Work in a Museum

If you’re passionate about art, science, or history and enjoy sharing your knowledge with others, you can find good work in a museum. Traditionally, museum employees get hired after getting a college education. You might think of being a curator in one of the world’s biggest museums, but there are also numerous smaller museums that also offer a wide variety of jobs. Many of these museums offer volunteer work or internships you can use to find your specialty. As a museum worker, you get to interact with a wide variety of people and let them in on subjects you’re passionate about.

Steps

Selecting a Museum Position

1. Oversee art collections as a curator by becoming a specialist. Curators oversee collections in a museum. As a curator, you are responsible for assembling a collection and putting it on display. Most curators study a specialty in college while earning a master’s degree. This specialty should be relevant to a museum field you’re interested in.
   • For example, you could specialize in art or history from a certain time period. Whether you’re interested in dinosaur fossils or the Dutch Golden Age, you can make a collection around it.
   • Curators often earn degrees in subjects like art, history, or science. Some go on to get a Ph.D.
   • Curators interact a lot with the public, museum employees, and even a museum’s board of directors. They have to be dutiful to ensure museum items are authentic, well-preserved, and kept on display.
2. Become an archivist by studying history or library science. Archivists are responsible for cataloging and preserving everything in a museum. They are basically museum librarians, so taking a similar study path to one can help you find employment. Many schools offer an archival studies program, which is a great option for getting your master’s degree. Archivists also benefit from communications classes to better understand how to deal with museum guests and employees.
   • Public administration and political science are a few other study areas that can be useful for an archivist. Some archivists also study art or science.
   • Try taking a specialty that matches the kind of museum you want to work in. For instance, take a few art history classes if you’re interested in art museums, then study Egyptology for Egyptian art.
3. Look into conservation studies to preserve artifacts as a conservator. Conservators play a delicate but important role in many museums, since they are responsible for maintaining collections that might be very old and valuable. Earn your bachelor’s degree in a museum-related field, then get your master’s in conservation studies. However, working conservators still have to stay up to date on technological advancements and other things that affect the work, so be prepared to stay busy.
   • If you can’t choose between art, science, and history, conservation work combines them all.
   • Scientific fields like chemistry and archaeology are good subjects to study if you’re preparing to be a conservator. Art and art history is useful if you’re going to work in an art museum.
4. Become a museum technician to take on a wide variety of roles. Museum technicians start off as assistants to archivists, curators, and conservators. It’s the job most people get when they first join museums, so you only need a bachelor’s degree in a museum-related field. Because museums have so many different roles to fill, you could end up doing all sorts of different work. On the plus side, this allows you to get accustomed to museum operations and choose the field you like best.
   • For example, a collections specialist helps with purchasing and maintaining collections. Registrars help archivists with record-keeping. Other technicians build exhibits or work with museum guests.
5. Be a graphic designer if you’re creative and artistic. Museums need plenty of graphics, whether it’s logos, brochures, or exhibit designs. This includes website design as well, so computer experience comes in handy. Try studying graphic design in college, but begin practicing and assembling a portfolio of your work in high school.
   • Museums sometimes contact outside firms and independent designers for work. Even if you can’t find an opening at a museum, you still may be able to work with museums.
6. Take on office jobs if you prefer to work behind the scenes. It’s easy to forget that museums have plenty of desk jobs, such as membership officers, human resources, public relations, accounting, and general administrative work. These jobs still tend to involve plenty of interaction, so good social skills are a plus. You can study a related field, like business administration, to be considered for office jobs.
   • There are numerous other roles, including sales associate, cafe worker, security guard, and janitor. Unlike with most office roles, you won’t have to finish college to find employment.
7. Advance to a directorship after earning your degree. Directors manage museums, keeping them running smoothly day in and day out. You can only become a director after obtaining years of experience. Since directors need to know a lot about how a museum operates, they are often chosen from veteran curators, archivists, and conservators. Getting a degree in museum studies helps a lot, but don’t neglect to take courses on business administration and effective communication.
   • Plan on taking another role, such as becoming a curator, first. With hard work and dedication, you can become a leader.
   • Keep in mind that directors have to interact with a wide range of people, including the museum’s board of directors and donors. They also have to organize events and secure funding.

