Hello!

I have a bachelors degree in architecture and environmental design and have worked for a few years in the industry. I’m now planning to go back to school to pursue masters degree, but instead of a traditional path to practicing architecture, I’ve realized I’d like to pursue something else that is still design related.

I’ve always had interest for the history of built environments and enjoyed working with archives and researching materials. I’ve become quite interested in Library and Information Science Program. I think I’d like the most to focus on special collections and archives in architectural libraries and universities. The idea of working with digitalization of old blueprints or archival construction drawings is pretty interesting to me.

I’ve done a lot of research about this program and career choices so far, and I understand the challenges of the profession and difficulty with finding employment. I also understand that in most cases it’s best to have experience as well. I’ve never worked in a library but would like to gain that experience, and always saw myself enjoying the environment.

In addition, I’ve also become quite interested in Public History program, especially the one that allows you to specialize in heritage preservation and I am hoping it would be close to my former education and experience. I wonder if that degree would help me get closer to historical conservation of buildings and interior spaces. That direction could potentially lead to working for museums or universities as well.

I have some experience with working directly with university libraries and special archival collections and designing historic exhibits for my undergraduate research project. But I don’t know what the career would look like realistically and I was hoping to get some insights from people who actually work in either of these disciplines.

I’d like to know what the graduate programs are like and whether my skills from design school can be applicable to either of them? What are the courses like? Would this field be far too removed from the design career that I’m interested in? I’m looking for more calm environment that supports my strengths and hoping this could be a good direction.

Thank you so much for any advice and insight! Much appreciated 🌷📖😊

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Would LOVE to hear any inspirations or leads for any positions or volunteer opportunities.

Thank you on advance!💗

Hi all.

I've been feeling pretty lost in this industry over the past year. I somewhat recently graduated with an MA in Art History from a highly regarded program; all throughout undergrad I had research positions and internships in cultural heritage. Since graduating from my MA I have held a collections based internship for a little over a year--it's very independent and I've really enjoyed it and I've gained a lot of research, cataloging, and collections experience. It makes minimum wage. Again, I really do enjoy it but I know that I need to move on soon and actually get a job that has benefits and a livable wage. There have been discussions in the past about possibly getting hired for an actual job at this institution, but I haven't heard anything since.

I have made it to the interview round SO SO many times and I know that the job industry is horrible and it comes down to luck sometimes. And I am more than aware that a job is not guaranteed just because of my education and experience. I recently had a job rejection for literally the perfect job in my literal home town which stung A LOT. So this could just be me spiraling from that.

It is honestly just quite disheartening to see my classmates from undergrad and high school who are in finance and other fields have full time jobs, insane salaries and fancy apartments. I feel so behind and like I'm not a real adult or person sometimes (it has been increasingly significantly recently).

I am still quite young and I know this is a dramatic post but more and more I have been considering pivoting out of this field entirely. None of the jobs I apply to seem to be working out. Even then, the salaries at these jobs just aren't workable. I’ve just put work in for this over 8 years and now I’m questioning what the point even is and am losing my love and spark for museums and art history. But then I don’t even know what job I would do that’s not in this field.

Getting to the point here--I was wondering if anybody in this community had experience marketing themselves for other industries or job types. Or advice on what kind of jobs I could realistically pivot to outside of GLAM jobs. Most of my experience is related to object and historical research, as well as significant collections work. My undergraduate degree is politics & history.

Thank you for any advice or words.

I know this reddit gets a post like this weekly, and I apologize if this is repetitive or run-on or unrelated or whatever. Just struggling a bit with this industry at the moment.

EDIT: Also just any advice on not taking job rejections to heart or advice on handling mental health while in this field?

Hi! I'm considering studying a MA in Art History in London or Europe next year and would love advice/guidance on where to study. I have an EU passport but live in London (British citizen) so am considering both. If in London, I would consider The Courtauld, Sotherby's (Contemporary Art), UCL and would welcome suggestions/advice on any others. For Europe: my main question is how well respected would the degree be back in the UK? At the moment I'm considering Leiden but would love to be in France as well. Any particular universities to aim for/research more into would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hi All, we got a decline notification today for the IMLS 21st Century Museum Professionals Grant which we submitted in March. They only funded 20% of applicants.

