Part 7 (2/2)

Case Studies The following three case studies feature graduates from the University of St Andrews' Museum and Gallery Studies course. They have been chosen to ill.u.s.trate the variety of backgrounds from which students come and career paths they follow, show something of the range of topics that can be researched for a dissertation and to demonstrate some of the benefits of a Master's degree.

Interview with John Burnie, volunteer in an independent industrial museum John took the two-year part-time MLitt in Museum and Gallery Studies at the University of St Andrews. His dissertation looked at the development of quality a.s.sessment schemes in museums, such as Registration and Accreditation. This gave an historical and theoretical context to the actual work going on at his museum.

'As a volunteer in a mainly volunteer-run museum, there were two main reasons for my seeking a qualification in museum studies. The first was that Accreditation required my inst.i.tution to have a qualified museum professional available to it, and the second was that as a self-taught museum volunteer (a process that consisted largely of learning from mistakes), I needed a more rounded view of the body of knowledge that a museum person requires. In addition, there was the interesting, if slightly scary prospect of going back to university after a decade or two in industry.

'The course was accessible to me because it was available on a part-time basis, over two years, through just a few concentrated weeks of teaching at St Andrews, with a.s.signments and project work to do at my own pace in between. My organisation was able to get a grant to cover part of the cost of the fees. It was good to meet other students sharing the same professional interests and excellent to add knowledge to my existing museum experience.

'This was a very practical course, and the project work was planned between me and my tutor to be both instructive and of useful benefit to my museum. As a result, while I use my new knowledge usually without thinking how I came by it, I still use several of the a.s.signment outcomes in my daily work, and think of sunny days in St Andrews!'

Interview with Jessica Burdge, Curator, Museums Collection, University of St Andrews After her undergraduate degree, Jessica took the full-time one-year MLitt Museum and Gallery Studies course. Her dissertation topic was Curating Architecture at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

'With an undergraduate joint honours degree in art history and English and some time working in a library as well as a little experience in cataloguing on a SCRAN12 project, I felt that an MLitt in Museum and Gallery Studies would offer the professional preparation required to embark on a career in the museum sector. It provided me with a greater level of practical experience through work placements and exhibition projects, as well as theoretical understanding, discussing topical issues and ethical questions. It increased my familiarity with a wide range of sector organisations, and current issues and initiatives, in a way that continuing to volunteer or getting an entry-level job would not have done. I have now worked in a few different types of museums and related organisations (heritage organisation, independent museum, government body/museum members.h.i.+p organisation, university), and the wide understanding gained from my museum studies course proved useful when working in these different environments. project, I felt that an MLitt in Museum and Gallery Studies would offer the professional preparation required to embark on a career in the museum sector. It provided me with a greater level of practical experience through work placements and exhibition projects, as well as theoretical understanding, discussing topical issues and ethical questions. It increased my familiarity with a wide range of sector organisations, and current issues and initiatives, in a way that continuing to volunteer or getting an entry-level job would not have done. I have now worked in a few different types of museums and related organisations (heritage organisation, independent museum, government body/museum members.h.i.+p organisation, university), and the wide understanding gained from my museum studies course proved useful when working in these different environments.

'On graduating in November 2005 I worked initially for the National Trust for Scotland as a property a.s.sistant/guide, and also carried out some research on properties on a voluntary basis. In January 2006 I started a new job with the Scottish Museums Council (now Museums Galleries Scotland), working on a Collection Level Descriptions project, creating a database of CLDs for member museums and galleries across Scotland. Later that year I moved to a position in an independent museum, as a.s.sistant curator (maternity cover) with the Scottish Fisheries Museum, and almost a year after that moved to my current position as collections curator in the Museum Collections Unit of the University of St Andrews (starting as maternity cover, now on a permanent contract).

