How To Get A Job At A Museum

Licenses Certifications And Registrations

Although most employers do not require certification, some archivists may choose to earn voluntary certification because it allows them to demonstrate expertise in a particular area.

The Academy of Certified Archivists offers the Certified Archivist credential. To earn certification, candidates usually must have a masters degree, have professional archival experience, and pass an exam. They must renew their certification periodically by retaking the exam or fulfilling continuing education credits.

The Various Types Of Museum Workers

They can be classified into five types: education support, administrative support, collection management, exhibit design or production, and museum education. It may be a good idea for museum workers with a degree in the field to take a job with a salary that is fair and competitive. To pursue a museum career, individuals must first gain the necessary knowledge. Graduates of online bachelors degrees in history can gain the skills and knowledge needed to land a job in this field. Art historians, museum managers, and exhibition designers may also be required to attend museum classes to become better acquainted with the various aspects of museum work.

How To Get A Job In A Museum Or Art Gallery

Working at a museum or art gallery can be a dream job for anybody interested in art and history. However, finding a job at an art gallery or museum can be quite challenging. Most museums and subsequent art galleries require applicants to have experience and if you are fresh art graduate then finding that type of experience can be rather difficult. If you are looking to get a job in a museum or art gallery then there a few simple guidelines that you can follow to help you land that perfect job.

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Top 9 Careers Working In Or With Museums

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed’s data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

There are many roles available within academia that work in or with museums, including entry-level positions that allow for career advancement to more veteran leadership roles. Many positions require a relevant education that enables them to provide engaging and informative presentations about the exhibits and their historical or social significance. In this article, we explore some common career paths within the museum industry.

Earn A Relevant Bachelor’s Degree

Before beginning a career as an archivist, earn a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field. This can help you meet the minimum education requirement that employers typically set for these positions. Though majoring in archiving is an option, there are other choices that can help you prepare for the job. Helpful areas of study for those wishing to become an archivist include:

• History, with a specialization in at least one specific area, such as the United States Civil War or Ancient Greece

• Archival science

• Archives and preservation with a specialization in one document type, like maps, manuscripts, or photos

• Library studies or library science

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Duties Of Archivists Curators And Museum Workers

Archivists typically do the following:

• Authenticate and appraise historical documents and archival materials
• Preserve and maintain documents and objects
• Create and manage a system to maintain and preserve electronic records
• Organize and classify archival records to make them easy to search through
• Safeguard records by creating film and digital copies
• Direct workers to help arrange, exhibit, and maintain collections
• Set and administer policy guidelines concerning public access to materials
• Find and acquire new materials for their archives

Curators, museum technicians, and conservators typically do the following:

• Acquire, store, and exhibit collections
• Select the theme and design of exhibits
• Design, organize, and conduct tours and workshops for the public
• Attend meetings and civic events to promote their institution
• Clean objects such as ancient tools, coins, and statues
• Direct and supervise curatorial, technical, and student staff
• Plan and conduct special research projects

Archivists preserve important or historically significant documents and records. They coordinate educational and public outreach programs, such as tours, workshops, lectures, and classes. They also may work with researchers on topics and items relevant to their collections.

Some archivists specialize in a particular era of history so that they can have a better understanding of the records from that era.

Work At A Museum And Learn Every Day

There are some jobs that leave you staring at the clock, waiting for closing time. Then, there are jobs that bring you alive and make you excited to come to work every day.

If youre passionate about learning and inviting others to do the same, a job at a museum is the perfect career. To land your dream spot, research your niche beforehand, volunteer as much as possible and support your local branch.

Then, youll never have to work a day in your life, ready to play and explore from nine to five!

Want more practical advice you can use? Keep reading our blog!

Need another reason to tap into your creative side? Check out why scientists say you should make time to play at every age!

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Prepare For An Interview

You have prepared a high-quality resume and cover letter and have even received an interview invitation. You are close to success, but there are still a lot of things to do. Based on the interview results, the employer will conclude how well you are suitable for the position. Therefore, you need to prepare carefully.