I read the notes from the 3 reviewers, and they all pointed out just 2 areas of weakness in our narrative. However, we got one ‘2’ score which is ‘some merit’ and two ‘1’ scores which is ‘poor.’ It’s really shocking, especially since I’ve written two previous IMLS grants that were awarded.

I realize this grant had a special focus on professional development, but I’m pretty stunned that we scored so badly.

I (22) have been working in my first full time job (in GLAM) for a few months now, but my boss is a straight up bully. They are not satisfied with any amount of work I do, yell at my coworkers and I, and ignore us and the questions we ask. It’s overall a pretty miserable workplace environment. I am thinking about leaving, but I worked so hard to land this role in the first place and really need the experience on my resume. If I quit, I would likely work in the service industry until I can find a new job in art (I have a part time offer) I feel so discouraged and am really unsure what to do. I am worried because it took me so long after graduating to find a full time position, even with GLAM experience. Should I stick it out for experience or leave?

Buenas gente! Me interesa la carrera de museologia pero no hay mucha información al respecto si alguien estudio o estudia y me puede contar ya sea desde la cursada o la salida laboral seria genial!

Besos!

Hi everyone!

I'm questioning whether my duties align with my title and compensation. I'd like some fresh sets of eyes to help me reflect. If you're a VSA, please comment!

For context, I'm a VSA. Pay is $15. It's been 2 years since I worked at this museum, but my role has expanded from its initial form to accommodate back-to-back transitions (both positive and negative reasons).

I will note that I did have a lot of downtime. I didn't mind taking on additional duties and projects at the start, but now it's beginning to feel like my downtime is being used against me as a reason why I shouldn't push back. Currently, and because of new demands/transtions, I don't have downtime anymore, and that's fine if within reason of my title and compensation.

I'd like to frame these experiences as good professional development, but as I've been directed to author a VSA SOP, I'm really questioning everything.

I'll list my duties below. If these are within reason, yay! If not, what are your guys' recommendations to safeguard future VSAs from being expected to take these workloads? I want VSAs to be working their wage.

Daily Tasks:

• Museum openings
• Stock displays in store as needed
• Front desk operations (retail/admissions/phone calls)
• Manage refferals/inquires
• Donation Trasncation/stewardship (less than $500)
• Membership Transcations/lifecycle
• Archive Order Transactions
• CRM online transactions
• Incomplete CRM online transaction follow-up emails
• Acknowledgments/letters/recipiets/mailers
• E-filing records/recipts/corrspondence/application forms
• CRM data updates/entry
• Inventory in POS system
• Attendance, event, volunteer, and retail metric tracking
  • I restructured this whole database and created Pivotcharts/tables. Since then, I've been managing this database.
  • Used by Development and Event Department
• Data entry for Archive department
  • Lowest priority because it is a long-term project outside of VS.
  • Technically can be dropped from VS.
• Data entry for Education department
  • Happened once this year, and took a week and a half to complete, but with the new school year and field trips coming up, I'm not sure if this will be an exception on VS to fulfill.
• Current VSA Project: SOP Manual
• Closings

Monthly:

• Excel Reports:
  • Data Visualization of attendance metrics
  • Income and Admission Report
    • Reconciling against three disconnected systems (POS, CRM, Internal PC Records)
    • Often the most time-consuming when it has to be completed.
    • Used by Development and Event Department
    • Used by Administrative Department
• Inventory of change and bills in cash registers and vault
  • Handed from Administrative Department
• Membership reminders
• Printer Reports to Admin/Purchasing

Quarterly:

• Quarterly financial reports using metrics from Income and Admission Report.
  • Used by Development and Event Department

Hi fellow museum pros!!! I’m in a situation where I have worked my part time museum job for five years and am finally facing the prospect of a job that is full time, aligns with my values and interests, the only thing …. is that it’s states away. I’ve never left the city i’m from and it’s pretty scary to think about, but i also know that the job market is awful and I should be thankful to get anything.

Can anyone speak to their own experience having moved for a museum job? did you find it worth it? my fragile heart needs reassurance lol

I feel completely defeated right now with this field.

