Hello Christian,

Others have done a great job covering what to do after graduating, but I'd like to chime in about what you can do while still a student. Here are some things I did that I think made a difference in getting my current position:

1) Join associations and organizations in your area(s) of interest, as many as you can. Attend the conferences and even though it's likely a daunting thought, present at them. That will be good visibility and name recognition for when you are looking for a job.
2) Become the student representative of the association. I did this and I learned a lot sitting in board meetings and seeing what the most current and important issues were in the association and related field. Not to mention sitting around a table and getting to know people who are the leaders in the field - invaluable. If they don't have a student rep, ask if they would consider creating the position (non-voting if that's a sticking point). If they already have student rep, see how you can help the current rep then get nominated the next time the position's up for grabs.
3) As others have said, intern. By the time I finished grad school I had interned at a natural history museum, the Smithsonian, and a nature and science center. This experience let me know not only what I liked but what I didn't like.
4) If you're not sure the kind of institution you want to work in, do your research or thesis at multiple types of institutions. I'm at an aquarium now, but I did my dissertation at three institutions: an art museum, a natural history museum and an aquarium. This was intended to make myself more marketable when applying for an evaluation job.
5) Basically, look at grad school (or undergrad for that matter) as "X" number of years to find a job. If you approach it that way then hopefully your resume or c.v. will reflect the effort that you have put into preparing for the job search.
6) MOST IMPORTANT: Love what you do. That will come through in your emails, conversations, volunteering, conference presentations and especially in informational and job interviews.
7) MOST REALISTIC: Be patient (as others have said). That perfect job is out there for you, it may just be a question of timing. You'll know it when you see it.

Good luck to everyone!

Steve

P.S. I'm in my current position because of a conversation I had with a colleague over pasta and salad at a conference's evening event. If I hadn't met the person in the conference circuit I wouldn't have known that they were hiring and I likely wouldn't be typing this email right now.


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:    Thu, 6 Jan 2005 08:30:09 -0500
From:    Christian Carr <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Misguided applicants-a new angle

As a professor of arts management who trains and counsels future museum 
professionals, this thread has been of great interest.  I generally have my 
students subscribe to this list during the semester so that they get a good 
feel for the issues of the field--the good, the bad and the ugly!

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.

All best,

Christian Carr
Director, Sweet Briar Museum
Assistant Professor, Arts Management
Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar, VA 24595

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).