 |
 |
Dear Helen, I am astonished to read your recent email saying that museums cannot find suitable candidates! It seems that on the infrequent occasions that a job comes up in my field (palaeontology), I find myself up against people with decades of museum experience, dripping with academic qualifications, museum and heritage qualifications, AMAs, strong research and teaching backgrounds, infectious enthusiasm and highly respected by their peers. How can there possibly be a problem with recruitment, when there are so many great candidates out there? I am about to become one of them, facing probable redundancy after 18 months as Assistant Curator, 4 years as Education Officer and 3 years as Museum Assistant. I have a broad museums background in everything from documentation and collections care, to display and education. For example, I am currently spending most of my time repacking old specimens and tackling a cataloguing backlog, but this morning I taught a GCSE Biology class. At other times of the year I teach primary, middle and high schools studying rocks, fossils and skeletons. My PhD research was done over eight years on my own time, so it didn't compromise the working of the museum. I have had research published in a high profile journal, with the museum's address on it, and I am continuously involved in high profile research projects outside work. Perhaps I am a jack of all trades and a master of none. But enough of blowing my own trumpet! The point I am trying to make is that there are MANY people out there (not just me!) with the experience, qualifications and skills to be a valuable museum employees. The only problem I can see with recruitment is that there are fewer jobs available and more people trying to get them! Does anyone else agree with me? Regards to everyone on the list, Lorna Steel ________________________________ From: The Geological Curator's Group mailing list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Fothergill, Helen (LIFELONG LEARNING) Sent: 19 January 2006 17:18 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: job applications Dear all I'm trying to do a little bit of research about recently advertised posts for natural scientists in museums (biology, botany and geology). Have you, or your organisation advertised such a post in the past 2-3 years? What was the post? What sort of qualifications did you expect? (BSc / MSc / Museum Qualification / AMA?) How many applicants did you have? What sort of backgrounds did they have (on average)? Would you give as much/more/less weight to volunteer work/contract work/museum qualifications? This has come up as a topic due to disturbing comments heard at several high-level meetings stating that museums in general are having a hard time recruiting natural scientists (or "suitable" candidates). Any answers will be treated as confidential unless you state otherwise and will form part of a report and/or article on behalf of the Geological Curators Group. Thanks for any help - Helen Helen Fothergill: GCG Recorder Keeper of Natural History Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AJ T: 01752 304774 F: 01752 304775 W: www.plymouthmuseum.gov.uk The views expressed in this message are personal and must not be considered to be the official views of Plymouth City Council. IMPORTANT: this e-mail and any attachments are confidential and are solely intended for the above named addressee. Access to this e-mail by anyone else is unauthorised. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, or distribution of it, or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance upon it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify your system manager and the sender of this e-mail