Julia Moore responded to the query:

>>In an interview for a position in a
>>museum, what are the best ways to handle it?  What points in my academic
>>career should be accentuated?  What questions should I ask the
>>interviewers when the interview is concluding?

<snip>


>If
>you want to show ambition, ask whether you will be able to do work relating
>to your particular interests or research topics and if the museum will let
>you submit papers etc. (assuming the position is academically oriented)

This raises a good point. Showing ambition related to the field in general may
not always look like an asset. This could be a good area to explore in an
interview, i.e. whether people in that institution or department tend to be
active in professional organizations or to publish, and what is expected. Show
your willingness to advance the interests of the institution.

My instructor several years ago in Museum Marketing at JFK did an informal
survey asking local museum professionals what they looked for in employees, and
found that the most prevalent characteristic was backgrounds similar to their
own. Showing some interest in the interviewer's background may help.

And don't forget that making one's own job easier can be one of the major
motivations for hiring. I've always found it useful to ask how the person hired
would work with others in the department, to ask what are the primary issues and
needs facing the department, and to emphasize any strengths that could be of use
in those areas or could complement the skills of co-workers.

Another question that I hope would help is to ask about the museum's mission,
and how this position supports it.

Good luck!

Lisa Mackinney
Program Evaluator
California Academy of Sciences
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