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"The third category is the unlucky ones. After taking a museum-studies course they struggle to get..."

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“The third category is the unlucky ones. After taking a museum-studies course they struggle to get any work at all. They take on more and more voluntary work, perhaps eventually getting a short-term contract post in, for example, documentation. They often end up in jobs they don’t really want because they’re the only ones available. When their first post comes to an end it takes them months to find anything else, and when they do it is often at a similar level. This continues for years, until they eventually are forced to give up on museum work and try a different sector, either because no more jobs are available, or because they have reached perhaps 30 years old, have not progressed and can see no prospect of earning a living wage in museums. In the worst cases, people effectively waste up to 10 years of their life failing to get a reasonable museum job and can become extremely upset, as shown by some of the comments recorded in appendix 2.”

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The Tomorrow People: Entry to the museum workforce“ - Maurice Davies, 2007 (via museumsandstuff)

I am terrified that this will be me. The ‘months before finding a second post’ part.

Of the people who did my MA, I only know of one who, by a huge stroke of luck, has actually ‘progressed’ a significant amount in the sector in a year. Most are like me - voluntary work, and one entry-level job, which is excellent no matter what it is because hey, at least it’s in museums. Two, that I know of (there were only 24 on the course) have already given up because with their qualifications they can step into another sector easily and immediately earn about 3 times as much money.

Museums: prepare to need more qualifications, have more responsibilities and work harder than any other sector, and get paid less than the cost of living.

(via museumsandthings)


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