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allard802's review
4.0
Although published in 2010, the general concepts still hold true 14 years later. Includes case studies and personal experiences which provide insight into the industry. This seems like a resource which would be useful for anyone trying to find a position in relation to research of institution, position and explaining the system which will be navigated.
avora's review
4.0
This is a good book for high schoolers or first/second year college students who are interested in working at a museum. It breaks down and explains the different kinds of jobs that you can have at an institution. It also covers the basics of how to get your foot in the door, writing CVs, and interviewing.
I especially enjoyed reading the interviews with people in various roles at a number of different institutions. They discussed day to day activities, how they got their positions, what they do and don't enjoy about their jobs, etc. Now that I've been in a curatorial role for a few years, I either relate to or know a great deal about what was discussed, but for students who might idolize a job as a Curator (or other roles) without understanding what it entails, I think the interviews help demystify or ground expectations. My boss and I like to joke that we "hang pictures for a living," but there's a lot of legwork that has to be done before we can get to that point of the process.
One small caveat - the book is geared towards the UK so most, but not all, of the information translates to students in the US.
I especially enjoyed reading the interviews with people in various roles at a number of different institutions. They discussed day to day activities, how they got their positions, what they do and don't enjoy about their jobs, etc. Now that I've been in a curatorial role for a few years, I either relate to or know a great deal about what was discussed, but for students who might idolize a job as a Curator (or other roles) without understanding what it entails, I think the interviews help demystify or ground expectations. My boss and I like to joke that we "hang pictures for a living," but there's a lot of legwork that has to be done before we can get to that point of the process.
One small caveat - the book is geared towards the UK so most, but not all, of the information translates to students in the US.
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