And I'd like to add to Mr. Williams' excellent comments...please show
enthusiasm and personality.  No amount of honors tacked onto your degree can
compensate for someone who simply doesn't seem to care.  Even if you think
you do, think again.  Think hard, very hard, about your public face and
presentation of yourself. And you can see here that everyone who is looking
for jobs has degrees from fabulous places, honors, spectacular internships,
etc...but what sets you apart?  What are you going to bring that no one else
will?
Candace Perry




-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Marc A Williams
Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 10:01 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Advice for Entry Level Applicants?


Several random thoughts on the new graduate employment issue.  Especially
now in the museum field, there are many more graduates than there are jobs.
Add to this those already trained in the field and looking, and the numbers
can seem staggering.  No wonder entry-type positions are drawing 150
applicants, as James related.  When I came out of my graduate program, there
were no museum jobs (at the time, only 6 museums in the country had
positions in my specialty), so I started my own business.  This held me
financially for a few years, gave me experience, and I self-published and
distributed a booklet.  All of these led me to a great museum job 6 years
later.  If you don't want to go it alone, consider working for various
consulting firms that serve the museum field, from fundraising to management
to exhibition design to historic preservation consulting.

Be realistic, and don't expect things to happen right away.  The most
important lesson I have learned over the years since graduate school is "the
longer I am in the profession, the less I know."  As you gain experience,
you will begin to see that vast part of the universe called "what I don't
know I don't know."  Once you have a bit of this perspective, you will
realize why others are getting the jobs, rather than you.  Everything else
being equal, the employer will hire the person with 5 years experience over
the recent graduate.  It will happen pretty much every time.  This is not
your fault, and is not a negative reflection on you or your abilities, so
don't loose faith.  Eventually, you will be the one with the experience.  In
the mean time, there are several things you can do to improve your chances.

1) Get your foot in the door.  Learn all you can about resume and cover
letter design.  These are your first representation to an employer.  They
have to somehow make the employer overlook your lack of experience and want
to learn more about you.  While you are waiting for a real job, pursue
internships, fellowships or even volunteer opportunities.  If possible, do
this at the museum where you eventually hope to work, or at least in the
area you want to be.  As people get to know you, opportunities will arise,
and you will have a better shot when an actual job opens.

2) Become an expert at interview techniques.  Know how to answer questions,
and how to ask them.  Employers usually will hire applicants who appear
intelligent, knowledgeable, personable, and competent, without being cocky.
Practice being these things, if they do not come naturally to you.
Unfortunately (if you are not one of them), there are people who can enter a
room and seem magically able to draw the interest of those around them.  You
need to learn how to do this in an interview, even if it is not your nature.

3) Be patient and methodical.  As James says, it is a process.  You are
unlikely to get your dream job right away.  Take lower level jobs and build
towards your ultimate goal.  Continue your education while in these
positions by attending workshops, conferences or seminars that build your
skills and knowledge.  It may take several steps before you get to the
destination you desire.  A colleague of mine graduated with a masters from a
well known museum program.  He first worked for a few years for an
engineering firm evaluating historic significance of buildings, then took an
assistant curator position at a mid-sized museum.  That led progressively to
Chief Curator, then Director of Programs and Collections, then Director of
Development and Administration.  During this time, he constantly
participated in learning opportunities, including the Seminar for Historical
Administration at CW, the Getty Museum Management Institute, and a second
masters in Nonprofit Management.  His ultimate goal was to be an Executive
Director, and he applied to four positions at mid-sized organizations.  He
was invited to interview at all of them.  In two, he was the second choice,
and in two he was offered the job.  Not bad, two 2nds and two 1sts!  The
process for him took 15 years.  However, there are those that get there more
quickly, and there are those that never make it.

4) Develop a niche.  If you can figure a way to offer something that few
others have, you will strengthen your position.  This may be a specific
specialty that relates to the museum where you want to work (for example,
expertise in clocks), or language skills (a recent job announcement for a
midwest museum required fluent Mandarin), or business expertise (this is
being required much more frequently in museum jobs).  Fundraising ability
seems to crop up in every top-level job requirement, so learning it seems
like a no-lose proposition.

Hope this helps!

