No matter what program you follow, there will probably be better ones
elsewhere; but at the time that one follows one's own desire know that
your own motivation is what gets you where you want to go and need to be.
 Whether it's taking a low-paid job or a huge cut from another field to
go into this field, we know that the work we do is rewarding, it is
helpful to our institutions, and we wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
This thing that we love to do seems to bring out envy and jealousy from
others (who knows why?).  There's another caveat to this which hasn't
been addressed, but I'm not too resentful about it because it seems to be
the way of the world, it's not what you know but who you know.  A little
of that helps a lot in getting into the museum world.  Now mind you, it's
not going to happen on your first job; but those internships do certainly
help to make you known to others, part time work will help as well, so
take it and get on with it.  Ten years later you'll be the one helping
others out.

And to Leah out there who asks if it is worth it?  Yes it is.

O
Olivia S. Anastasiadis, Curator
Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace
18001 Yorba Linda Boulevard
Yorba Linda, CA  92886
(714) 993-5075 ext. 224; fax (714) 528-0544; e-mail:  [log in to unmask]

On Wed, 5 Aug 1998 16:38:57 -0500 James H Tichgelaar
<[log in to unmask]> writes:
>OK, my turn to rant on the whole MA/job search thread.
>
>I didn't find the MA program at Texas Tech to be lightweight
>intellectually, and I learned a lot that you can't get from just
>reading
>a book.  And it also got me an underpaid job which (1) is exactly what
>I
>wanted to be doing and (2) is providing a huge tuition discount for
>yet
>another Masters (Public Administration) and my wife's Bachelors.  I
>did
>end up washing dishes for six months while I waited for a reply from
>any
>of the 90 resumes that I sent out, but it was worth it.  Perhaps what
>I
>got out of my degree program is a reflection of what I put into it and
>what I expected to find.  I did lots of low paid work-study jobs in
>museums, I volunteered when I could, and I asked lots of questions.  I
>knew the salary levels for museum jobs before I started at TTU, and no
>one there ever said anything to lead me to believe that working for a
>museum would make you rich.  I believe that my MA was exactly the
>right
>preparation for my career, and I'm glad I did it.
>
>James H Tichgelaar
>Registrar
>Arkansas State University Museum
>[log in to unmask]
>
>"All we ever wanted was everything.  All we ever got was cold."
>
>Heather Stein wrote:
>>
>> I happen to think that the museum studies program I just graduated
>from
>> was extremely lightweight intellectually.  I was not stimulated to
>think
>> on my own nor was I taught anything I couldn't have read for myself.
> Even
>> though we were required to take oral exams, defend a thesis, and
>complete
>> an internship I don't feel any more prepared to work in the museum
>field
>> than I did 2 years ago.  The only difference being I have a degree
>to my
>> name.  Compared to the discipline of my BS degree, the museum
>studies
>> programs was less than stimulating.
>>
>> Heather
>

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