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Forging your Own Career Path in the Museum World

September 3, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Forging your Own Career Path in the Museum World

            As museum professionals, most of us are aware that our career paths do not follow a straight line. Unlike the majority of the corporate sector, where companies may provide a straight trajectory from entry, to associate, to manager, etc, career routes in the museum world may feel spotty and unconnected. There is often not a straight path to promotion and mobility, and it is up to us as independent professionals to determine where our next career step lies, whether that be expanding our roles in a current institution of employment, or transferring to another museum entirely to fulfill our goals.

Here are a few points to chew upon when considering how to plan your museum career.

      To begin, create a mission statement. What are your burning desires for your career? What are you passionate about? And what are the goals you want to reach, not only for yourself, but for others through your work? Write down these goals into a mission statement, and then just as a museum works continuously toward its mission statement, you too must vow to work within the frame of your mission statement. Read your mission over and over and stick to it. Put it like glue into your brain and analyze how your career motives and tasks fit into your mission.

      Grab some friends! The power of the people you surround yourself with is extraordinary. Meet with other museum professionals who share like-minded interests to discuss your career path and how each of you can support and learn from one another. Talking with people is also a great way to network!!! So, if you are on the hunt for a new job to fulfill that mission of yours, surround yourself with positive museum people and talk.

      Connect the dots. A lot of times it is easier to connect the dots in life in a retrospective view, whether that be for a career, relationship, etc. So, take stock of your dots. How did you come to be in the career position you are in? What would you change about the past career steps you took? How can you learn from these patterns to further your career in a direction you want to go? Connect those dots and learn from them so you can move forward in your career mission.

  Don’t be afraid to make a pivot. If you’re working in development, but long to work in education(or vice versa), make your mission, network, and connect those dots to make it happen. We all have such individualized career paths in the museum field, so we have to make our own individualized plans to achieve our personal goals. Whether it is moving to a new museum to start a new job, or expanding the current job you are in, make the path and stick to it with conviction.

Weekly Jobs Roundup!

September 3, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Here’s our weekly roundup of new jobs. Happy hunting!

New England        

Mid-Atlantic        

Midwest

South

West              

Curator- Georgia College, Old Governor’s Mansion

August 28, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Under the supervision of the Director of Georgia’s Old Governor’s Mansion and the Sallie Ellis Davis House, the Curator plans and coordinates the museum’s tourism programs, develops and implements educational programming, outreach, and docent programs. The Curator also serves as a curator of Georgia College affiliated sites; assists in providing archival and accession file maintenance; maintains the site’s website and social media pages; conducts historical research; assists the Director in soliciting donations for the museum; develops and coordinates special events; and writes grants to support the museum’s programming and initiatives. In addition, the Curator will all also train and supervise all paid museum interpreters, students, and graduate assistants.

 

Key Function Operations
Job duties performed for the above function Develop and implement collections management program and coordinate all docent activities.
Key Function Outreach
Job duties performed for the above function Develop and implement K-12 and community internal and external programming.
Key Function Event Planning
Job duties performed for the above function Coordinate and enhance university affiliated site’s facility use and rental programs.
Key Function Program Support
Job duties performed for the above function Assist the Director in the functions of the museum and other duties as assigned.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

Other Duties and Responsibilities
Equal Opportunity Statement Georgia College is committed to the fundamental principle of equal opportunity and equal treatment for every prospective and current employee and strives to create a campus environment which understands, fosters, and embraces the value of diversity. No person shall, on the grounds of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or genetic information, be excluded from employment or participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination, under any program or activity conducted by Georgia College.