You can have an interview by telephone or at the museum director’s office. It’s better to prepare in advance the answers to the most popular questions, rehearse them in front of the mirror, and take care of your appearance. Prepare copies of your resume and cover letter and take your diplomas or certificates confirming your qualifications.

Selecting A Museum Position

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Museum Employment: Attend Events Seminars Workshops Or Conferences Organised By Museums

This is the perfect opportunity for you to broaden your knowledge and do some more networkings in the museum career. You can always learn from the professionals who have careers in museum by being engaged in conversations with them to gain more information and knowledge before you start getting a museum job.

The Role Of Museum Archivists

Archives at museums house a diverse set of collections, including archival records, artifacts, and photographs. It is their knowledge of archival terminology and practices that enable them to preserve and make available the collections. Museum archivists must have an excellent working knowledge of the history of museums and a keen sense of problem solving. They must be able to work independently as well as with a team. They must be able to read and analyze documents, as well as write concisely and effectively. Archives personnel can work in a variety of settings, including museums, libraries, and historical societies.

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Volunteer And Internship At Science Museum Art Museum National Museum Or History Museum

Get some volunteering and internship experiences in different museums, including new museums, to develop your skills and experience. It is necessary for you to get the idea of the every museum job desk, as well as what kind of museum you will enjoy working at the most science museum, art museum, national museum, history museum and many more. With this experience, no doubt youll gain more networks that might be useful for your future career prospects before getting a museum job and building your museum career.

Get Your Bachelor’s Degree

To become a museum curator, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree. If you plan to work in an art setting, a Bachelor of Fine Arts offers a good educational foundation in practical art skills and art history. If you’re planning to work in a history museum or science museum, then a degree in a field related to one of those would be a good choice.

During your bachelor’s degree program, you can begin to gain experience with internships and externships. This will also help you expand your network, which can assist you in getting a job when you graduate.

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What Are Jobs In A Museum Like

Jobs in a museum are important for the preservation of history, whether of the natural world or human history. The work can be rewarding if you value the conservation of national heritage, extinct species and specimens, major historical finds, old technical innovations or repositories of knowledge like ancient texts. You might be actively involved in the restoration and maintenance of historical artefacts, from tapestries to dinosaur fossils. Museums also function as a means to educate the public on the past, and your role could be to impart this knowledge.

Working in a museum can also allow you to cooperate with professionals from various backgrounds, as museums require a wide array of skills. There may be archaeologists, palaeontologists, research scientists, archivists, digitisation professionals, engineers and academics all working in the same place. You may find that business-related skills, such as marketing, organisation, HR, finance and administration, are needed as well. The public typically funds and operates the national museums of the UK. This means that there’s good job security. For example, the British Museum is government funded and responsible to Parliament, though separately operated.

Get A Master’s Degree Or Higher

It’s a good idea to seek a master’s degree or higher if you want to work in museum administration. A Master of Fine Arts will give you a practical education with lots of real-world experience in curating art shows for galleriesâexperience that will be invaluable if you decide to work in a museum. Oftentimes, people getting a Master in Fine Arts are responsible for getting their own art shown in galleries, booking art shows and more.

If your desire is to work in a museum of natural sciences or history, or some other kind of museum outside of art, a master’s in business administration could help.

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What Archivists Curators And Museum Workers Do About This Section

Archivists appraise, process, catalog, and preserve permanent records and historically valuable documents. Curators oversee collections of artwork and historical items and may conduct public service activities for an institution. Museum technicians and conservators prepare and restore objects and documents in museum collections and exhibits.

Discover The Exciting Roles In Research Exhibitions Education And Communicating The Relationship Between People Culture And The Natural Environment

To ignite wonder, inspire debate and drive change.

Our vision statement

To be a leading voice for the richness of life, the Earth and culture in Australia and the Pacific. We commit to transform the conversation around climate change, the environment and wildlife conservation be a strong advocate for First Nations culture and continue to develop world-leading science, collections, exhibitions and education programs.

