To expand on Vivian's and others' advice, now that you have a degree I would suggest building up hands on experience, and unfortunately in museums the only way to do this is often through volunteering. Consider how much time in your schedule you would be able to devote to volunteering, then reach out to all museums, historical societies, and archives in your area and ask if they need any help with processing collections, installing exhibitions, leading docent tours, etc. Organizations don't usually bring in volunteers to do curatorial work, but they often turn to their already established volunteers to work on special projects. After establishing yourself, you could also pitch projects such as small hallway displays - something that you feel you could accomplish yourself with very little impact on existing staff time or museum resources (it can be hard as a newcomer to an institution to propose a grand scheme that would require a significant investment from the museum, but small projects that have only an upside for the institution are more likely to be greenlit). This may lead to small displays, virtual exhibitions, and resource guides that you can add to your CV as real world projects you've done. It sounds a lot like "do it for the exposure," and unfortunately it is, but in all the positions I've hired for, real world experience of some level in addition to a degree is extremely important when I'm considering candidates. Degrees, and sometimes even internships, don't show me that a candidate can really think on their feet when THE PLAN that has been sorted out for months suddenly falls apart and we need to turn our heels and find a completely different way to display an artifact, need to find a different lender, need to re-write an entire section based on new research, need to move everything right now because suddenly the bathroom is flooding, etc. Museums also often hire their entry level positions from volunteers - it can be almost like an extended interview.
Also, to add on to what everyone has already said about keep applying, make sure to look at positions that are curatorial adjacent and don't pigeon hole yourself looking for a specific title. Look for exhibits/installation assistants, collections assistants, collection managers and registrars, and research assistants. I would also suggest broadening your search to include libraries and looking for positions within an archive or special collections. These positions, and places, may not be considered in the "curatorial" field proper, but everyone in a museum (or library) has to wear multiple hats, so there will still be plenty of opportunities in these positions to get curatorial or curatorial adjacent experience that will help you move in to the position you truly want.
Best of luck!
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Whitney Broadaway
Director
Southeast Museum of Photography
Daytona Beach FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-10-2022 03:31 AM
From: Erik Marcinik
Subject: Employment advice
Hello,
I am a recent MA graduate looking for a curatorial job. I am constantly applying, trying to network, and receiving interviews, but I sometimes feel like I am hitting my head against a wall because I have not been offered a job yet. Any advice on increasing the probability of getting hired as a curatorial assistant?
Erik Marcinik
MA Program in Museum Studies
New York University