Completing Educational Requirements

1. Complete high school or get your GED. Finishing your high school education greatly increases your chances of getting hired at a museum. Most universities also require you to have a high school education before you can further your studies. If you didn’t get your high school diploma, take the GED test instead.
   • The GED is a series of 4 tests covering math, science, language, and social studies. It is considered to be the equivalent of a high school education.
   • Note that you don’t need more than your diploma or GED for some roles. For example, you could be a security guard, a custodian, a customer service representative, or a sales associate.
   • While you’re in high school, start taking classes that are relevant to the type of museum and job you want. For example, science classes help if you wish to work in a science center, while computer classes are good if you’re interested in IT or similar work.
2. Get a 4-year bachelor’s degree relevant to the museum you want to work in. Museum employees come from all sorts of backgrounds, so there isn’t any single educational path to take. If you’re interested in art museums, try studying fine arts or art history. For history museums, take anthropology or history. There are many types of science museums, so choose a related specialty, such as earth sciences, life sciences, social sciences, or something else.
   • The type of degree you get will depend on what you study. You might get a bachelor of fine arts degree, for instance, or a bachelor of science degree.
   • Another option is to earn a bachelor of science degree in museum studies. This type of degree directly prepares you to work in a museum, including curation, preservation, and education.
3. Take communications classes to become better at working with people. Most museum employees spend lots of time working with people, so take an interpersonal communication class to prepare. Public speaking classes are also very helpful, but don’t overlook other options. For instance, organizational and business communication skills can also come in handy during your work.
   • Museum workers talk to guests, but they also have to know how to work with other employees. If you can get along with a wide range of people, whether you’re guiding them through the museum or working alongside them, you have a better chance of succeeding.
   • Some museum workers interact with a museum’s board of directors. For example, you might have to give a presentation on the state of the museum. Knowing how to be friendly or even persuade authority figures can help your career.
4. Study website design and other computer-related skills. There are a wide variety of skills you can begin studying while you’re in school. Look into information technology (IT) classes, where you can learn how to set up computer systems. All museums have an online presence, so learning how to code and maintain a website can be a big help. Programming, graphic design, and digital analytics are all good subjects to study.
   • The future of museums is digital. Even though you may not think of museums this way, employees use computers frequently behind the scenes.
   • Technical skills give you an edge when applying for competitive museum jobs. As time goes on, these skills will become even more valuable.
5. Practice marketing and other business skills. Financial management, marketing, sales, and customer service are all useful skills to have under your belt. Networking is one skill you might be tempted to overlook, but it is extremely useful for opening up new job opportunities. Some other skills to master include project management, planning, delegation, problem-solving, and other leadership skills. Consider taking nonprofit management and grant writing courses as well.
   • A museum is ultimately a business. It includes memberships, setting up new exhibits, connecting with investors, and balancing budgets.
   • Business skills are important because museum employees work closely together and have to communicate often. That includes higher-ups like museum directors that may come from a strong business background.
6. Complete a master’s degree in specialized fields to apply for higher roles. Try choosing a study program that represents the kind of job you want. If you’re going to work in art museums, get a 2-year degree in art history. For history, you might study a specific period of history instead. If you work in science, get a master of science in a relevant field like anthropology or biology.
   • If you have an interest in Asian or African art, for instance, you might study that and work at a museum that keeps that kind of art.
   • Another option is to get your master’s degree in museum studies. It covers museum operations like buying and conserving items while also allowing you to take electives in a specialized field.

