though, to recognize the difference between a private at-will employer and a government employer. The process is definitely NOT the same. ------------------------ Sue McGuire Manager of Public Programs New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science [log in to unmask]