Hi, all, and happy Friday,

My two thoughts as I'm following this whole thread are:

1. Yes, frequently museum professionals are paid relatively low wages
(although I would not call them "horrible" and I would not assume that
museums pay low to be insulting to qualified help, but rather because they
cannot afford more). But, as others have pointed out, I think that museums
need to stop shrugging helplessly and saying, "We're non-profits, we can't
help it," and really strive to provide a livable wage. If a museum cannot
even demonstrate that it is *trying* (ie. it has a goal or a plan, as least)
to provide fair (note: "fair" not "handsome") wages and benefits to a
prospective employer, then it has no business being picky about
qualifications.

2.  Yes, it would be nice to work for a musuem where one has the luxury of
doing ONLY what is in one's job description, but this is not the reality.
Most of us wind up doing what we are qualified to do AND what just plain
needs to be done. I am a Museum Director with a Master's Degree. I feel I'm
highly qualified for my position, but I don't shirk from taking out the
trash because I have a degree hanging on the wall. My primary goal is the
smooth, successful operation of a museum, and that occasionally involves
pitching in on work outside my general job description. That's the reality,
not only of the museum world, but of the non-profit world.

My five cents worth...
Erica

Erica S. Maniez
Museum Director, Issaquah Historical Society
[log in to unmask]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
> Behalf Of Aimee Pellet
> Sent: Friday, August 04, 2000 10:36 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: unspoken rule of the list serve? Do not put a number with a
> position.
>
>
> Kenya ---
>    Wow!  As someone currently looking for a job, I'm truly troubled
> by your posting and people have been making excellent replies. I
> completely agree with the person who commented that vacation days are
> of little use if you can't afford to travel as well as the person who
> said professionalism is a two-way street.  It honestly sounds like
> you don't really appreciate your employee.
>    In fact, the most troubling thing I found in your post was the
> "Position includes many aspects not related to educator job."  It
> sounds like you've hired an intelligent employee and then, in
> addition to paying her horrible wages, you are adding insult to
> injury by asking her to do (reading between the lines here)
> secretarial work.  This woman has a Masters degree... be realistic...
> would you want to go to school for 6 years and then have an employer
> who didn't appreciate you, as well as no money?  I've been in that
> position and it is belittling, especially for someone strong of
> character.  In my case I quit (something that normally goes against
> my grain) and my employer lost a valuable employee.  My advice is
> start to appreciate her, personally and monetarily, or let her go and
> try to find (the operative word is "try") someone else who will work
> for that.  Ever heard the saying that you get what you pay for?
>
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