'While my first few positions perhaps did not justify a postgraduate qualification in terms of salary (although this was often a desired specification and was certainly applicable to the work), by 2007, only two years after graduating, I had gained a position which could justly ask for a postgraduate qualification, both in terms of the level and responsibility of the position and the remuneration. I certainly feel I would not have achieved that first 'foot in the door', to gain the experience which has allowed me to develop my career in this way, without the MLitt in Museum and Gallery Studies. While no course can give you the same experience as I have gained over the years by working in the sector, it did give me the confidence that I had the skills and knowledge to apply for entry-level museum jobs.

'Achieving an MLitt entailed writing a dissertation in addition to completing the taught course which led to the postgraduate diploma. Personally, I enjoyed this opportunity to look more closely at a particular aspect of museum work and to carry out more academic-style study. While I don't think that this additional part of the course had a significant influence on gaining my early employment, it has definitely helped in my current position in an academic inst.i.tution. Indeed, with the recent emphasis in the sector on collections research, having this basis of research skills that I developed through the MLitt would be of benefit in whatever type of museum I might be working in.'

Interview with Susan Lewandowski, a.s.sistant Curator, Musical Instruments Collections, Department of World Cultures, National Museums Scotland Susan was an overseas student from the US and was already working in the museum sector. She undertook the full-time Museum and Gallery Studies MLitt course. Her dissertation looked at the history, development and use of print rooms in a variety of Scottish museums. As research is recognised as a core function and responsibility of national museums, research skills are important for curatorial posts.

'My career was stalled. After several years' working contracts in various types of museum jobs from finance and development to collections management I realised I needed an advanced degree in museum studies to take advantage of a wider range of opportunities and push my career to the next level. I had worked hard to build a good reputation within my community, but when applying for jobs outside the area, particularly at national museums, my application wouldn't pa.s.s the first round of cuts despite all my experience. I didn't have the basic qualification a museum studies degree.

'When choosing a course, I looked for a programme that would provide me with new challenges, something beyond what I had already learned on the job. I was too familiar with the course at my local university I had worked with many of the tutors and trained a few of their interns. I looked beyond my comfort zone internationally. I wistfully dreamed of working with the extensive older collections outside the US. The programme at St Andrews, with its good reputation, very limited cla.s.s size, and practical focus fitted my criteria.

'Even though returning to student life was difficult after a long time in the work force, it allowed me to explore unfamiliar areas of museum work. I enjoyed the camaraderie and support fostered by the small cla.s.s size. St Andrews' strong network throughout Scotland gave me the opportunity to meet and work with museum professionals at both small museums and the large nationals. I gained a clear understanding of the organisation of various heritage inst.i.tutions in Britain, quite different from what I was familiar with in the US. These new experiences and wider perspective were essential in helping me realise my goal of working at a Scottish national museum. Research is essential to my position here on the Royal Museum Project at NMS. While the official job duties of an a.s.sistant curator do not include research, in reality, everyone here undertakes research. A curatorial position requires the ability to gather and disseminate information quickly and the research component of the MLitt is very important in developing these skills.'

Chapter 12

Finding work experience

With so many people pursuing relatively few jobs in museums and galleries, how do you make your application stand out? The way to do this is by showing that your application is based on a realistic understanding of the world you want to enter, and that you have relevant and first-hand experience to offer. Both of these can be achieved by having work experience on your CV. It does not have to be work experience in the kind of inst.i.tution you aspire to work in long term you may in any case refine or sharpen your ambitions in the process. What matters is having some.

How to go about finding work experience Firstly, don't be shy. Organisations are familiar with the concept that those wanting to join this world need to get some first-hand experience on their CV before getting any further. They will probably also be sympathetic, remembering that they were also once in this position.

In theory, any potential organisation or inst.i.tution where you might end up working could provide work experience, and there are also related options (marketing, fundraising, catering) that you could pursue. But before we start thinking about how to find some, let's be clear about who benefits you are more likely to be successful in finding a placement if you are aware of what the host organisation will get out of you as well as how much you want a placement.

The benefits of work experience to you You get a s.p.a.ce on the inside of an organisation; for as long as you are there you are part of them part of them. If you handle the opportunity well, this could be extended into a reference, and you will meet colleagues and maybe even a mentor you can keep in touch with in future.

