At 03:06 PM 6/17/98 +0100, you wrote: >To All, > >And in response to David Harvey in particular. > >I recently subscribed to this list and have witnessed all the talk about >the availability of work [of lack thereof] for those of us who are fresh >out of college. I appreciate that people even respond to these questions >in this forum. After all, you have not volunteered to be our career >counselors. > >It seems to me, one who is not yet lucky enough to be paid to work in a >museum, that there is no such thing as an entry-level job in museum >work. There is volunteer work and then there's professional work--the >latter can only be done by those with advanced degrees. > >This puts those of us just starting out in an awkward position. I, for >example, am not ready to invest more money and time into more >education--especially when I am uncertain if another degree will help >advance my career. I would like to have the experience to gauge the >need/use/direction of another degree. > >I have already lived off of my savings to intern, and am not able to do >this any longer. I have also volunteered at museums. The only time I >was paid to work at a museum I was given minimal responsibility and the >corresponding amount of respect. > >I think Dave Harvey's question is an important one. He asked: > >>Are we only offering these formative educational and experiential >>opportunities to those lucky few who can afford such unpaid work? > >And the answer is a resounding YES. I think that this fact might also >affect the diversity of staff at museums. Isn't this a concern? > >I have thought at times that volunteers and interns should go on strike. >Would a strike force institutions to raise the funds to pay their >volunteers? Or would the museum die? Unfortunately, I think we're so >desperate for experience leading to paid work that we could never >organize a strike and find out what would happen. Not that I want to see >museums go under... > >It seems to me that masters degrees now substitute on-the-job training. >Do museums expect to have to TRAIN anyone any more? Do intelligence and >creativity count? These are qualities that do not necessarily come with >an advanced degree. > >Dave Harvey also wrote: > >>This issue of how young talent is fostered and how we can increase >>entry-level opportunities is perhaps one of the most vital issues out >>there today. This would be a marvelous issue to debate in some sort of >>professional forum. > >I'd just like to ask that those who are not yet professionals, but would >like to be, be given the opportunity to contribute to that discussion. >And I mean contribute, not complain. > >Thanks to all of you who are advocates on behalf of the "young talent." > >Here's hoping that I haven't caused any discomfort to you (nor harm to >my chances of ever getting hired). > > >Rachel Coffey > >[The views presented here do not reflect those of my employer, because I >don't have one.] > To all of you who have been following this dialogue, here's the reality. It's a tough but challenging world out there. Get your act together, develop good skills, be ready for any challeges; accept that in reality it's who you know, how you make the connections that's most important in the museum world. Learn some basic business and profit-making skills - write legible and accurate resumes; be articulate; know what you want; will it; be aggressive, presentable, realistic; go for it. Museums are businesses - whether you like it or not. What do you have to offer? We place entry-level and senior mangement staff in museums across the country. We're tough - you have to meet our standards. If you think you can, fax me your resume and cover letter - and it better be clear, well-written and realistic. Museums are about hard work. Cheers! Geri Thomas, Professionals for NonProfits, Inc., 515 Madison Avenue, Suite 900, New York, New York, 10022; Fax: 212/546-9094. All the best!