Job advice for someone fresh off a BA? - Museum Professional Forums, News, Jobs, Articles, Books

melody · 12-19-2008, 10:18 AM

Hi Everyone,

I’ve been a bit of a lurker here on the forums, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it! Let’s start with the basics, I have an AA in Art and a BA in Art History (just graduated). I’m moving from the suburbs of Los Angeles, where I’ve volunteered at MOCA, out to Ft.Worth, Texas (what a change!). Looking for a job has yielded slim pickin’s, and now I’m going through it all with a fine toothed comb.

What advice would you give someone looking to start out as a museum professional?

Thanks,

Melody

emilyelizsmith · 12-19-2008, 07:34 PM

My first piece of advice would be not to get discouraged!

With that said I think that the best advice I could give is to volunteer/intern especially if the job market has gone cold in your area. I have known many people that have gotten their foot in the doors at the respective institutions by being interns and being there when an actual job opportunity presented itself. As long as you do a great job and are a serious professional I have found that many museums will want to keep you once something more permanent pops up! I have also found that by finding parttime museum work in a paid capacity also helps with networking and building relationships that could turn into professional references.

I myself have had the opportunity to find paid internships (usually a stipend without benefits) so you could try that avenue as well if you dont think you can handle interning/volunteering and working full time.

Best of luck with your search. You might also want to check these websites out:
www.aam-us.org
www.aaslh.org
www.globalmuseum.org

I have found this site to be an incredible resource but you might also want to sign up for the musejobs yahoo group which also posts museum related jobs.

I would also look into finding out if the Fort Worth area has government run museums and check out their website to see if there are any jobs posted there. Lastly, you should try to make connections with the local museum association. I personally live in the DC metro area so I belong to the Virginia Association of Museums, American Association of Museums and the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums. All three of these organizations have websites that post jobs as well as offer interesting professional development opportunities that teach you skills that you may not have learned in school as well as an opportunity to network and meet others in the profession.

I think that is about it. If I think of anything else I will let you know! Good luck!

James Lansing · 01-17-2009, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by melody

Hi Everyone,

I’ve been a bit of a lurker here on the forums, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it! Let’s start with the basics, I have an AA in Art and a BA in Art History (just graduated). I’m moving from the suburbs of Los Angeles, where I’ve volunteered at MOCA, out to Ft.Worth, Texas (what a change!). Looking for a job has yielded slim pickin’s, and now I’m going through it all with a fine toothed comb.

What advice would you give someone looking to start out as a museum professional?

Thanks,

Melody

My advice would be to stock up on Ramen Noodles (in this economy many museum professionals are going to have a hard time). Be ready to do something else for a while. And get back to college; get a M.A. in something to do with museums (education, exhibitions, curatorial, etc), volunteer, take the first job offered at the museum, hope they like you, and plan your assult on a job that is coming open. In all seriousnes, being at a museum when a job opens is golden.

CarolB · 01-18-2009, 12:12 AM

James gives GREAT advice. I am currently working for the state now and looking for volunteer opportunities. I say try teaching or working in some type of programming position. Do get an M.A. and attend/present at various conferences. It helps in the networking process.

KatS · 01-28-2009, 04:26 PM

Some great advice already. The only thing I might add is that looking for a job should be a full time job. You might have to spend hours a day at, searching, writing cover letters, tweaking your resume, making calls, going on interviews, writing thank you notes, etc.

In some ways the internet has made things easier because you can find opportunities you might otherwise have never found out about. But in other ways, it's harder because now everyone finds out about those jobs and 1,000 people will apply.

One way to make things a little easier is to use an RSS reader to keep track of job updates on various sites. You might have to take a job you don't want at first, or maybe it's only temporary or it doesn't pay. I did and it ended up being one of the best experiences I ever had.

If you're not finding anything at all, I would call up a local place that you're interested in working at and seeing if you can volunteer even if they aren't advertising for volunteers, you never know where it might lead.

Good Luck!

Distant Dreamer · 04-25-2009, 03:16 AM

Most of the good advice has already been given: Getting an MA, doing internships, etc.

One thing I can add: Network. Now for myself, I'm not a fan of networking. I'm still young enough and semi-idealistic enough to think that your body of work should stand on its own. But I've also seen the field from the inside, and just like everything else in life, that's not the case. If you aren't lucky enough to be at a place when a job opening comes open, it's all about who you know (and that's even more true in this economy). You've got to get your resume on the desk of the hiring person.

Also, stay as flexible as you can. If you are tied down to the idea of staying in one city, or even one state, you're setting yourself up for a long and potentially discouraging job hunt. Having the flexibility to look nation-wide for jobs puts the odds more in your favor that you'll find something.

Good luck!

Conspectus · 04-30-2009, 09:58 PM

I think a lot of really good advice has been given-volunteer, network, and make finding work a full-time job. I also agree with the advice that you should not get tied down to one location.

