I empathize with the frustration that was expressed in Jason's e-mail, though I may not choose to verbalize it in the same way. I'm currently in a non-museum job that is high-stress and low-pay, but I had to pay the bills. I couldn't get a museum job where I'm currently living, so I chose work at the next closest thing in my opinion, a non-profit agency. I had two gallery internships out of college, which gave me experience, but little else. I'm currently volunteering with a small maritime museum, and looking to go to graduate school as soon as I can scrape together the basic funds. I don't know what will happen, but I'll keep struggling along like this as long as I feel that there is a chance for a rewarding museum career somewhere in my future (and as long as Safeway keeps having ramen on sale 10/$1!).
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom D. Bennett [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2002 12:08 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Thoughts on Hiring and the Catch-22
Jason:
Your words were a heckofalot to respond to, and I'm not responding to give
you sympathy, only words from one who has been there time and again, as many
of us have.
So you'll know, I am a contracting museum exhibits pro. I began museum work
after a nasty back injury that left me without a job, home, food or future.
I had to rely on the good graces of friends to see me through. I was able to
take a part-time job as a security guard at a local museum when it came up,
and after a few years of great patience, plus another part-time gig as time
went, I found that I wanted more of museums in my life, and went at it.
While my friends were watching Monday Night Football or playing poker, I was
at the library or community college taking a class. I had some picture
framing experience so offered to teach community classes evenings and
weekends. I researched mountmaking and installations, went home and
practiced brazing, fabricating, design, drawing, studied Native American
cultures and cultural heritage preservation. I had no life for years, no
dates, lousy food, and lived in some sleazy places with gawd-awful
neighbors, but I was busy and I was learning. I taught myself to negotiate
with landlords and bill collectors to keep them at bay. I taught myself the
values of networking and when volunteering was necessary to my future.
I have worked for $4.50 an hour on no sleep to pay the phone bills, donated
thousands of hours to museums, forgiven contract debts to museums who
finally could not pay, and have been stiffed by clients for more money that
I care to remember, including $2,000 this year alone.
The upshot is that through it all I have become exceedingly good at what I
do with a wide range of skills - learned by hunger mostly - and adore what I
do. I do whatever is necessary to stay at it, including working as a finish
carpenter, laborer or ditch digger when there is no museum work here, and my
carpal tunnel isn't too happy about that at the moment.
If you love museum work, you'll do what you have to to stay after it. This
is not "paying your dues" by any means. It is chasing and finding your
dreams. As another professional scolded me when I asked him how he got so
lucky as to be doing the work he loves: "There is NO chance luck, period!
You make your own luck. You sweat, worry, curse and work until you are where
you want to be". Truer words have not been spoken.
Vent when you have to, work through your frustrations, and keep after it.
Use the rejections as wall paper. Convince prospective employers you are
worth their investment over others. DO NOT BACK AWAY FROM YOUR DREAMS.
If you need someone to holler at about it all, email me and I'll give you my
phone number. Watch Indigo's "Got Links?" and Roger's "Global Museum"
pages.
The museum world needs more people with the heart and love to stay at it.
Perhaps when you're as beatup from the work as I have become over the years,
you'll smile at letters like the one you wrote, as I did, and offer to help
them through the rough spots. There is nothing easy about keeping up the
chase, but it's a hellova lot harder doing it alone than with people who
care.
Sincerely,
Tom Bennett
Exhibit Support, AK
[log in to unmask]
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