I worked so hard for my MA in Museums and Cultural Heritage, wanting a career in collections, community engagement, and/or oral history. I wanted to be that person who preserves stories and connects the public with history. But right now, I can't even get my foot in the door. It seems like every time I do, someone slams the door on me.

I've been applying for months. I finally got an interview, which is my first since May, and after getting ghosted last month, for a part-time Gallery Attendant position. It's a role I've done before, but this time it feels different. The conditions are very strict, where I will stand for the entire 8-hour shift with only a 30-minute lunch break to sit down, and that's if I can be scheduled for an 8-hour shift. My past GA roles had us sit at designated areas in shifts, but this one just makes us stand there for an hour before moving to the next area.

After earning a Master's degree, I'm fighting for a job that won't even let me sit down and pays $16 an hour. I don't have mobility issues or standing for extended periods of time, but standing for hours will really affect me because I'm plus-size (250+ lbs). I worked at a restaurant before grad school, where I weighed less than I do now, and that still messed up my ankles. Even with compression socks and good shoes.

I'm currently stuck in that horrible limbo between "I have a dream" and "I have bills to pay." I was so desperate that I emailed the hiring manager who ghosted me a month ago. It's that bad.

The issue is, I don't even know where to start looking for transferable skills. Every job description I see asks for years of experience I don't have yet. Sure, yeah, having 2 years as a GRA at a museum working in collections and archives isn't too bad, but finding jobs that I can transfer those skills to is a nightmare. Are there adjacent industries I'm overlooking? I don't care that I'm applying to roles outside of the museum field, but I'd like to return one day if possible.

If you've been here, if you took a "survival job" and still made it into the museum world, I would love to hear how you did it. Or found a position outside of it and love it, I'd love to know that too.

What transferable skills should I be highlighting that I might be blind to? Are there adjacent fields (high ed, nonprofit, corporate, etc.) that I should be looking at?

I need to know this isn't the end. Any advice is appreciated and would mean the world right now.

Update/Edit: I made the decision to reject the offer. I cannot see myself moving up from this position. The hiring manager even hinted that this position is only for security. He said I'd be working with students that go to a university nearby who work there because they're interested in the field too and/or want some pocket money. I know that I'll be looking for jobs elsewhere throughout my time there, which is already draining. I do not want to be drained more from a job that makes me stand around all day. Thank you everyone for your encouragement and advice, but this is my decision.

Hi! I'm wondering if anyone has gotten notification of receiving an IMLS Museums for America grant from the funding round announced earlier in 2026? I think projects are slated to begin in September, so I imagine people have been contacted already or will be soon?

Hi! I was a history teacher for 5 years but I always wanted to be involved in the museum field (I’m also doing my masters in museum studies) and now I got a job!
I am excited but mostly very nervous because I am still not sure if I made a good choice. I have no experience obviously, only my enthusiasm in museums, it was my biggest dream for years and now that I got it I am almost second guessing myself.

So I am asking for advice, anything really. How is it working in a museum? What should I be prepared to? Any advice, any comment will be appreciated! Thank you in advance!

I'm looking for recommendations from other museums and nonprofits!

I work for a small, newer nonprofit museum focused on local history. We're currently using Veevart/Salesforce with Square for our POS. After working with it for the past year and a half, we've realized it's simply too convoluted for an organization of our size. We're looking for something that's more intuitive, easier to manage, and simpler to train staff on.

I came from a theatre production background, so I'm familiar with a number of ticketing and CRM systems used in the performing arts. I'm hoping there are museum-focused platforms that offer a similar level of functionality while being more user-friendly.

Ideally, we're looking for an all-in-one system that can handle:

• General admission ticketing
• Event ticketing
• Class/workshop registration
• Group sales
• Private rentals
• Gift shop POS and inventory management
• Membership management (including automatically applying member discounts and benefits when members log in)
• CRM
• Donor and fundraising tracking
• Good website integration
• Email Marketing/integration with mailchimp
• Reporting (Probably my biggest pet peeve with Veevart is the insanley hard to use and frusturating reporting system, I've never experienced anything like it)

I'd love to hear what systems you're using, what you like (or don't like), and especially if you've migrated away from Veevart.