You gain first-hand experience of the world you want to join, a view on how things work and the ability to both put this on your CV and have something to talk about during interviews (very common).

You may be allocated a project of your own to look after, which allows you to make a difference and can be highlighted to particular effect on your CV.

What you have to offer in return you will work for nothing (and all budgets are under pressure); you supply extra help they are overworked and could do with some a.s.sistance; you are a quick learner and they won't have to spend ages explaining how things work; you fit their ethic and will both speak and behave appropriately you can be trusted to represent them; you are pleasant company.

Never forget that even though you are offering your services for nothing, the setting up of placements is not an unalloyed pleasure. Time has to be taken to explain the role, the context and the rules and this has to be redone every time a new placement starts. The designated manager (who has probably not volunteered for this) has to keep in touch with interns, monitor progress and check that they are carrying out the role as they want it carried out and at the same time manage their own workload. They bear the risk of having to redo what a placement student has done badly, and must now be completed having been started. They will not want the placement student to be nipping in to fill them in on their progress or happiness quota, or check details on an hourly basis, however welcome they may have made you feel on your first morning and told you to 'just ask if you need to know anything'. Having reviewed the placement reports of our students from Kingston going out into the workplace, the most frequent aspect to draw positive comments was that they were self-sustaining and self-motivated, willing and helpful. In summary, they got on with what they were asked to do and were quick.

How will you support yourself?

Most placements are unpaid, although you may sometimes get travelling expenses. Ethical objections may arise. In addition to exploiting a willing potential workforce, you may quite reasonably argue that the ability to take on an unpaid placement means that the profession is limiting the demographic breadth of its potential intake to those who can afford to work for nothing.

In fact, unpaid placements are becoming a regular occurrence in many professions; an informal test on how committed individuals are to seeking to enter the world they claim they want to join. However you decide to proceed, if you want a placement you will have to find some means of supporting yourself while you undertake it; maybe to increase your student loan or live at home. Alternatively, can you fit a placement around your working hours, maybe two days a week on your placement and the other three in paid employment?

How to find work experience Before going any further, you need to update your CV (see Chapter 13 Chapter 13), as the first response to any request for work experience is to ask to see this doc.u.ment. You can adapt it as you progress, but a basic CV will be needed.

As to where to send your CV when seeking a work placement, think carefully about any contacts you have. Your first reaction may be 'none at all', but if you discuss this with your parents or university lecturers you may find there are people you could get in touch with. Perhaps there's a guest lecturer who has visited your university in the past, or do you know any former students who are now working in significant positions or any family contacts who could perhaps pa.s.s your application on to the most appropriate person? Thinking about your contacts is, in any case, not a one-off exercise, but rather an ongoing process. Record names and contact details and keep them somewhere you can find them again (not just on your phone, unless your method of backing up the information held there is particularly rigorous). Drawing others into helping you is not the one-way street it may seem. Most people like to be helpful, and being able to give a helping hand to someone who is in the position they were in 15 years ago may both give them a sense of progression themselves, or the feelgood factor that comes with providing support (if you want first-hand experience of this, go and give blood, and see how you feel afterwards).

Once you have trawled your own contacts or those that have been recommended to you, make a list of organisations you would like to work for, starting with those most geographically accessible. Then do some research. Find out about the organisations you plan to contact by visiting them if possible, looking at their websites, and searching your memory for instances and anecdotes that you could mention at an interview, or in your covering letter (one of my own earliest memories is of seeing the blue whale in the Natural History Museum, and it has fuelled a lifelong desire to see a live one; at the time of writing a group of paleontologists has come up with a new theory on dinosaurs and challenged the angle at which the Diplodocus really held their head, saying it was more likely to have been upright like the Brachiosaurus than traditionally a.s.sumed).

Once you are ready, ring up or send an e-mail to find out the name of the person who handles work experience in the organisations you have selected, and ask if you can have speak to them. Be brave it really is a good idea to call rather than just send in a CV first because that is what everyone else does.