Marc



American Conservation Consortium, Ltd.
     4 Rockville Road
     Broad Brook, CT 06016
     www.conservator.com
     860-386-6058

*Collections Preservation Consultation
*Conservation Assessments & Surveys
*Low-Tech Environmental Control
*Moisture Management Solutions
*Collections in Historic Structures
*Collections Care Grant Preparation
*Conservation Treatment of:
     Furniture
     Painted Wood
     Horse-Drawn Vehicles
     Architectural Interiors

Marc A. Williams, President
     MS in Art Conservation, Winterthur Museum Program
     Former Chief Wooden Object Conservator, Smithsonian Institution
     Fellow, American Institute for Conservation (AIC)


----- Original Message -----
From: "James Seikel" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 12:34 AM
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Advice for Entry Level Applicants?


You are not the only one currently finding yourself stone-walled attempting
to break into your first full-time position in the museum field. I, like
yourself, recently graduated this last May with a M.A. in Museum Studies at
IUPUI. I have a B.A. in History from Purdue University (with honors). I have
one strong internship (Education, Indiana Historical Society), previous
experience with site management prior to entering my M.A. studies, and
experience working in collections. I am currently still in that part-time
position, though I actually make less than our interns, because they get
medical coverage. However, I count my blessings to at least have this
part-time job. Collections is not my preference in museums, but I really
like the people I am working with and it makes up for the boring/mundane
work I am currently doing.

I have had three phone interviews and one face-to-face interview so far. I
have also sent out my resume to probably over fifty job announcements from
all over the United States (and a couple in other English-speaking
countries) in education, administration, interpretation, volunteer services,
and others. I have personally kept away from applying to positions in big
cities. Big cities do not fit my personality well and I am sure there are no
lack of applicants in those cities that already live in the area. Also, most
big city jobs simply do not cover the cost of living in those cities,
especially entry-level positions.

>From my experience so far, I have actually learned to use the pay-scale
(assuming it is provided) as a larger barometer than the job title.
Obviously, I read through the qualifications and such, but you would be
surprised that most mid-level positions easily fit into skills learned in
most Museum Studies programs (at least IUPUI's) and learned in internships.
Depending on the type of museum (art museums and city-supported museums seem
to have better funding in general for staff), jobs with salaries up to
$35,000 a year are easily within your skill and experience range.

Do not let 'years of experience' requirements keep you from applying for a
position as well. This is especially true for entry-level jobs or other jobs
with entry-level pay. Most people with 3+ or 5+ years of experience on the
job market are not interested in taking a pay cut for those types of
positions unless there are other circumstances.

Also, the best advice to give to anyone, in my opinion, is to be ready to
move. It is really unlikely you are going to get a job in the city you are
currently living unless you are really, really lucky. This is impossible for
some people due to family circumstances with spouses/children. None of the
jobs I have gotten interviews for so far are even in my region (the
Midwest), even though most of the jobs I have applied for are in that
region. Some regions might have more candidates than others. New England and
the D.C. area are probably thick with graduates of the different types of
museum-related programs offered by universities while less-populated areas
are in need of the people with the qualifications you have because they have
none of their own.

Also, keep in mind, as a candidate, you are in competition with a lot of
different candidates. Museum studies, arts administration, historic
administration, public history, art history, and the more specialized
degrees are all going to be looking into similar types of jobs. You are also
battling teachers unhappy with no-child left behind, management/tourism
majors, and any number of other people interested in working in museums.
Some jobs I have applied for have had over 150 candidates applying.

While I am sure my professors and co-workers are well aware of my
frustration with the process, that is exactly what it is... a process. It is
almost as if it weeds out everyone except the most determined, stubborn
candidates. Those people so impassioned and driven are who remain and that
is a good thing for museums if these are the people getting the jobs that
are out there. Ultimately, you are going to have to decide if you are
willing and able to wait a year or longer to get the first opportunity when
it arises. It might not be possible for any number of real life reasons
(family and student loans being only a couple of examples). If not, I
strongly encourage those who read this, to please find a good, paying,
for-profit job. Your skills of organization, management, and creativity will
go a long way in the for-profit world.

I am aware my reply has grown lengthy, but I have no lack of thoughts on
this subject. Hopefully, there will be plenty of replies, especially from
those of us trying to get that big break.

James Seikel
May 2007 Graduate
IUPUI Museum Studies Masters Program

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