Hi Cheryl
I am glad you asked. I am also glad that you love working with collections and the fact you have to be a jack-of-all-trades working at a small place. However, I am not sure going back to school to get a degree in museum studies is a good idea. I have worked in the museum field for over 30 years. Back when I interned in 1988 I was told that you have to be like a vulture and wait for people to die to get a job, the field was that competitive. When I attended the George Washington University Museum Studies program 1993-94, I focused on collections management. At that point, there were only a handful of solid and complete program museum studies programs like GWU with many universities having survey (that is Introduction to Museums) courses only. In 1995, the explosion started. Museum studies programs started dropping out of the sky. It has gotten to the point is hard not to turn around and run into another one. That would great if the jobs were there, but....
Let me tell you a story about an intern I had back about five years ago. When she graduated from the GWU program, she told me that there roughly 40 students graduating and none of them had a job to go to. It took her over two years to find a job only to find herself in a federal government job where collections management was an unknown concept. It was a nightmare. She left the field, got another graduate degree, and is thriving. She is glad she chose a different career.
I tell you that story to make an important point. A graduate degree will not guarantee a job. You may be just throwing good money after bad. A public history degree allows you to have more flexibility, that's true, but there is a distinct possibility you will not be working directly in a museum if you find work at all.
I think the point I am trying to make is buyer beware. I loved what I was doing for thirty years. Yet, I have seen the concerns plaguing the field today are the same ones that plagued it thirty years ago. They are just on steroids now. The field as a whole has been caught flatfooted time and time again. A colleague of mine at IMLS said at a Webwise conference back around 2004 that museums could stand to learn a lot from libraries because they saw the writing on the wall when the digital age began and took steps to remain relevant. They became community centers and constantly worked to provide services to their communities through simple acts such as providing internet access to those who don't have it. I have worked in small museums for most of my career. Every single one had a governing body that was stuck in 1985 and the leadership refused to wake up to the new paradigm. They have lecture series at night that only a handful of people attend and most of them will be in a rest home soon. They wonder why no one is coming. Duh! It is not what is wanted or needed now. What about an afterschool tutoring program for disadvantaged kids? Now there's the ticket. The board members shutter at the thought.
COVID-19 has put the disparities in the field, and there are many, out for all to see and it is not pretty. Being over 50 (like me), you are at a disadvantage because many museums think that younger people will rescue them since they are digital natives. Agism is a dirty little word that no one is discussing in the midst of all the other -isms. There is also a lot of talk about collections don't matter anymore forgetting that the Federal government when creating IMLS in their definition of what a museum is focused everything around the collections. Basically, in the horse and cart scenario, the horse is the collections and the cart is everything else. However, during my entire career, it has been the exact opposite in medium to smaller organizations to the point that it seems that they have completely forgotten their origins and their heart and soul.
My advice is to take a long hard look at what you want for yourself down the road. Since I am a chronic perpetual student, going back to school is fine. But, if you are doing it because you think it will get you a job, much less a better salary, think again. The opportunity cost is not necessarily in your favor. I have three college degrees, two graduate, one ivy league, and the most I ever made was a federal job at $46,000 back in 2005.
I think what I am trying to say is go in with your eyes wide open like I did thirty years ago. This field has a lot of problems and it needs serious people to help solve them. I hope you are one of them if you decided to pursue a career. However, sadly, most of those being heard right now are ruled by ego and personal interests. I would go back to school if you love learning. I would not go if you think it will improve your job prospects. The jury is very much out on that. I hope that helps. And good luck.
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[Karen] [Whitehair]
Frederick MD
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-06-2021 02:01 PM
From: Cheryl Kastas
Subject: career advice for older worker
Hi, my name is Cheryl and I am trying to decide on the next step in my career path. I have a bachelor degree in Earth Science but after working for many years in laboratory settings I started working at a small museum. Because they lacked funding I was able to help in a few different areas of the museum. I really loved working in the collection with artifacts and archives and even was part of the exhibit committee. I am now working at a different museum as a curatorial assistant in the collection and would like to ask for advice about whether it is worth it to go back to school for an online masters degree in public history. I am turning 50 this year so I am wondering if the degree would be necessary for me to get a full time position at a museum.
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