2 answers
Lina
Student
Istanbul, Turkey
1
Question
Asked
514 views
How can I get accepted to work in a museum?
Hello, my name is Lina. I am an undergraduate alumni, my major is Arts and Culture Management.
I would like to start my career soon, and currently making process for this. I have applied to many museums and galleries where I would like to work, but I did not get any offer from them. I get rejection emails day by day and feel devastated lately.
I am trying to reach as many museums and galleries as possible, both local and international, it is a fact that they are asking a couple years of experience, but since I am a recent alumni I could not achieve that.
What should I do, where can I start my career journey?
2 answers
Ellen Rosenthal
Retired Art Teacher
239
Answers
Woodbridge, Virginia
Updated
Ellen’s Answer
Hi Luna
Sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time getting any positive responses from your museum job search. That must be very frustrating, how can you gain experience, if you can't find a position to get experience?
I can only speak to museums in the US, where it is very competitive to get an entry level position in a museum, and most museums want experience, even for entry level jobs. Most students in the US do an unpaid, or low paying, internship in a museum after graduation, set up by their university, where they work in a museum and gain experience and references from the museum professionals they work with. The museum world, even in the US, is a very small world, and references are really important. You might want to research museums that do offer internships.
If you can't find an internship in a local museum, you might try talking to your instructors or professors to see if they have any suggestions or contacts in museums. Maybe you could set up your own internship; work under a museum professional for three to six months to gain some experience and some references. If you could afford to do this, and I know not everyone can, but even if you have to get a part time job, you could still put in a few hours a week at a museum internship situation. I find it hard believe that your instructors would not know of anyone who could give you advice, since the school you are at offers a major in Arts and Culture Management.
You might also want to research where most of the graduates from your program find jobs. Maybe you could get the names of some older alumni who are now working in museums, for you to contact for some information and tips on finding museum jobs in your area.
You might also try to be more specific in what sort of job you are looking for in a museum, instead of just looking for any job in a museum, maybe be specific as to looking for a job in the "X" department of a museum. As you probably know, museum curators usually have post graduate degrees in a specific subject. But there are assistants and research assistants to curators, and they may not need advanced degrees. Other departments in museums include the education department, exhibits, registration of artworks (the registrar), conservation of artworks, marketing and fundraising for the museum, and the retail gift shop. All or most of these positions often require advanced degrees, but, again they might hire recent graduates in assistant positions.
Finally, you might try contacting your local museum and asking to conduct an "informational" interview, where you could ask someone about their job, and ask for some advice as to how you could start your own museum career. Remember, anyone who has a current job in a museum was once in your shoes, and they may have some suggestions for you.
Don't give up! This is a very competitive career field, and lots of people want to work in a museum, but Keep Going! The fact that you are on Career Village asking for advice tells me you are very sincere about finding a career in the museum world. Best wishes.
Sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time getting any positive responses from your museum job search. That must be very frustrating, how can you gain experience, if you can't find a position to get experience?
I can only speak to museums in the US, where it is very competitive to get an entry level position in a museum, and most museums want experience, even for entry level jobs. Most students in the US do an unpaid, or low paying, internship in a museum after graduation, set up by their university, where they work in a museum and gain experience and references from the museum professionals they work with. The museum world, even in the US, is a very small world, and references are really important. You might want to research museums that do offer internships.
If you can't find an internship in a local museum, you might try talking to your instructors or professors to see if they have any suggestions or contacts in museums. Maybe you could set up your own internship; work under a museum professional for three to six months to gain some experience and some references. If you could afford to do this, and I know not everyone can, but even if you have to get a part time job, you could still put in a few hours a week at a museum internship situation. I find it hard believe that your instructors would not know of anyone who could give you advice, since the school you are at offers a major in Arts and Culture Management.
You might also want to research where most of the graduates from your program find jobs. Maybe you could get the names of some older alumni who are now working in museums, for you to contact for some information and tips on finding museum jobs in your area.
You might also try to be more specific in what sort of job you are looking for in a museum, instead of just looking for any job in a museum, maybe be specific as to looking for a job in the "X" department of a museum. As you probably know, museum curators usually have post graduate degrees in a specific subject. But there are assistants and research assistants to curators, and they may not need advanced degrees. Other departments in museums include the education department, exhibits, registration of artworks (the registrar), conservation of artworks, marketing and fundraising for the museum, and the retail gift shop. All or most of these positions often require advanced degrees, but, again they might hire recent graduates in assistant positions.
Finally, you might try contacting your local museum and asking to conduct an "informational" interview, where you could ask someone about their job, and ask for some advice as to how you could start your own museum career. Remember, anyone who has a current job in a museum was once in your shoes, and they may have some suggestions for you.
Don't give up! This is a very competitive career field, and lots of people want to work in a museum, but Keep Going! The fact that you are on Career Village asking for advice tells me you are very sincere about finding a career in the museum world. Best wishes.
Hello Mrs. Rosenthal,
It was much helpful, thank you so much for your recommendations and kind wishes. I feel so grateful and blessed that there are people like you! Thank you again for taking your time, I will definitely make an effort to implement your advices :)
All the best,
Lina Aysim Karyuz
Lina
Laura Blonsky
Commercial Interior Design
2
Answers
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Updated
Laura’s Answer
While I don't have experiance in the specific field of Arts and Culture Management, I do have experiance in hard to enter careers. My best advice is to get yourself in front of as many industry professionals as possible in the best light as possible. This might even take a few years. See if your school offers mentership opportunities. If there are volunteer positions at the museum or gallery-take them, if there are industry events, become a volunteer at the event. If there are any associations you can join, try to join at least one now while you can take advantage of a student membership. Be active on industry social media sites. . You could also start with making relationships with your local art students and college art clubs. Many need to put on various portfolio shows, viewings, and pop up shows as part of their educational requirements. See if you can volunteer to help organize them. And finally you can try starting your own blog post or podcast and try to highlight or interview any artist, museum, or indusry professional that aligns to your specific passions in the art industry.
Hello Mrs. Blonsky, thank you for you encouragement and suggestions! :)
Lina
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