Minimum Requirements

Proposed Minimum Experience/Education Bachelor’s degree in History, Museum Studies, Public History, English, Creative Writing, or Education or similar discipline. 1-3 years’ experience working in a museum environment or similar environment.
Department Required Skills Demonstrated expertise applicable museum practices, including collections management;
Program management; Strong organizational, interpersonal and communication skills;
Highly self-motivated, team player;
Innovative and creative thinking;
Must be detail-oriented and able to multi-task;
Must be able to exercise clear communication on a daily basis to all stakeholders
Must have thorough knowledge and high comfort level in PastPerfect, MS Office, and Outlook Calendar for scheduling events and sharing information;
Must have working knowledge of all social media programs.
Experience in the development and implementation

Job Opportunity: Facilitator – Tsongas Industrial History Center

August 28, 2017 / / 0 Comments

General Summary of Position:

Facilitation of School Group Visits: Direct Contact

  • Meets and directs multiple groups of students, teachers, and bus drivers (stepping onto bus for communications). During busy season, as many as 16 groups a day may visit.
  • Coordinates and communicates transportation logistics at curb
  • Uses radio system to report questions, emergencies, schedule alterations
  • Assists with moving carts filled with student lunches
  • Oversees group movement and monitors groups in lunchroom, in conjunction with Park Maintenance staff
  • Distributes program evaluations to teachers
  • Records daily visitation statistics and provides weekly report

Facilitation of School Group Visits: Preparation

  • Opens the Tsongas Industrial History Center daily
  • Assists with implementation of bad-weather plans through timely communications with TIHC Assistant Director for Operations (at times prior to work hours, by phone from home).

Facilitation of Special Groups

  • Assists with staff and teacher professional development programming
  • Assists with occasional visitors and groups wishing to observe programs
  • Conducts morning update meetings with all staff present
  • Maintains master program/staffing whiteboard

 Promote the University’s commitment to customer service by:

    • Building effective partnerships with co-workers throughout the University by freely sharing appropriate information and providing assistance when needed.
    • Ensuring optimum service to all internal and external partners in response to all requests for service and information.
    • Maintaining an environment that is welcoming to persons of all backgrounds, nationalities, and roles.Impact of Actions
      • Student (and adult) comfort and safety depend in large part on decisions and recommendations made by the facilitator.
      • Annual visitation statistics must be accurate for reports and funding decisions.

Minimum Qualifications (Required):

Education: High school diploma or GED

Experience: Minimum 2 years’ prior experience in managing groups of youth, interacting with visitors to a site, organizing information and anticipating possible problems to ensure smooth logistics for visitors, collaborating across various workgroups.

Skills:

  • excellent interpersonal and communication skills
  • able to communicate and collaborate with diverse groups (NPS Maintenance staff, museum teachers, visiting educators and students, and TIHC leadership team) to manage movement of school groups in a positive, effective way
  • strong dedication to customer service
  • organized and attentive to detail
  • ability to predict and troubleshoot logistical complications
  • ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment

Additional Considerations:

  • Nature of position requires time outdoors in all kinds of weather and occasionally requires some work from home (phone calls) during extremely bad weather or emergency situations.
  • It is often necessary to help move bulky lunch carts.
  • Work involves a mix of routine, well-established methods and unusual or changing situations that require quick and sound judgment. The facilitator brings problems not of a routine nature to the attention of the manager.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

This is a temporary, part-time, non-benefited, non-unit position.

BACK TO SEARCH RESULTS APPLY NOW

Swedish America – in Sweden

August 27, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Emigrants’ House

Today’s around the globe post takes us to Småland, Sweden and the House of Emigrants. Here in America, there are many museums dedicated to the rich history of immigration, but this museum flips the viewpoint to that of a country where millions left for America. The House of Emigrants museum and research center has shared stories of Swedish emigrants, most of whom went to America, and of current immigration to the area for almost 50 years. In two permanent exhibits, The Dream of America and The Moberg Room, visitors learn about Swedish emigration to America from 1840 to 1930, experience life in Swedish American communities, and immerse themselves in the work of author Vilhelm Moberg, famous for writing four novels on the Swedish emigrant experience. The current temporary exhibit, a photographic exhibit titled I Come Alone uses stories to share the experience of youth in the midst of flight and migration.

The House of Emigrants is one part of the Kulturparken Småland that seeks to be “a gathering place and point of reference for debating and discussing the future of Småland.” Småland is a province in southern Sweden. Kulturparken Småland preserves and teaches the history, culture, and changes throughout Småland, and the House of Emigrants’ stories of migration to and from Sweden are an important part of this mission. To learn more about the House of Emigrants and Kulturparken Småland, visit their website.

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