On Thu, 6 Jan 2005 08:30:09 -0500, Christian Carr <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I just wanted to suggest a change of direction for this thread.  Would anyone
> be willing to share the story of how they got their first job in the museum
> field, or how they got their current job?  There's been lots of good discussion
> on what you *should* do while job hunting; real-life stories might be a useful
> and interesting addition.

I got my first job by posting a question on this list about something
to do with volunteering at the Smithsonian or something to that
effect. Elena Mayberry, who was the intern coordinator at the time,
e-mailed me and asked if I would like to try an internship. I went in
for an informational interview, taking my portfolio (but not my resume
mind you) to show her what I had done and what I was interested in and
we had a nice conversation about internships and museum work. At the
end of it, she said that the volunteer coordinator of the Smithsonian
Associates was looking for a new assistant and would I be interested
in a paid position like that instead. I said yes and thus started my
"official" museum career.

In the Summers during college and grad school, I worked at a local
nature center as a naturalist and later at a Summer camp as their
horse camp director. I also worked at the planetarium at college and
in the little nature museum run by the bio department so I had a
decent amount of museum education type experience coming into the
field. I also had interned at Alexandria Archaeology in HS and made
contacts that way.

I got my current job because I got the director of the historic house
her job. I saw the ad in Adviso and passed it along to her. When I got
laid off, I started volunteering at the mansion to keep myself busy
and she eventually found money to hire me on part-time. Since I'm
thankfully employed full time again, I fill in on the weekends and as
needed for evening programs. I also do a lot of living history at
local sites which keeps me connected there and has gotten me job
offers as well. (Unfortunately, these offers tend to come right after
I've started a new job. *sigh*) Personally, I've found that working
with my living history groups is a good "in" to the local sites, if
you're interested in history-related work. My astronomy club has
connections with the local science museums and NASA.

So I guess a corolary to volunteering is finding the groups that work
with the museums or sites you want to work at and join them. Most
museum, especially local ones, work with garden clubs, astronomy
clubs, living history groups, and have a friend's organization that
help support the museum. Those are good ways to get to know people and
NETWORK around the system. Frequently, local museums are part of local
museum organizations like the Historic House Museum Consortium in the
MD/DC/VA area and you get to know people at other sites and what is
going on. Volunteer to do some work with them or help out at events
and you never know when paying work will come your way.

Deb

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