>From: Erin Huckstadt <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Career counselors
>Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 16:41:55 -0500
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>>From: Deb Fuller <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: Career counselors
>>Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 09:50:33 -0700
>>
>>--- Kathleen Brown <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> >I've actually observed the
>> > opposite of what Deb noted regarding work experience vs. higher
>>degrees.
>>It
>> > seems at least in the larger art museums for curatorial positions, a
>>newly
>> > minted Ph.D. will be hired over an M.A. or B.A. with some museum
>>experience
>> > every time.  Especially if they come from a prestigious program.
>>
>>That's another good point and an exception to the experience rule. A
>>curator's
>>primary duty is to do academic research and be an expert on their
>>collection.
>>Therefore, it does make sense that more schooling does win out over
>>experience
>>in that case. (Not that I agree with it mind you. :)
>>
>>But for practically every other position in the museum field, experience
>>is
>>just as important if not more so than education. You can pick up classes
>>and
>>degrees at a later date but a solid work history tells the employer that
>>you
>>can handle responsibility, hold down a job and are dependable. Someone who
>>is
>>fresh out of school without a decent work history is much more of a risk,
>>especially if they went straight from undergrad to grad work.
>>
>> > I simply cannot afford to get any
>> > more in debt and I am probably considered "too old" (over 35) to even
>>get
>> > into a good program.  My personal belief is that the field is now so
>> > competitive that it is not worth going unless you can get into one of
>>the
>> > top programs in your area of specialization.
>>
>>Pshaw on the "too old". I think something that the museum world is lacking
>>is
>>"older" people in the field. It seems like a lot of places have either
>>fresh
>>recruits or "seasoned vets" that have been in the field for 20 years or
>>more.
>>What I think is missing is that middle ground of people who have worked
>>for
>>several years and can really mentor the younger generation without dealing
>>with
>>a huge generation gap. Since a lot of the "older" generation museum people
>>fell
>>into the profession, they find it hard to relate to today's recruits who
>>face a
>>new set of challenges. 20-30 years ago, museum work really wasn't a career
>>field, especially in the areas of education and public outreach and there
>>certainly weren't an abundance of academic museum programs out there. You
>>got
>>into the field from somewhere else. Now people can choose museum work as a
>>profession which opens up a new set of challenges and opportunities.
>>
>>On the flip side, I think that museums are startin to lack something
>>because
>>people have become museum specialists and haven't worked in other career
>>fields
>>but that's a whole other topic.
>>
>>Deb
>>
>>__________________________________________________
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>
>I like to hear that experience is just as important as school, but the
>problem is getting the initial job to build experience with right after
>undergrad.  Most openings want you to have around three yrs. experience.  I
>just wanted to point out that I am finding it to be a hard field to enter
>at
>any point.
>
>Erin Huckstadt
>ITARP
>UIUC
>Champaign, IL
>
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I've actually read that it is near impossible to get into an Ivy league
doctoral program after age 30, a very prestigious non-ivy after 35 and just
about anywhere decent that just doesn't want to take your money after 40.
This makes some sense in that most humanities doctoral programs take an
average of 8-9 years to complete. Combine that with the fact that a lot of
universities or other places of business that hire professionals with higher
ed degrees want young blood. Perhaps so they can justify low salaries or if
they are going to invest in bringing someone up through the various levels,
they want to insure that they will be there for awhile.  Also in the
humanities, I think that youth is, rightly or wrongly, associated with
having more exciting ideas and greater energy or stamina.  It's certainly
not just in the humanities, for example, you can theoretically get a medical
school degree at an "advanced" age, but just try and get a residency.

I'm not saying this to be discouraging or because I'm bitter, it's just a
reality that I wish that I had known about when planning my life and career
and it is for the benefit of those who have the time to take these things
into consideration.  Of course there are exceptions. My advisor started her
doctoral degree at the age of 50 and went on to get a tenure track position
at a major university.  But there was some initial qualms about hiring her
because they were not sure that she would make through the tenure process
before she retired.  I am happy to report that she is a full professor now
with few signs of slowing down.  But I think most would agree that her story
is the exception and it helped that she is in a field where there were very
few scholars.  Had there been an equally qualified younger scholar in her
area of specialization, I have a feeling they would have gotten the
position.

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