When I worked in museums, the best thing an applicant could have was the
proper attitude.  If their values fit with the museum's values, if they
showed a history of good work and they approached the tasks at hand with
enthusiasm and positive good will, the exact nature of their experience
was always secondary.

Assuming the candidate had that, when faced with a recent graduate I
preferred to see at least 6 months of good exposure to an operation
similar to the position I was hiring for.  The higher quality of that
exposure and longer duration, the better chance the candidate had for
getting hired.  Practical experience was what counted with me, not the #
or type of degrees.  Past the first MA, any additional degrees would
indicate to me a specific direction the candidate would have for their
career, based on their experience.  Racking up a variety of degrees one
after another just to have job flexibility at the entry level doesn't
seem to make sense, since if a current job goes bust it is very
difficult to go back to something one has 5-year-old training for with
no practical experience.  However, if a candidate had a MA in an
academic discipline, worked a series of entry-level jobs in a variety of
settings and then pursued a MA in Museum Studies, to me that would
indicate a definite commitment to the museum field.  

Julia Muney Moore
Public Art Administrator
Blackburn Architects, Indianapolis, IN
(317) 875-5500 x230
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Kaia Landon
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2005 10:15 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Glut of graduates

What is the "best" way to improve one's job
possibilities?  Extensive volunteer experience?  A
wider range of degrees?  
(I'm currently completing an MA in my subject, and
have pondered the idea of an MLS, or an MA in Museum
Studies, or Public History, or Historic Preservation,
or something. Would something of this nature help
provide more/different job oppotunities, or just
provide more debt?)  

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