From the article: Deb's Unofficial Guide to Getting a Job in the Museum World
Museum professionals agree: landing that first, entry level job is the toughest nut to crack in an already-tough employment market. Your personality, coursework and sterling references are a given, but what else do you think helped win your first museum job? Was it your dual major? Was it who you knew? Was it the fact that you could lift heavy objects and were willing to climb ladders? New grads on the "ladder" behind you would very much appreciate your stories, advice and words of wisdom, so please share. What Worked for You?
Dedication!
- Landing a paid and an unpaid Internship at two different museums, and when they ended, I took a part-time job at a museum that ended up full time later!
- —Guest Fran
Volunteer and Collections consultant
- It's hard to suck it up sometimes, especially after you spent so much on your schooling - but VOLUNTEER in as many differnt places you can - as an intern and put on a good face and show them you LOVE the work and will bend over backwards if it's what you truly want to do!
- —Guest Tina
Young museum professional
- I tried networking which put me contact with great people, but ultimately it was my good job hunting skills and I believe undergraduate internship and job experiences that helped me land my first museum job. I took job hunting seriously, and it took me 3 months to land a job after graduating.
- —Guest Lindsay