Our work place

The Australian Museum is truly a great place to work.

We offer our employees interesting, challenging and rewarding work, as well as a unique employment experience with an emphasis on development and retention.

We value diversity

Our goal in the NSW public sector is to attract and retain the right people for the right jobs, no matter what their gender, race, age, religious beliefs, or personal commitments.

This means that we are embedding diversity and inclusion in everything we do on a daily basis, whether it be our recruitment processes, workplace culture, career development programs, customer service or policies and procedures.

We are also committed to building on the perspectives, experience, knowledge and skills that diversity brings to the organisation.

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Archivist Curator And Museum Worker Salaries

The median annual wage for archivists, curators, and museum workers is $50,120. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $30,450, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $96,500.

Median annual wages for archivists, curators, and museum workers are as follows:

Most archivists, curators, museum technicians, and conservators work full time.

Archivists in government agencies and corporations generally work during regular business hours. Curators in large institutions may travel extensively to evaluate potential additions to the collection, organize exhibits, and conduct research. However, for curators in small institutions, travel may be rare. Museum technicians may need to work evenings and weekends if their institutions are open to the public during those times.

Career Crush: What Does It Take To Be A Museum Curator

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here.

I love museums. But the last thing Im thinking about when Im walking through one is the person who hung the frame up on the wall or the person who wrote the description next to the masterpiece. And thats a good thing! At least, thats what I learned when I talked to Natalie Bell about what its like to be a museum curator.

In this episode, Natalie, the curator at the MIT List Visual Arts Center, explains that curation is all about helping artists bring their ideas to life but its not all rainbows. She explains that the museum world is very competitive, a fair salary can be hard to find, and theres a lot of work to be done to improve what can be a tough industry. But despite it all, her passion for art is what makes it worth it.

If youre interested in this career path, Natalie shares some concrete tips on how to move forward, including: Avoid unpaid internships if you can, look for similar jobs outside of the museum world, and dont be afraid to start small and curate your own show.

Read the full interview below for more insights from Natalie.

Kelsey Alpaio: So what exactly is a museum curator?

What does the day-to-day look like for a museum curator?

What do you love about your job?

So, its an important role and something that that Ive always both enjoyed and taken seriously to help people understand what theyre looking at, what theyre encountering, and what theyre experiencing.

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Benefits Of Working In A Museum

There are different benefits of working in a museum and we shall be sharing them below.

• Free premium information about thousands of artworks and other pieces
• Connection with thousands of people of all races
• Promotion to different levels

Free premium information about thousands of artworksand other pieces

As an employee who works in a museum, you are exposed by privilege to lots of premium, classic information that pertains to thousands of artworks available in the museum.

Connection with thousands of people of all races

When working in the museum, you are spontaneously exposed to thousands of people who troop into the museum on a weekly basis. This equally helps you build relationships with people of all races so cheaply as an employee who works in a museum.

Museum jobs come with so much fun as there will be different questions and reactions from tourists who walk into the museum to tour round and get a glimpse and knowledge as regards different pieces available therein.

Promotion to different levels

In a museum, there are different job roles which you can land as you get promoted from one level to another.

Career Salary And Education Information

What They Do: Archivists and curators oversee collections of historic items or artwork. Museum technicians and conservators prepare or restore items in museum collections.

Work Environment: Archivists, curators, museum technicians, and conservators work in museums, historical sites, governments, colleges and universities, corporations, and other institutions. Most work full time.

How to Become One: Archivist, curator, and conservator positions typically require a masters degree related to the positions field. Museum technicians typically have a bachelors degree. Prior experience gained through an internship or by volunteering in archives or museums is helpful in getting a position as an archivist, curator, museum technician, or conservator.

Salary: The median annual wage for archivists, curators, and museum workers is $50,120.

Job Outlook: Overall employment of archivists, curators, museum technicians, and conservators is projected to grow 12 percent over the next ten years, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Related Careers: Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of archivists, curators, and museum workers with similar occupations.

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