Hello everyone,
I'll add my two cents to what Jay said. I definitely think the main reason I'm in a salaried museum/aquarium job right now is because of the internships I had. The seven-year history of getting to my current job is as follows: two 8-month internships more or less in succession, followed by grad school, followed by my current position (started in 2001). Would I have gotten into grad school without the internships? Maybe, but maybe not.
Internships are an opportunity to not only see whether you enjoy the museum world but also to figure out if it's not to your liking. It's like dipping your toe into the water to see if you're going in. Some people just dive right in (re: Indigo's post) while others dip the toe and then make their decision. The latter was me, and I found the water to be just right.
For those who are truly committed to using an internship as a foot-in-the-door to a salaried job, I have some advice. As Jay said, make the most of the opportunity. If you have a pay now, benefit later attitude, that will help. At both my internships I arrived to work before many of the staff did. I did this not to ingratiate myself with the staff, but simply because I wanted to make the most of the opportunity in front of me. Make an impression and if your passion for the job and field are genuine it should (not will, but should) get you noticed and make a difference.
A last point is that I didn't wait around to hear about specific internships, but approached both institutions on my own. Both were larger institutions with the infrastructure, staff and work to support multi-month internships, which should not go unmentioned, but I was proactive and that made a difference.
Good luck (and hard work) to all those looking for that internship/foot-in-the-door!
Steve
Steven Yalowitz, Ph.D.
Audience Research Specialist
Monterey Bay Aquarium
886 Cannery Row
Monterey, CA 93940
phone: 831-647-6844
fax: 831-644-7583
email: [log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 May 2004 10:14:01 -0600
From: Jay Heuman <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Museum internships reality check (formerly "RE: experience for entry level positions")
Hi Indigo et al.:
I agree with everything Deb and Indigo, and most others have written;
however, I feel the need to clarify the museum internship situation.
Museum internships come in two main "flavors."
The first, to which Indigo refers, are the the short-term (often max. of
12 months), full-time (40+ hours per week) variety. These often pay far
less than minimum wage, when you take into account moving costs, living
expenses and the insane hours expected. Most of these internships ought
to pay the same stipend/salary for half the number of hours . . . to:
(1) allow recent graduates to learn skills (whether or not they are
applied in the museum field or some other field); and, (2) allow them to
find a part-time job to supplement the lousy internship stipend/salary.
Sadly, museums are not going to pay the same for half the hours as they
can't afford to . . . it's not going to happen. So, recent graduates
must decide to seek work beyond the museum field, to accept a museum job
tangential to their long-term goals (like my three and a half years in
visitor services), to bounce from internship to internship until they
land a full-time museum job, etc.
The second are the short-term, part-time variety that students can
arrange while still in school -- to earn credit, to earn some dollars,
and to learn skills. Volunteering can often get a student credit and
skills, but not money . . . and money puts food on the table and pays
tuition, books, etc. for the graduate degrees necessary for museum work.
Museum Studies and Internships are not "false promise." Each individual
must make their decision regarding the pursuit of employment in the
museum field. Some will become discouraged, and will decide to pursue a
different line of work. Some will think: "There are some museum jobs
available. Someone will be hired for each of those jobs. I could apply
as I might be hired!" (This was my thinking, what kept me motivated.)
While museum employment is not guaranteed, it *is* a possibility for
those who take advantage of opportunities -- education, networking,
conferences, volunteering AND internships. It's not a matter of luck.
Instead, take my mother's advice: "Study and work hard to make your
luck!"
Best wishes, sincerely,
Jay Heuman, Curator of Education
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art
Utah State University
4020 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-4020
T 435.797.0165
F 435.797.3423
=20
Education costs money, but then so does ignorance.
Sir Charles Moser, b. 1922
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