If things get really tight, don't be afraid to take work that is outside your field. I did a stint in the workers' compensation arena for a year while looking for work during the last recession. While it was very trying at times, I learn a lot and I am a pro at raising the red flag at potential workers comp law suits and claims at museums and sites. So you never know what you might learn that can really be valuable later on in your career.

Good Luck!

12-19-2008, 10:18 AM	#1 (permalink)
melody New Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 3	Job advice for someone fresh off a BA? Hi Everyone, I’ve been a bit of a lurker here on the forums, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it! Let’s start with the basics, I have an AA in Art and a BA in Art History (just graduated). I’m moving from the suburbs of Los Angeles, where I’ve volunteered at MOCA, out to Ft.Worth, Texas (what a change!). Looking for a job has yielded slim pickin’s, and now I’m going through it all with a fine toothed comb. What advice would you give someone looking to start out as a museum professional? Thanks, Melody

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12-19-2008, 07:34 PM	#2 (permalink)
emilyelizsmith New Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 5	My first piece of advice would be not to get discouraged! With that said I think that the best advice I could give is to volunteer/intern especially if the job market has gone cold in your area. I have known many people that have gotten their foot in the doors at the respective institutions by being interns and being there when an actual job opportunity presented itself. As long as you do a great job and are a serious professional I have found that many museums will want to keep you once something more permanent pops up! I have also found that by finding parttime museum work in a paid capacity also helps with networking and building relationships that could turn into professional references. I myself have had the opportunity to find paid internships (usually a stipend without benefits) so you could try that avenue as well if you dont think you can handle interning/volunteering and working full time. Best of luck with your search. You might also want to check these websites out: www.aam-us.org www.aaslh.org www.globalmuseum.org I have found this site to be an incredible resource but you might also want to sign up for the musejobs yahoo group which also posts museum related jobs. I would also look into finding out if the Fort Worth area has government run museums and check out their website to see if there are any jobs posted there. Lastly, you should try to make connections with the local museum association. I personally live in the DC metro area so I belong to the Virginia Association of Museums, American Association of Museums and the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums. All three of these organizations have websites that post jobs as well as offer interesting professional development opportunities that teach you skills that you may not have learned in school as well as an opportunity to network and meet others in the profession. I think that is about it. If I think of anything else I will let you know! Good luck!

01-18-2009, 12:12 AM	#4 (permalink)
CarolB New Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 9	James gives GREAT advice. I am currently working for the state now and looking for volunteer opportunities. I say try teaching or working in some type of programming position. Do get an M.A. and attend/present at various conferences. It helps in the networking process.

01-28-2009, 04:26 PM	#5 (permalink)
KatS New Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1	Some great advice already. The only thing I might add is that looking for a job should be a full time job. You might have to spend hours a day at, searching, writing cover letters, tweaking your resume, making calls, going on interviews, writing thank you notes, etc. In some ways the internet has made things easier because you can find opportunities you might otherwise have never found out about. But in other ways, it's harder because now everyone finds out about those jobs and 1,000 people will apply. One way to make things a little easier is to use an RSS reader to keep track of job updates on various sites. You might have to take a job you don't want at first, or maybe it's only temporary or it doesn't pay. I did and it ended up being one of the best experiences I ever had. If you're not finding anything at all, I would call up a local place that you're interested in working at and seeing if you can volunteer even if they aren't advertising for volunteers, you never know where it might lead. Good Luck!

04-25-2009, 03:16 AM	#6 (permalink)
Distant Dreamer New Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 2	Most of the good advice has already been given: Getting an MA, doing internships, etc. One thing I can add: Network. Now for myself, I'm not a fan of networking. I'm still young enough and semi-idealistic enough to think that your body of work should stand on its own. But I've also seen the field from the inside, and just like everything else in life, that's not the case. If you aren't lucky enough to be at a place when a job opening comes open, it's all about who you know (and that's even more true in this economy). You've got to get your resume on the desk of the hiring person. Also, stay as flexible as you can. If you are tied down to the idea of staying in one city, or even one state, you're setting yourself up for a long and potentially discouraging job hunt. Having the flexibility to look nation-wide for jobs puts the odds more in your favor that you'll find something. Good luck!

04-30-2009, 09:58 PM	#7 (permalink)
Conspectus New Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Missouri Posts: 2	I think a lot of really good advice has been given-volunteer, network, and make finding work a full-time job. I also agree with the advice that you should not get tied down to one location. If things get really tight, don't be afraid to take work that is outside your field. I did a stint in the workers' compensation arena for a year while looking for work during the last recession. While it was very trying at times, I learn a lot and I am a pro at raising the red flag at potential workers comp law suits and claims at museums and sites. So you never know what you might learn that can really be valuable later on in your career. Good Luck!