Gaining Museum Experience

1. Get experience volunteering at local museums near you. You won’t get paid for it, but you can do things like guide guests, conduct surveys, set up exhibits, and help run museum events. To volunteer, contact a museum’s volunteer coordinator. Some museums will have you fill out an application and interview with the coordinator. If you’re accepted, you may be asked to work as often as once a week at the museum.
   • Volunteering is the best way to get your foot in the door for work. It gives you an opportunity to get accustomed to the museum’s operation and its staff. Many future employees get their start by volunteering.
   • To get in touch with a volunteer coordinator, call the museum and request to speak with the coordinator. Alternatively, log onto the museum’s website and look for the coordinator’s phone number or email address.
2. Start a semester-long internship if you’re still in college. Internships are coordinated between your school and the museum. To apply, create a good cover letter explaining why you want the internship. Also, make a comprehensive resume listing your qualifications. Then, log onto the museum’s website and send a message to the internship coordinator’s email address listed there.
   • Your cover letter should explain what museum department you are interested in, your skills, and what you will contribute to the museum.
   • For example, you could write, “I would like to work in curation. I am very enthusiastic about ancient Egyptian art and would love to share that with others by setting up fun exhibits.”
   • Internship opportunities are often posted online, sometimes through job listing websites. Also, contact your school’s academic advisor and ask them what is available.
3. Apply for basic, entry-level roles at local museums. These basic roles may not be exactly what you want, but they serve as a great way to gain actual work experience. Search for openings through online job listings, the museum’s website, or by calling the museum’s recruiter to discuss availabilities. For these roles, you will have to submit an application, complete with a resume and an interview. Museums offer a wide range of entry-level jobs, both part and full-time.
   • Try applying for jobs related to your study program or area of expertise. For instance, if you’re interested in curation, you might be responsible for cataloging collections or coming up with educational programming.
   • Keep in mind that big museums have few openings that a lot of people apply for. When you’re just starting out, you have a better chance of getting hired at a small, obscure museum instead of a famous one like the British Museum or the Smithsonian.

Advancing Your Career

1. Attend in-house training or training events at a museum. Some museums offer training programs for their employees. Training workshops are free and cover subjects like how to better engage with guests. These programs can be very useful, especially to new employees. Check the events local museums hold and talk with event and training coordinators for more information.
   • One free study program you can do from home is the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration’s records management training to learn how to handle electronic records. It is free at https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/training.
   • Also, look for meetings, conferences, and workshops put on by museum-related organizations. For instance, follow archival and historical organizations as well as associations like the American Alliance of Museums.
2. Take on specialty roles when working at a museum. Museums have quite a variety of roles, and you can progress through them just by working hard and taking training opportunities. Most people think about archivists, responsible for maintaining collections, and curators, who select what a museum displays. These, along with museum director or CEO, are some of the highest jobs, and they require a good educational background and years of experience. There are many other good jobs available that may be more interesting to you or better suited to your skillset.
   • For example, museum registrars are responsible for a museum’s records. Conservators work to preserve items. Museums also need specialists like docents to lead tours, historians to research items, and exhibit designers to help arrange the museum.
   • Not all roles work directly with the public or items. For example, all museums need graphic designers, IT specialists, managers, and educators. You may enter these roles by studying in school or by asking for the work if the museum has no one else to do it.
3. Apply to bigger museums for more opportunities and responsibilities. If working at one of the world’s biggest museums is your dream job, then persistence is key. When you notice new openings, apply for them. Consider also taking a lower-level job at these types of museums to work up to more senior roles like curator or archivist. Big museums have a lot to offer, such as more specialized exhibits, better training programs, and more networking opportunities.
   • Big museums have few job openings, so the application process is competitive. Don’t give up if you don’t get in right away.
   • With smaller museums, you might have to move around for a bit until you find something permanent. They often have smaller budgets and are outside big cities, but you may end up loving your job there and not want to apply elsewhere.

Tips

• If you’re unable to land a role in a museum, you could work for a related firm. Museums sometimes hire outside companies for shipping, construction, exhibit design, and artifact restoration.
• Entry-level jobs at small museums often require you to perform a number of different roles, such as tour guide, exhibit designer, and customer service representative. This is really good for getting a wide range of experience.
• Some archivists choose to obtain a voluntary certification, such as from The Academy of Certified Archivists offers the Certified Archivist. It’s a proof of qualifications, but licensing isn’t required for any sort of museum work.
• Science museums often have research labs or work with universities that have them, so they can be good places for research scientists. Some museums hire paleontologists and other scientists for fieldwork.

References

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