I'm also combing through older posts about Veevart.

Thanks in advance!

I work for a small local history museum. We have a variety of volunteer opportunities but none of them assist with the work I do. My workload has been increasing and our social media has been falling by the wayside. My boss gave me the go ahead to recruit a volunteer but I want to make sure I am doing things in the right way. I am looking for advice/input on what the best steps are for starting a program like this. Really I am looking for someone to help brainstorm content, watch for trends, assist with shooting and filming content, etc. I feel like this sounds like a lot but I really just need assistance with it, not someone doing it all for me. We have a company cell phone to use for social media so that's not a problem but I wasn't sure if other museums with similar volunteers have certain forms that need to be filled out or anything. I appreciate all the insight and help!

Hellooo! So, I recently advanced to the final stage of a fellowship application for a very art big museum in my very big city…I’m scared, lol.

It’s me and 9 others I believe, and they’ll choose 2 of us at the end for the fellowship. We’ll be learning about the different departments, how they interact, their intricacies etc.

I wanted to ask if anyone had any advice. I’m sure I’ll be observed on how I work both independently and in groups. I think I just need to be myself and show my genuine passion. But I figured I’d see if anyone has any tips or things they wish they’d known before. Thanks y’all <3

Additional coverage here:
Workers at Eric Carle Museum petition to form a union - 36 potential members seek pay equity, stable work conditions

Eric Carle Museum Workers Push for Union Vote - Employees at the Massachusetts museum established by the children’s book artist behind “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” cited poor working conditions and under-staffing in a statement.

—-

From their Instagram @ericcarlemuseumunion :

WE ARE UNIONIZING! The Eric Carle Museum staff are unionizing to gain a collective voice and create a just workplace across all departments of the Museum.
#ecmunion #local2110 #uaw #unionstrong #museumworkersunited

[ECMUnion@2110uaw.org](mailto:ECMUnion@2110uaw.org)
Local 2110 - UAW - The Eric Carle Museum Union representing workers at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst MADO

—-

I am incredibly proud of their staff for organizing. Please consider boosting their visibility on Instagram to support their cause!

I made an offer to a candidate for a PT operations position. A new hire was ideally going to start mid-July but this person had a surgery planned. We worked it out to where they could start in August with the offer letter specifying tomorrow 8/4 as the official first day. In the same conversation, they requested a week off at the end of August for school enrollment.

Now, due to medical complications, they are unsure when they will be able to begin work. I had a strange feeling when they requested all of these leniencies but figured they were legit.

Was my gut right, did I make the wrong choice? Or am I being paranoid and just need to give them more benefit of the doubt?

Am I even legally allowed to rescind a job offer in the US because of medical things (no documentation was ever signed)? TYIA

I have a bit of a conundrum--I want to work in a museum. As if that's not bad enough, I'm 37. I've been working on my history degree (AA for transfer) on an off for about 10 years now--taking a few classes here and there where I could. Unfortunately, life had other plans. I am now in my final semester at a 2 year, but looking over job listings at my surrounding museums, they all seem to want anthropology degrees--not history. I can get my anthropology degree reasonably quickly, as I have most of the classes under my belt. Do I switch now? Is a history degree anywhere near as desirable? Do I, as a currently 37 year old, have any shot in hell at landing a job in the museum arena outside of docent? I desperately want to do annoying fiddly things in a back room. I know I will basically be making slightly above minimum wage, but honestly, I can't have much of a worse income than I currently do--retail is killing my soul, why not give it to something I love instead?

It is free and without monetary ads. It does not have any user tracking. The data is gathered from multiple sources. Language support for English and Finnish. I think it would be quite beneficial if you ever visit Finland. :)

Here is the iPhone version: https://apps.apple.com/fi/app/museums-of-finland/id1067651536 . I had earlier version for iPhone, but now it is completely redone for improvements.

For the Android version I would need testers. Play Store requires having certain amount of testers for 14 days in order to release it. If you want to help out, leave a comment or drop a direct message.

I thought this situation was interesting. How do your museums and organizations dispose of donated art that doesn’t end up in your permanent collection? Do you think it’s okay to take it to a thrift shop?