State your academic stage so if you are a final-year undergraduate, or a postgraduate, say so (so they don't get you confused with 16 year olds seeking work experience) and that you would really like to come and work for them. They will probably ask you to send in a CV, and if you have spoken to them already it means you can include a letter referring to your conversation and getting their name right. (If you get pa.s.sed on to the HR department when you ring, it's not a brush off but rather you have moved one stage further inside the organisation).

Then address a letter directly to the person you have spoken to, enclosing two copies of your CV. Mention that you are doing this so they have an additional copy to pa.s.s on to a colleague. Make the accompanying letter personal to the organisation you are applying to (or the individual if you know them); make a link between your seeking work experience and knowing something about them and what they do. If there is a sense of urgency in the voice of the person you have spoken to, by all means send your CV by e-mail but follow up with a printed version, because that means you will be included in the pile of other applications. If you only send an e-mail, you leave the choice (and a.s.sociated cost) of whether to print it out to them, and they may not.

Be available for work for as long a period as you can. Some organisations have a rigid policy of two weeks per placement but last-minute no-shows are not unusual, and if you are already there, and the placement student scheduled for the following week fails to appear, you may get an extension.

In addition to writing speculatively to organisations, look out for forthcoming special or short-term exhibitions that might be put on by museums and galleries. These tend to play a key role in attracting people into museums and so often have accompanying short-term staffing needs. In general it will be the collections department that deals with the loan of items, but the exhibitions department that deals with temporary displays and the a.s.sociated staffing requirements. The education department may also take on short-term staff to help with a temporary exhibition so it may be worth asking them too.

How to accept an offer Sometimes the offer of a placement will be made through an e-mail or a phone call, but more commonly it is followed up by a letter confirming the timing of your placement, where you should report to and any house rules about hours of work and health and safety. This is excellent news, and now you have a foot in the door. While swiftly returning the form you are required to sign and date speed is important to ensure the opportunity comes to you and not the next person on the list it's a good idea to get in touch and ask if you can go in and see them. You really want to find out what you will be doing, who you will be reporting to (and if possible meet them) and to try to let them know you are capable, willing and very keen. The 'willing' part is particularly important no one supervising a placement student wants to feel an obligation to have to negotiate over menial tasks that will be part of your work.

'A willingness to be involved in all aspects of running a museum is helpful. Sitting on reception may not sound exciting, but it does give first-hand insight into who is visiting and when, what they come in to do, how long they stay and what they think of the merchandise available for purchase. And it's also you who tends to get the first-hand feedback on whether or not they have enjoyed the experience!'

PETA COOK, CURATOR, KINGSTON MUSEUM At the end of the week before you start, send an e-mail confirming that you are looking forward to joining them.

How to behave on a placement Once there, make yourself useful without excessive limelight-seeking. The everyday tasks can teach you as much about how an organisation is run as the most senior ones and it is important for everyone to understand the gra.s.sroots systems and ethics on which the organisation is based. Don't be grand; just because you have a degree, or even two, does not mean you should look down on those who do not.

Here are some further tips: Treat it as a job. Be punctual, courteous, stick to office etiquette and style of communication in replying to e-mails. Look like you are part of the furniture 'the s.h.i.+ny new addition to the team that they didn't even realise they needed'.1 Don't get drawn into feeling resentful about not being paid. This is a means to an end and you understood how work experience was organised before you applied. Even if it occurs to you that you are doing the same work as the person who has a paid job and they are coasting while relying on unpaid you, don't even think of voicing this to anyone else within the organisation or frankly at all.

Remember that your hosts are seeing you in the context of who was there before so don't be tempted to criticise those you are working with or the tasks you have been asked to do. They know each other better than they know you.

Do what you get asked to do really well; make suggestions after you have been there a while (not in the first few days) and then feed them to your line manager to show that you understand how the hierarchy works. They are looking for a team player, not the next director.

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