"Does the name of the school matter?" I did indicate that a degree is a convenient way to measure achievement, in tandem with experience. Seems to me that I look at the size and nature of the program, but that I'm more impressed with a degree from a good sized or strong school than with a name per se. Unless the degree is from Cooperstown or some other specialized place, a large state university is just as attractive as a "name" like Harvard (sorry, not intended as a put-down of Harvard). I expect an applicant to show me that they have read the job announcement, have relevant education AND experience, and to make those qualifications clear to me. We get many applications which appear to be part of a broadcast effort rather than a serious application for the job we advertise - they are less impressive initially than those which indicate the applicant actually knows something about the subjects with which we deal. We require both an advanced degree and experience for curatorial poistions, and read experience to include internships, volunteer work, and jobs held. It also seems to me that anyone who gets an advanced degree without having gained some sort of work experience along the way hasn't worked hard enough preparing themselves. This is based on BOTH my having worked outside my field while I was schooling (and getting in some field-related work credit at the same time) and on my observation that there ARE many people on the market who have both degrees and experience. We really DO want the best possible person for each position we fill, and look to the applicant to tell us why they are the best. This requires some confidence and some writing and presentation ability to accomplish. Chris Dill - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - C. L. Dill, Museum Director State Historical Society of North Dakota 612 East Boulevard Bismarck ND 58505-0830 USA P: (701)328-2666 F: (701)328-3710 E: [log in to unmask] Visit our Web site at: http://www.state.nd.us/hist/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -