One Day, One Job » museum

Martha’s Vineyard Museum

Willy Franzen — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:28:28 +0000

I spent at least a week every summer on Nantucket until I was 18. It was also a great time, and it’s where I have some of my fondest childhood memories. Oddly enough, I’ve only stepped foot on Martha’s Vineyard once. I was flying from Nantucket and the plane stopped on the Vineyard. I got out for some fresh air (it was a tiny plane) and got right back on. That means that I’ve never visited the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Edgartown, MA, but I’m sure it has a lot in common with the museums that I’ve visited on Nantucket. The museum is “dedicated to furthering an interest in, experience of, and appreciation for the history and culture of the Island and its environs.” That’s exactly what you’d expect, and they do this with exhibitions, collaboritive educational programs, scholarly research, archival collections, and community outreach.

Island Time

The Martha’s Vineyard Museum was originally founded in 1922 as the Dukes County Historical Society. They changed the name in 1996 to the Martha’s Vineyard Historical Society, and again in 2006 to its current name. The museum’s current exhibitions include We Are Marching Along (the island’s role in the Civil War) and Out of the Depths: Martha’s Vineyard’s Shipwrecks. There are also plenty of permanent exhibits that educate on the island’s history from colonial times to modern day. If you want a quick intro to some of the history that museum covers, you should check out its Martha’s Vineyard FAQs. If you find island life intriguing and want to help tell the story of Martha’s Vineyard, look no further than the Martha’s Vineyard Museum’s Jobs page. Right now there’s only one 20-hour per week position as an Oral History Assistant, but I’m sure that you could fill the rest of your time on such an interesting island.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you been to Martha’s Vineyard?

Museum of Latin American Art

Willy Franzen — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:25:16 +0000

Despite the fact that I come from an extremely artistic family (Dad – architect, Mom – graphic designer, Sister – painter), I know almost nothing about art. So it shouldn’t surprise you that I know even less about Latin American art. But if I did want to start learning about it, I’d probably head to the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, CA. It’s a non-profit organization that “educates the public through the collection, preservation, presentation and interpretation of modern and contemporary Latin American art in order to promote cross-cultural dialogue.” It was founded in 1996, and since then it has doubled in size.

Makes Some Moolah at MOLAA

It’s kind of art to tell you about a museum that I’ver been to that covers a topic that I know nothing about. That’s why you should head over to the MOLAA website and start browsing around. They have a lot of info on their exhibitions online, so you can check out things like The Good, The Bad, The Ugly? and MEX/L.A.: “Mexican” Modernism(s) in Los Angeles, 1930-1985. What I think is cool about the Museum of Latin American Art is that it’s as much about the culture as it is about the art. There’s a more cohesive story behind their collections than you may find at other more generalized museums. So if you’re a big fan of Latin American art, you’ll probably want to take a look at MOLAA’s Jobs page. Right now they have a couple interesting positions including Assistant to Museum Registrar and Membership Manager (a little more experience required). Check them out and see if either interests you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite piece of Latin American art?

New York Transit Museum

Willy Franzen — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:11:33 +0000

Transportation is essential to Thanksgiving as we know it. A large majority of our country’s population travels for the holiday, whether it’s a few miles or a few thousand miles. Sometimes it actually seems easier to travel across the country than it is to travel across town (can you say gridlock?), so it’s surprising that our country’s biggest city is actually pretty easy to get in to, out of, and around. For more than a century New York City has had an exceptional transit system, and its history is remembered and displayed at the New York Transit Museum. As far as I can tell, the museum is a non-profit that is directly tied to the MTA. It’s also “one of the city’s leading cultural institutions and the largest museum in the United States devoted to urban public transportation history.”

Making Moves

The Transit Museum is based in Brooklyn, but they also have an annex in Grand Central Station. Some of their major exhibits include Steel, Stone & Backbone: Building New York’s Subways 1900-1925, an exhibit on Fare Collection, and Moving the Millions: New York City’s Subways from its Origins to the Present. The museum has all of its info on one page, so that makes it easy to learn more about them without lots of clicking around. The only thing they don’t have is a Jobs page, which is instead hosted on Idealist. Right now they have two positions posted that seem suitable for new grads: Museum Interpreter – Education Department and Press/Media Coordinator. Both are part-time, but they could be good ways to get your foot in the door.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

New York Transit Museum’s Home Page
Jobs at New York Transit Museum (Idealist)

What’s your favorite mode of transportation?

Chemical Heritage Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:06:43 +0000

When I was a kid, I had my own chemistry set. It was pretty cool–I could do things like change the color of a liquid by mixing a few different powders. Ok, so it wasn’t that exciting, especially after I learned that my Dad would make his own gunpowder and blow stuff up when he was a kid. After having a watered down chemistry set as a kid, I ended up having a completely inept chemistry teacher in high school. It should be no surprise that my interest in chemistry fizzled out, but if I wanted to get the reaction going again, I might look to the Chemical Heritage Foundation. They’re a Philadelphia, PA based non-profit organization that “fosters an understanding of chemistry’s impact on society” by “inspiring a passion for chemistry; highlighting chemistry’s role in meeting current social challenges; and preserving the story of chemistry and its technologies and industries across centuries.”

Show Your Chemical Heritage

The Chemical Heritage Foundation has four key program areas. The first is The Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer Library of Chemical History, which is exactly what it sounds like. The second is The Roy Eddleman Institute for Interpretation and Education, which is focused on bringing chemistry to a broader audience and includes the Museum at CHF. The third is The Center for Contemporary History and Policy, and it’s all about promoting chemistry’s current and future role in society. Finally, there’s The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry, which “hosts a community of visiting fellows.” As you can see, the CHF is working in every area that it can to connect society with the wonders of chemistry. You can explore CHF’s work much more deeply by browsing their website, so I highly recommend that. And if you really like what you see, you can go to their Jobs page. Oddly enough, the job that they have posted doesn’t require a background in science, as it’s a Project Development Assistant position. It looks like a great opportunity for a new or recent grad, so check it out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did you have a chemistry set as a kid?

Center for Puppetry Arts

Willy Franzen — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:45:18 +0000

I have to admit that it gets a bit monotonous writing about non-profit jobs every weekend. There’s an endless number of organizations to cover, but so many of them are very similar to ones that I’ve already featured. But today I found one that is about as unique a non-profit as I’ve come across in my nearly four years of doing this. It’s the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, GA. They’re exactly what they sound like, an organization that “is the largest American organization solely dedicated to the art of puppet theater.” I’ll admit that I haven’t been to a puppet show in a while, but when I was a little kid I put on a mean one. Puppetry is an interesting art because it can be as simple as a sock on a hand or as complex as Big Bird. It may not get as much credit as other performing arts, but it’s definitely worthy of having an organization devoted to it.

Be the Puppet Master

When the Center for Puppetry Arts opened in 1978, Kermit the Frog cut the ribbon. How fitting is that? Since then the Center has been working to cement its place as “a unique cultural treasure – a magical place where children and adults are educated, enlightened and entertained.” The Center for Puppetry Arts has five core values:

We believe puppetry is awe-inspiring and magical.
We believe in providing awesome artistic experiences.
We believe in unlocking imagination.
We believe in inspiring every generation.
We believe in the people behind the puppets.

Judging from the Center for Puppetry Arts’ website, they’re certainly living up to them. You can see the Center’s performance here, and you can take a look at what their museum has to offer here. If you love puppetry, then a career with the Center for Puppetry Arts might be exactly what you’re looking for. Their Jobs page only lists a Museum Curator position right now, and it requires a few years of museum experience. However, there are some internships with stipends available, and you can always reach out to them about unlisted positions. Maybe someone will pull a string for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the Center for Puppetry Arts?

Chicago History Museum

Willy Franzen — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 17:20:57 +0000

I’m starting to get settled in my new place. After living in two moderately new high-rises in downtown Chicago, I’ve moved into a more historic building–it was built in 1921 and served as a Chinese consulate at some point. Now that I’m starting my fourth year living in the city, I feel that it’s only appropriate for me to start learning a little more about the city’s history. That’s why I should probably make a visit to the Chicago History Museum, which is just a mile down the street from me. Ironically, the museum, having been founded in 1856, “is the city’s oldest cultural institution,” though they pretty much had to start over after the Great Fire destroyed their building and most of their collection in 1871. Three years later there was another fire that destroyed most of what remained. Luckily, there haven’t been any more fires, so the Chicago History Museum has had a decent amount of time to build a new collection.

Make Your Job Search History

The Chicago History Museum’s collection focuses on eight specific areas: Architecture, Archives and Manuscripts (including Audio), Books and other Published Materials, Costumes and Textiles, Decorative and Industrial Arts, Fine Arts, and Prints and Photographs. The scope of these collections is limited to items related to Living in the Metropolitan Area, Working in the Metropolitan Area, Governing the Metropolitan Area, The Built Environment, and Individuals and Ideas. Apparently it all adds up to more than 22 million documents and artifacts. If you want to learn more about the specific collections, you should start here. And if you find that Chicago history speaks to you, then you’ll want to take a look at the Chicago History Museum’s Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Computer Support Technician and a Collection Manager – Costume and Textile (requires M. A. in Costume History, Museum Studies (Costume/Textile), or related field). If neither of those positions interest you, you could also consider volunteering.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you into your city’s history?

Whitney Museum of American Art

Willy Franzen — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:40:24 +0000

I’m no art expert, which is probably why most of the artists whose work I am familiar with are both European and dead. My knowledge of contemporary American art is pretty limited. Maybe that would change if I visited the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, NY, as it’s the “preeminent institution devoted to the art of the United States.” My awesome sister (who is a painter now pursuing a career in medicine) gave me the heads up on the fact that they’re hiring. The Whitney Museum of American Art was founded in 1930 after sculptor Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney’s offer to the The Metropolitan Museum of Art of a collection of more than 500 works was rejected. Much like taking her ball and going home, she took her art and started a new museum.

The Whitney

In its 80 years since opening, the Whitney Museum of American Art has become “the preeminent institution devoted to the art of the United States” as it “presents the full range of twentieth-century and contemporary American art, with a special focus on works by living artists.” You can find the full history here. If you’d like to get a feel for what kind of art they have at The Whitney, you have to look no further than their current exhibitions–or better yet, you can actually visit the museum if you’re in NYC. If contemporary American art speaks to you, then you have to check out jobs at the Whitney Museum of American Art. They have a few positions open right now, and the best fits for new or recent grads are Development Records Assistant, Accounts Payable Clerk, and Part-Time Member Services Assistant.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the Whitney?

Nantucket Historical Association

Willy Franzen — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:01:51 +0000

I’m on Cape Cod for a wedding this weekend, so I decided to take my girlfriend over to Nantucket, MA for the day yesterday. I hadn’t been there in 9 years after going there every summer for the first 18 years of my life. It’s a wonderful island that is loaded with history. We walked around all day and made stops at the Old Gaol and the Whaling Museum, both of which are owned and operated by the Nantucket Historical Association. Both are well worth a visit, and so are all of the other NHA properties. If you want to learn about early American history, Nantucket is a great place to visit, and much of the reason is because of the work of the Nantucket Historical Association.

There Once Was a Historian from Nantucket

Much of Nantucket’s history is based around the whaling trade. It’s a practice that is now seen as immoral by much of the world, but it was essential to the growth of our country in the 1700s and 1800s. Nantucket was pretty much the center of the whaling trade, and it brought a ton of wealth to a very small island. Luckily, Nantucket has remained wealthy throughout the years, and a lot of the wealth has been committed to historic preservation through the Nantucket Historical Association’s programs, collections, and reach. If you can’t visit these sites in person, you should at least browse around NHA.org to learn more about Nantucket’s amazing history. And if it all resonates with you, then you’ll want to visit the Nantucket Historical Association Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Development Associate, which sounds like a perfect position for a new or recent grad who wants to ensure that the Nantucket Historical Association continues to get the funding it needs.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever been to Nantucket?

Lower East Side Tenement Museum

Willy Franzen — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 16:25:48 +0000

We often forget that this country has been built (and is continuing to be built) by immigrants. For hundreds of years people have risked everything that they had to try for a better life in America. While just getting here is a journey, the first few years of “making a new life, working for a better future, starting a family with limited means” can be daunting. The Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York, NY tells the story of life in America for nearly 7,000 immigrants from over 20 countries who lived in the building between the years of 1863 and 1935. It’s a part of American history that doesn’t get a lot of attention (how many of us have visited colonial era museums?), yet it’s an extremely important part of our national identity.

97 Orchard Street

What’s most interesting about the Lower East Side Tenement Museum (which is part of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience) is that it gives us deep insight into how much living standards have changed over the past century. By sheer luck 97 Orchard Street was left as it was for more than 50 years, and when museum founders Ruth Abram and Anita Jacobson stumbled upon it, they knew it was the perfect place for building “a museum that honored America’s immigrants.” If you want to be part of sharing the history of the immigrants who built this country, then take a look at Jobs at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. They have a number of interesting opportunities including Museum Shop Associate, Visitor Services Associate, Collections Manager & Registrar, Costumed Interpreter/Educator, and Executive Assistant. Give them all a look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the Lower East Side Tenement Museum?

Museum of Food and Drink

Willy Franzen — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 14:20:07 +0000

As someone who has been a part of both a startup company (this one) and a startup non-profit (board member), I think that starting a non-profit is the more difficult of the two. It’s not all that hard to start a small organization that does good work, but to be able to fund it on a sustainable basis feels nearly impossible in the early stages. You actually need to get people to have enough faith in you and your team to give you money to achieve your mission. If you can do that, you can probably succeed. That’s why I’m excited about the Museum of Food and Drink in New York, NY. In March they held a Get-the-Ball-Rolling Fundraiser that included cooking by David Chang, Wylie Dufresne, Nils Noren, and some other big names. To get these chefs behind a cause and to get enough product donated for a $250 a plate lunch is a big accomplishment. It sounds like the dinner was a big success, which hopefully means that the Museum of Food and Drink ball is officially rolling.

Hungry Yet?

The Museum of Food and Drink is still a long way away, but the dream is big. They aim to be “nothing short of the Smithsonian of food.” I’m not sure I’d call myself a foodie, but I definitely love the art, science, and culture behind food. This museum sounds like it would be a must-visit for me–especially because “above all, when visitors come to the museum, they will eat.” There are three main goals of the Museum:

To educate everyone-from picky and apathetic eaters to gastronomes and food lovers-about the importance of culinary history and anthropology. Visitors will not only see exhibits, they will taste them.
To connect people to what they eat by explaining food production and distribution.
To encourage a widespread appreciation and understanding of lost and endangered culinary arts: recipes, techniques and regional ingredients.

It’s a massive project that is just getting started, but maybe you can be a part of it. Their website is barely anything, and there’s not much info out there about them beyond the coverage of their initial fundraiser, but they seem to have gotten a great start. Their Idealist page shows an Internship posting, but no jobs. That’s ok. Sometimes you need to “volunteer” your way in with an early stage non-profit. If you love the culture of food, a job with the Museum of Food and Drink would be a dream come true.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

MOFAD.org
Jobs at the Museum of Food and Drink (Idealist)

Would you visit the Museum of Food and Drink?

Thomas Jefferson Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 17:14:34 +0000

Want to make a difference in your first job after graduation? MATCH Charter Public School is a great place to do so.

It’d be pretty cool to have your home turned into a museum. Not only would it mean that you lived in a pretty sweet place, but it would also mean that you made enough of a mark on history for people to actually want to learn about your life. There’s no better example of someone worth learning about than Thomas Jefferson. Not only did he write the Declaration of Independence, but he was also the third president and founder of the University of Virginia. It’s no surprise that he ended up on both the two dollar bill and the nickel. Anyway, many might expect Jefferson’s Monticello to be run by the government, but it’s actually managed by a non-profit organization called the Thomas Jefferson Foundation in Charlottesville, VA. They’ve been maintaining Monticello and 2,500 of its 5,000 acres for nearly 90 years with a dual mission of education and preservation, which is why they have continued to keep it open to the public.

Are You a Jeffersonian at Heart?

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation considers Monticello to be Jefferson’s “autobiographical statement,” which is why they’ve invested so much time and effort into preserving it. The estate includes “a house, an ornamental landscape, a farm, a plantation, a small mountain, and a large and diverse community, and it encapsulates “the interests, talents, ideals, ambitions, and realities of its creative and complex owner.” Monticello.org has tons of information on both Monticello and Thomas Jefferson, so it’s a great place to get started doing some research. In fact, if you don’t get lost in the excitement of reading up on Thomas Jefferson’s place in history, then a job at Monticello probably isn’t for you. And if you do get lost, hopefully you’ll eventually find your way to their job listings which show that they’re hiring for a number of positions including Garden Guide, Museum Shop Receiver, Reservations Associate, Retail Sales Associate – Garden Shop, and Systems Analyst. Most of the positions are part-time or temporary, but they’re still worth checking out. You might also want to consider their volunteer opportunities.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited Monticello?

International Coalition of Sites of Conscience

Willy Franzen — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 16:43:56 +0000

I’m not a big fan of museums unless they’re super-focused on a specific topic. I get kind of bored looking at random collections of stuff, but when a museum or an exhibit tells a story, then I get interested. I’m sure I’d be fascinated at any one of the “Sites of Conscience” that are in the network of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, which is a New York City based non-profit organization that is “dedicated to helping historic sites inspire social consciousness and action.” The sites in the network are “specifically dedicated to remembering past struggles for justice and addressing their contemporary legacies,” and there’s a good chance that you’re familiar with at least one of them. Remembering our history is essential to moving forward on human rights issues, and the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience ensures that our history is accessible and delivered in a compelling way.

Follow Your Conscience

Some of the sites in the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience’s network include the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, GA; the Gulag Museum at Perm-36 in Russia; the Women’s Rights National Historic Park in Seneca Falls, NY (I drove by this so many times when I was at Cornell); the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York, NY; and Constitution Hill in South Africa. There are plenty more, and you can get a better fell for the sites by watching this video (e-mail readers should click through):

You’re probably wondering what exactly the Coalition does— it “provides member sites with direct funding for civic engagement programs; organizes learning exchanges ranging from one-on-one collaborations to international conferences; and conducts strategic advocacy for sites and the Sites of Conscience movement.” If that sounds like a movement that you want to be part of, then you should check out Jobs at International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. Right now they’re looking for a Communications Associate (posted on Idealist). It’s not quite entry level, but I think it’s still worth a look for new and recent grads.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you visited any of the Sites of Conscience?

National September 11 Memorial & Museum

Willy Franzen — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 15:41:42 +0000

September 11th, 2001 was supposed to be a great day for me. I was a senior in high school, and through the intricacies of my school’s scheduling system, I only had two classes scheduled that day. I was going to be out of there before 11 AM. Things didn’t go as planned, as the Head of the School made an unexpected appearance during morning announcements (the school was small enough that we could all meet in one large room). Something terrible had happened, but it wasn’t quite clear how bad it actually was. A couple friends and I immediately went to the beach across the street from our school. We knew that on a clear day you could see the Twin Towers, and September 11, 2001 was as clear as they come. We watched as a mass of smoke obscured the New York City skyline, and we listened to radio reports of what was going on. Luckily, many of the things that were reported on the radio about other possible attacks weren’t true, and the magnitude of the casualties from the attacks weren’t nearly as bad as we first feared (we thought there might be 50,000 dead in New York City alone). Still, there was a feeling of terror that none of us had ever faced before. I spent much of the day with other classmates, some close friends and some not so close. We went to another beach, watched the news at someone’s house, and went to a church service. September 11th is one of the days that has defined the world that I grew up in, and it’s likely that you feel the same way. It’s a day that I will always remember, which is why I am happy to see the National September 11 Memorial & Museum progressing. It’s supposed to open a year from today, and I’ll certainly visit once it’s open on the Ground Zero site.

What Do You Remember?

This year’s anniversary has come with much more angst and contentiousness than I remember from previous September 11ths. I still don’t think that our country has fully processed and absorbed what happened nine years ago today. I think that the National September 11 Memorial & Museum will help to put things in perspective. This morning I came across an online account of an early tour of the yet to open Memorial, and I urge you to take a look. The Wikipedia article on the Memorial also gives some good background on the project. Beyond being the name for the Memorial, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum is also a non-profit organization that is “responsible for oversight of the design, raising the necessary funds, programming and operating the Memorial & Museum being built at the World Trade Center site.” This means that they do, indeed, have jobs, which you can find here. If you were greatly affected by 9/11, then you should browse through their open positions. The only job that they have posted that I would consider entry level is Information Technology Support Analyst, but they have plenty of internships, so there may be some other opportunities for new grads in the future.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What are your memories from 9/11?

Hockey Hall of Fame

Willy Franzen — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:36:52 +0000

I was out last night with some friends when a bus with a police escort came roaring down the street. I quickly realized that it was the Blackhawks, so we started cheering as Jonathan Toews stuck his head out of the back of a police car and showed his appreciation for our appreciation. We thought that was pretty cool and continued on our way. As I kept walking, I looked down the street and saw that the bus had stopped and that I could now see the Stanley Cup raised over the head of one of the Blackhawks players who got out of the bus. I ran down the street and snapped this picture.

Chicago has been partying since the Blackhawks won, and there’s no trophy more suited to partying that then Stanley Cup (I mean guys drink champagne out of it). The story of the Stanley cup is actually really interesting, and you can find it all on Wikipedia. The Hockey Hall of Fame, which is based in Toronto, Ontario, is the keeper of the cup, and they could provide some pretty cool job opportunities. We’re not getting a lot done here today in Chicago (it’s essentially a holiday) with a parade and the start of the World Cup, so I’m going to leave it to you to see if a job at the Hockey Hall of Fame is for you, but if that doesn’t work out, you can also check out jobs with NHL teams. I may be a bandwagon fan (and a late one at that), but you can’t not get excited when the Stanley Cup is being paraded around town.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Where would you take the Stanley Cup if you had it for a day?

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:16:53 +0000

You know somebody is rich when they have a foundation named after them. You know somebody is really rich when their kids have their own foundations. That was the case with Andrew W. Mellon. In 1940 his daughter Ailsa Mellon Bruce established The Avalon Foundation, and in 1941 his son Paul Mellon established The Old Dominion Foundation. In 1969, with the combined value of the foundations at $220 million, the children decided to merge their foundations in honor of their father. That seems to have been a good decision considering that The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which is based in New York City, has assets totaling $6.5 billion in 2007. In case you don’t know who Andrew Mellon was, you can read his story here. The short of it was that he was held in the same esteem as men like Rockefeller, Ford, Carnegie, Morgan, and Frick, but he differed in that “he excelled in four fields of endeavor: as a businessman and banker; as a politician and statesman; as an art collector; and as a philanthropist.”

Granting Your Wish

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is a grant making organization, which means that most of what they do is giving money away. They typically do this in five core areas: Higher Education and Scholarship, Scholarly Communications and Information Technology, Museums and Art Conservation, Performing Arts, and Conservation and the Environment. You can find all of the details of each of these specific programs here. Grants are made to both organizations at the forefront of their fields and new upstarts that are showing promise. The Foundation’s philosophy “is to build, strengthen and sustain institutions and their core capacities, rather than be a source for narrowly defined projects,” so they don’t seem to nitpick about how their money is spent. If you’d like to have a job giving money away (even if it’s not exactly like what Ed McMahon used to do), then you should check out The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Jobs page on Idealist. Right now they’re looking for a Program Assistant for a Temp to Perm opportunity. It looks like a good fit for a new or recent grad, and you can find application instructions in the job posting.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

If you had a Foundation, what would it give to?

New York Hall of Science

Willy Franzen — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:31:35 +0000

In 1964 New York City hosted the World’s Fair for the third time. The fair was held in Queens at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and it was dedicated to “Man’s Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe.” More than 50 million people visited the fair to see all kinds of cool exhibits—many focused on technology (you can read more about the fair on Wikipedia. One of these exhibits was the New York Hall of Science, which continues to operate to this day as New York City’s “only hands-on science and technology center.” It has been remodeled and revamped multiple times since 1964, and wide range of science focused educational programs. It looks like a really cool place to visit, even if most of their activities seem to be targeted towards kids.

Be a Hall Monitor

There are all kinds of neat attractions at NYSCI. These include Science Playground, Rocket Park Mini Golf, Search for Life Beyond Earth, Sports Challenge, and plenty more. The New York Hall of Science also offers “Virtual Visits” that allow people from around the world to enjoy what they have to offer. Hopefully you have a younger relative whom you can use as an excuse to visit, because the place looks like a lot of fun. If you’d like to work at the New York Hall of Science, then check out their Jobs page. It only has one opening posted right now, but it’s perfect for a new grad. They’re looking for a Visitor Services Assistant. To apply for the position, you can send a cover letter and résumé to rlogan@nysci.org. That e-mail address is for the COO, so you may be able to inquire about other positions, but I don’t know how effective that may be.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the New York Hall of Science?

Academy of Natural Sciences

Willy Franzen — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:53:00 +0000

For most of us museums are just places to go to visit for a day and to learn something new. We rarely think about what is going on behind the scenes, but we should. At many major museums there is also a significant research function. A perfect examples is the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, PA, which sounds like a research institution, but it also runs a museum. In fact, The Academy is the “oldest natural science research institution and museum in the New World” according to Wikipedia. The Academy has been at the forefront of biological and earth sciences since its inception, and it continues to promote public education in those areas. Just to give you an idea of the scale on which they operate, their collections include more than 17 million specimens. That’s crazy!

Jobs for Naturalists

One thing that is severely lacking on the Academy of Natural Sciences website is a solid About page. I had to head to Wikipedia to get a full idea of what they do, so if you’re interested, be sure to do a little extra research. The Academy has a great history, and its place in Philly reminds us about how Philadelphia used to be America’s most influential city. It’s amazing to think that The Academy is now approaching its 200th anniversary, and if you want to be able to celebrate it with them, you’ll want to take a look at their Jobs page. It does appear that they have much more interesting internships than jobs, but they do have entry level positions like Office Manager, Academy Explorers Camp Leader, Academy Explorers Camp Assistant, and Lead Sales Associate available. Additionally, there are some PhD level positions including Postdoctoral Fellowship, Macroinvertebrate Ecology of Mongolian Streams and Rivers and Stream Ecologist. You can apply by sending a résumé, cover letter, and salary requirements to hrjobs@ansp.org with the job title and requisition number in the subject line.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited The Academy?

International Center of Photography

Willy Franzen — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:10:55 +0000

I think that I take pretty decent photographs. I even won a fishing photography contest once—ok my friend submitted the picture that I took with his camera and took the prize for himself. My expertise may end with a point and shoot camera, but I’m ok with that. If I ever want to advance my skills, I’ll be sure to check out the International Center of Photography. They are a New York City based non-profit that runs “a world-class museum and school dedicated to exploring the possibilities of the photographic medium through dynamic exhibitions and educational programs.” They were founded in 1974 by photographer Cornell Capa, and since then they’ve been moving forward the art (and science) of photography.

Picture a Job at ICP

The International Center of Photography has a wide range of offerings. They run a museum, offer continuing education courses, provide great online resources, and even offer a Master’s program. Beyond that, they seem to be eminently conscious of how they can help other causes whether it’s bringing attention “humanitarian documentary work” or organizing “award-winning youth education initiatives.” If you love photography, but want to do more than just take pictures, then the ICP is a perfect place for you. You should check out their Jobs page, where you’ll find a few positions posted. These include Billing Clerk/Administrative Assistant, Exhibition Technician, and Photo Lab Assistant. You can apply for any of these positions by sending a cover letter, résumé, and salary requirements to jobs@icp.org. Maybe including some of your photography along might help (might not).

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the ICP’s museum?

Minnesota Children’s Museum

Willy Franzen — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:52:09 +0000

Although I’ve never been there, I hear that the Mall of America is great. It’s an impressive spectacle of consumerism, and it’s a must-see if you’re in the Twin Cities area. However, I’d imagine that it’s not the most educational place to take your kids. Luckily, Minnesotans have the Minnesota Children’s Museum in St. Paul. It was named by Cookie Magazine as one of “sixteen road trip-worthy museums that put the emphasis on children.” The Museum is loaded with cool exhibits like Earth World, which focuses on local habitats, and Habitot, which creates exploration opportunities for toddlers. They also play host to exciting traveling exhibits like Dinosaurs, which will be arriving in 42 days (they have a countdown on their homepage).

Get a Job for the Children

Now, Minnesota Children’s Museum may not be record-breaking big, but it makes up for it with awesome educational opportunities. A monstrous mall just can’t compete when it comes to intellectually stimulating activities for kids. But what about intellectually stimulating jobs for you? The Minnesota Children’s Museum Jobs page only shows one position posted right now, but it’s a cool one. They’re looking for an Exhibit Graphic Designer. It appears that they’d prefer someone with experience both in museums and graphic design, but I think someone who has been doing the right things throughout college might be a perfect fit. You can find application instructions with the job posting, and you can keep an eye on the MCM Jobs page for more opportunities in the future.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the Minnesota Children’s Museum?

National Building Museum

Willy Franzen — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:10:38 +0000

For nearly as long as humans have been around, we’ve been building shelters—places to sleep, eat, work, and play. And nearly as long as we’ve been building shelters, we’ve been doing it artistically. Function is still our primary goal—it’s the reason that we build things, but it’s amazing how development, architecture, construction and engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban planning come together as an essential part of human culture. The National Building Museum in Washington, DC was started to “advance the quality of the built environment by educating the public about its impact on people’s lives.” Yes, it’s a museum filled with artifacts and objects related to the history of buildings, but it’s more than that. It’s really about “fostering lively discussion about a wide range of topics.”

Building Your Career

I’ve always had a special appreciation for buildings because they’ve fed me, clothed me, and educated me. My Dad is an architect, so artistically inspired structures pay the bills (or at least they did, now it’s helping people find jobs). If you have a passion for buildings, then a job with National Building Museum will lay the perfect foundation for your career. The National Building Museum Jobs page shows a number of opportunities that seem suitable for new grads. These include CityVision Team Leaders, Visitor Services Representative, Development Events Coordinator, and Membership Assistant. To apply for any of the jobs, send a cover letter, résumé, and salary history to recruitment@nbm.org with the job title in the subject line.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the National Building Museum?

National Archives

Willy Franzen — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:46:55 +0000

Since I’m going to have a non-profit for you tomorrow, let’s start celebrating the Fourth of July today. Now, I know that you probably have fireworks, the beach, hot dogs, and hamburgers on your mind, but let’s take a minute to appreciate the Declaration of Independence. It’s the best “I Quit” letter in the history of the world. It’s like that letter that you wrote to your parents when you were 14 and decided that you were moving out, except it isn’t completely nonsensical. The Declaration of Independence has a lot to do with why this country is so great, so I hope that you’ll take a minute to give it a read today. And where do you go if you want to read the Declaration of Independence? The National Archives, of course! You can see the original document in all its glory, or you can check out a more readable version. If you’re not familiar with what the National Archives is, basically they “are the nation’s record keeper.” They preserve and keep forever 1%-3% of our government’s documents for both legal and historical reasons.

Declare Your Independence with a New Job

One Day, One Job has its own archives, but it’s nothing compared to what the National Archives has (duh!). The National Archives serves many constituencies, as there are all kinds of uses for historical documents. These include: the General Public, Genealogists/Family Historians, Veterans and their Families, Educators and Students, Researchers, Records Managers, Preservation and Archives Professionals, Information Security Specialists, Federal Employees, Members of Congress, Press/Journalists, and more I’m sure. You could spend hours learning about the National Archives and what they have preserved, so I’m going to leave that research up to you.

What I do have for you is an inside look at what kind of jobs they have available. You can start learning about what it’s like to work at the National Archives by visiting their Careers page, and from there you can check out their Jobs page. Here’s where it gets a bit confusing because there are a lot of options. You want to select Jobs for the General Public or Federal Career Intern Program. The former takes you to the USAJOBS.gov site where you can see all of their job listings. Right now the best option is Archives Technician, but there might be some other options for you. The latter isn’t actually an internship program; it’s an entry level hiring program. It doesn’t have any openings right now, but it’s worth keeping an eye on because it looks great.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the National Archives?

Museum of Science, Boston

Willy Franzen — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:45:58 +0000

When I was a little kid, I was fascinated by science. Some of my favorite things to do were to wake up early on Saturday mornings to watch Mr. Wizard’s World, ask my Dad show me Chemistry experiments, and build all kinds of paper airplanes. I was just the kind of kid that would love the Museum of Science, Boston, and I’d still love to spend a day there if I ever get the chance. Their mission is to “stimulate interest in and further understanding of science and technology and their importance for individuals and for society,” and judging from their Flickr gallery, they’re definitely doing that. Some of their attractions include an IMAX theater, a Planetarium, a Laser show, a 3-D Digital Cinema, and an awesome looking Simulator that can take you under the sea or to outer space. That’s not even getting into the Museum of Science’s current exhibits. Boston’s Museum of Science looks like an insanely cool place to visit, and an even cooler place to work.

Take a Scientific Approach to Your Job Search

If you were a nerdy kid like me who loved (and still loves) science and you want to share that passion with today’s kids, then there aren’t many better places to work than museums. And if you want to work at a science museum, it looks like the Museum of Science, Boston would be hard to beat. Like I said, I’ve never been there, but their website makes it look like a truly amazing place. If you’re intrigued, check out their Jobs page. You’ll see that there are currently 9 jobs available, and a few of them look well suited to new college grads. They have two Fellowships – a Program Fellowship and a Discovery Spaces Fellowship – that appear to be geared towards new grads. Additionally, there are some more basic jobs like Visitor Services Representative and some jobs that require a bit more experience like Education Associate and Computer Clubhouse Program Manager. You can find the application instructions on the Museum of Science’s Jobs page, so get your nerd on and apply.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the Museum of Science, Boston.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Willy Franzen — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:45:26 +0000

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Last year on this day, we featured the USA Football, a non-profit organization that promotes amateur football. Since then we’ve taken a look at some other Super Bowl related jobs like the those with the NFL’s teams and with World Vision (they administer the donation of Championship paraphernalia that was produced for teams that didn’t win a championship). If you want to work in or around the sport of football, it’s a good idea to use all of the hoopla surrounding today’s events to generate ideas for your job search. That’s why we’re going to look at the Pro Football Hall of Fame today. Despite their strong ties to the NFL, they’re actually a non-profit organization based in Canton, OH.. Their mission includes 4 parts, and it’s what you would expect:

To honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to professional football; To preserve professional football’s historic documents and artifacts; To educate the public regarding the origin, development and growth of professional football as an important part of American culture; and To promote the positive values of the sport.

If you love football, then finding a job at the Pro Football Hall of Fame would be pretty cool.

Your Place in the Hall of Fame

Whether you’re a football player or a job seeker, getting a place at the Pro Football Hall of Fame isn’t easy. In fact, it might be harder for job seekers, because there’s no clear path on how to get in. If you’re a football player, at least you know that if you meet certain statistical figures, you’ll have a pretty good shot. Unfortunately, the Pro Football Hall of Fame doesn’t have a jobs page, and Google doesn’t turn up much info on how to land a job with them. They do have a Volunteer Opportunities page, which might provide a way to inquire about jobs, but there’s absolutely nothing on how to join their staff (there have to be some actual employees at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, right?). Since you have plenty of time before the game today, we’re looking at you to find some more information on how to land a job with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We know that there’s a way in, and even though they may or may not be hiring right now, we’d love to know what it is.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What are you doing for the Super Bowl?

Boston Children’s Museum

Willy Franzen — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:04:21 +0000

I’m in the lucky position of having a girlfriend who has an 8 year old sister. That means that I have a built in excuse to continue to do “kid things,” even though I’m way too old to do them on my own without seeming creepy. Mini golf and bowling are certainly staples, although it’s not too weird for 20-somethings to do those (bowling with bumpers is another story), but one of my favorites is going to children’s museums. Not only do they provide a lot of fun, but they also always seem to teach me something. It’s amazing to see complex concepts explained with simple exhibits and toys. I also particularly enjoyed the “screaming booth” at one museum because I was able to max out the decibel meter. Now, the Boston Children’s Museum may or may not have a screaming booth, I don’t know, but they do have some exciting jobs for new college grads. That means that you can have a built in excuse to continue to do “kid things” just like I do.

Where a New Grad Can Be a Kid

I’ve never been to the Boston Children’s Museum, so I can’t tell you a lot about it, but I can tell you that they have some really cool looking exhibits. They’re also a “green” museum. Obviously, the best way to determine whether Boston Children’s Museum is a place that you’d like to work is to go visit and see what it’s all about. But before you do it, you should check out their job offerings. Their Jobs page was updated just yesterday, and it includes quite a few entry level job opportunities targeted towards new grads. You can find all of the descriptions on the Jobs page, but the titles include: Project Manager – Afterschool and Out of School Time, Accounting Assistant, Exhibit Technician (Temporary), Teaching Kits Assistant, Playspace Exhibit Interpreter, and Visitor Services Associate. There’s a link to a job application on the page; however, the instructions just say to send a cover letter, resume and salary history by email to jobs@BostonChildrensMuseum.org as a Microsoft Word file.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you too old to visit children’s museums?

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Amy Gordon — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:00:14 +0000

Four summers ago I had the pleasure of interning for Jill Weinberg, Midwest Region Director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, or USHMM for short. Admittedly, my job consisted of a lot of clerical work. I became remarkably familiar with Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, and the paper cuts that you get on your tongue from licking envelopes over and over again; however, I also gained unforgettable knowledge and experience relating to crimes against humanity and genocide, both historical and current. The internship opened my eyes to world events, introduced me to compassionate and intelligent people, and gave me an excellent taste of what it is like to work for a non-profit, charitable company.

The following is the mission statement of the USHMM:

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America’s national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history, and serves as this country’s memorial to the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust.

The Holocaust was the state-sponsored, systematic persecution and annihilation of European Jewry by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945. Jews were the primary victims — six million were murdered; Gypsies, the handicapped and Poles were also targeted for destruction or decimation for racial, ethnic, or national reasons. Millions more, including homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Soviet prisoners of war and political dissidents, also suffered grievous oppression and death under Nazi tyranny.

The Museum’s primary mission is to advance and disseminate knowledge about this unprecedented tragedy; to preserve the memory of those who suffered; and to encourage its visitors to reflect upon the moral and spiritual questions raised by the events of the Holocaust as well as their own responsibilities as citizens of a democracy.

Chartered by a unanimous Act of Congress in 1980 and located adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, DC, the Museum strives to broaden public understanding of the history of the Holocaust through multifaceted programs: exhibitions; research and publication; collecting and preserving material evidence, art and artifacts related to the Holocaust; annual Holocaust commemorations known as Days of Remembrance; distribution of education materials and teacher resources; and a variety of public programming designed to enhance understanding of the Holocaust and related issues, including those of contemporary significance.

But do they have jobs?

The museum is currently offering 2 jobs in the realm of entry-level. First, is an Assistant Conservator position in their Washington D.C. office. And second, is a Silberman Foundation ITS Research Scholar position located in their Washington D.C. office as well. Both of these jobs are offered via the Museum’s third party, government jobs page. Each job link includes a description of the position, an extensive list of qualification standards, benefits information and a link to apply.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Looking for a museum job? Leave a comment, let us know.

The Museum of Modern Art

Willy Franzen — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 13:04:44 +0000

I am the black sheep of my family. My mom is a graphic designer, my dad is an architect, and my sister is a painter (although she doesn’t want to be labeled). I have no artistic talent whatsoever, and I barely have the ability to appreciate good art. That means that I’m probably not the best person to tell you about the The Museum of Modern Art, but they do have some great entry-level job opportunities, so I’m going to tell you about them anyway.

What Is Modern Art?

Founded in 1929, MoMA is dedicated to being the foremost museum of modern art in the world. What is modern art? We’ll use MoMA’s own words from their website to tell you that.

To achieve its goals The Museum of Modern Art recognizes:

That modern and contemporary art originated in the exploration of the ideals and interests generated in the new artistic traditions that began in the late nineteenth century and continue today.

That modern and contemporary art transcend national boundaries and involve all forms of visual expression, including painting and sculpture, drawings, prints and illustrated books, photography, architecture and design, and film and video, as well as new forms yet to be developed or understood, that reflect and explore the artistic issues of the era.

That these forms of visual expression are an open-ended series of arguments and counter arguments that can be explored through exhibitions and installations and are reflected in the Museum’s varied collection.

That it is essential to affirm the importance of contemporary art and artists if the Museum is to honor the ideals with which it was founded and to remain vital and engaged with the present.
That this commitment to contemporary art enlivens and informs our evolving understanding of the traditions of modern art.

That to remain at the forefront of its field, the Museum must have an outstanding professional staff and must periodically reevaluate itself, responding to new ideas and initiatives with insight, imagination, and intelligence. The process of reevaluation is mandated by the Museum’s tradition, which encourages openness and a willingness to evolve and change.

In sum, The Museum of Modern Art seeks to create a dialogue between the established and the experimental, the past and the present, in an environment that is responsive to the issues of modern and contemporary art, while being accessible to a public that ranges from scholars to young children.

How Do I Get a Job at The Modern Museum of Art?

One would have to imagine that getting a job at an institution as prestigious as MoMA is pretty difficult. They have some fantastic job opportunities that are well suited for new college grads, so you’ll need to find one that you’re a perfect fit for and blow them away with an outstanding cover letter. If your knowledge of art is less extensive than mine, then you should probably forget about it. MoMA is currently looking to hire for the following positions: Administrative Assistant – Media; Cataloguer (15 month project) – Prints and Illustrated Books; Coordinator, Community and Access Programs – Education; Coordinator, Education Administration – Education; Curatorial Assistant – Painting and Sculpture; and Education History Research Fellow (1 year project) – Education. You can find full descriptions and requirements for each of these opportunities on MoMA’s Jobs page.

To apply for a job at MoMA, you should send a cover letter and resume to jobs@moma.org with the position title in the subject line of your e-mail. You should also include salary requirements (we hate when companies/organizations ask for this – it’s unreasonable). The Museum of Modern Art is located in New York City, and so are all of their entry-level jobs.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited MoMA?

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

Willy Franzen — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:37:37 +0000

When did it become cool for companies to use the term “rock star” in reference to high potential recruits? It seems like everyone these days is looking for a rock star this, or a rock star that. At first, it was cool that employers compared top talent to those who have reached the ultimate level of fame; however, the term has lost it’s edge now that its use has become so widespread. In any case, if you think that you’re a rock star, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a place where you should fit right in.

Do You Belong in the Hall?

An artist becomes eligible for induction to the Rock Hall 25 years after the release of his or her first album, while a “rock star” new hire becomes eligible after only 6 months on the job (joking). Take a look at a list of Rock Hall inductees, and see how you stack up. You can also take a look at this unaffiliated site to see how your favorite artists who aren’t yet eligible are expected to fare. In 1995 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (which is a non-profit) was opened in Cleveland, OH to celebrate the history and culture of rock and roll. Although we haven’t visited, it looks like they’ve put together quite an impressive collection of exhibits; in fact, you’ll notice that all of the pages on their website (except the home page, which we just linked to) has a randomly selected “Spotlight Artifact.” They’ve got some pretty cool stuff!

You Must Have Scored 100% on Entry-Level Job Hero on Expert

The link between success in college and success in the workplace is much like the link between being good at Guitar Hero and being good at actually playing a guitar. Doing one won’t make you much better at the other, but people who excel in one circumstance are more likely to excel in the other too. So what should you have accomplished in college to make you a strong candidate for a job at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum? A background in accounting or music will probably help, but what you really need is a passion for Rock and Roll music.

The link to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s Careers page is a bit hard to find as it’s under the More tab of their main navigation, but once you find it, you’ll see that the Rock Hall is offering new college grads two great jobs: Education Instructor and Accounting / Merchandise Assistant (this link goes to a blank page right now, but there’s a description on the main Careers page). Most of the other positions seem pretty high level, but these two are about right for a new grad. Like we said, the description for the Accounting position is missing, but the Education Instructor description has all the details that you’ll need to know.

Applicants need to include an application form with their cover letters and resumes – all of which can be sent to hr@rockhall.org. So if you love music, and think Cleveland is somewhere that you want to live (yes, two posts about Cleveland this week, because as they say, Cleveland rocks – see: Cheezhead), this is a great opportunity for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

We’ve been trying to think up a replacement for the term “rock star” when it comes to recruiting, but so far we’ve drawn blanks. Leave a comment and tell us what the next hot term for top talent will be.

American Museum of Natural History

Willy Franzen — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:00:08 +0000

Founded in 1869 with the help of Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. (Teddy’s father), the American Museum of Natural History was the first of its kind in New York City. A museum devoted entirely to the wonders of the world, it now houses amazing collections on minerals and gems, fossils, mammals, a variety of anthropological exhibits, a planetarium and much more. A few notable items that are currently housed in the museum include a life-sized model of a blue whale, the “Star of India” – the world’s largest blue sapphire, and a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. The museum should definitely be on your list to visit if you’re ever in NYC, and it’s also a great place to consider for employment. If you love the natural world but can’t resist the pull of a big city, what better place to start your career than a natural history museum?

The American Museum of Natural History offers entry-level jobs in a number of different areas. Some of the listings say that up to 2 years of experience is required; however, the job descriptions for the positions that we’ve identified make the jobs sound like something that most of our readers would be fully prepared for after graduating college. Current openings include: Administrative Assistant/Junior Analyst (the description on this one actually doesn’t sound too secretarial); Assistant Director, Stewardship (some type of development experience is probably necessary, whether volunteer or internship); Development Associate (job description uses the term “entry level”); Marketing Associate, Communications; and Web Developer (temporary position with an opportunity to go permanent). The museum also lists a number of part-time jobs on their jobs page. Speaking of which, it’s a little hard to find the American Museum of Natural History’s jobs page, so they could stand to make it a little more visible. We were also disappointed by the lack of a clear About page on the site. It’s a good thing there’s Wikipedia to save the day.

The last thing that we should tell you about applying for a job at the American Museum of Natural History, that they don’t “solicit or accept applications or résumés unless it is for a specific job listed on this website.” So, cold calling is out on this one, but they have a lot of entry-level job openings anyways. It shouldn’t be a problem.

Note: On April 27th we revisited entry-level jobs at American Museum of Natural History.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Jobs at the American Museum of Natural History
Exhibitions at the American Museum of Natural History
About the American Museum of Natural History (Wikipedia Entry)
Overview of the American Museum of Natural History’s Programs

Have you ever been to the American Museum of Natural History? What’s your favorite exhibit?

Plimoth Plantation and Colonial Williamsburg

Willy Franzen — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 12:00:49 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving! A lot of blogs are taking the day off today, but we thought we’d stay true to our name. Thanksgiving is another day, so we have another job.

Do you wish you could go back to the First Thanksgiving at Plymouth Plantation or The Virginia Colony? Do you long for the days before electricity? When Thanksgiving turkey came from the wild? When your livelihood actually depended on the success of the Fall harvest?

After you graduate, why not go back in time? Both Plimoth Plantation (yes, that’s how they spell it) and Colonial Williamsburg have job opportunities in their living history museums. If you love history, why not recreate it to help others learn? You can live like our forefathers did at the First Thanksgiving and get paid for it. Plimoth Plantation is currently hiring an Apprentice in 17th-Century Carpentry, while Colonial Williamsburg is hiring and auditioning for a number of positions. Both of these living museums have other job options, but why would you want to do anything other than be a colonial?

Enjoy your modern Thanksgiving dinner while your family grills you about what you’re doing after you graduate. Hopefully One Day, One Job will help you come up with a great answer.

Note: On April 21st we revisited entry-level jobs at Plimoth Plantation and Colonial Williamsburg.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Know something about working in the past? Want to wish us a Happy Thanksgiving? Leave a comment.

Cool Culture

Willy Franzen — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 12:00:40 +0000

Have you visited your college’s art museum lately? Gone to a student theatre production? Explored the library and looked at an exhibit on rare books? These are opportunities that you might be taking for granted, but many families have limited access to the cultural institutions that are commonplace on many college campuses.

Cool Culture is making New York City’s cultural institutions more accessible to low-income families. A solid education must extend beyond what kids learn in school, but visiting museums, wildlife centers, zoos, and botanical gardens can be both cost prohibitive and intimidating for a family with limited means. By building partnerships with many of these institutions, Cool Culture is able to offer a Family Pass that grants low-income families access to 71 cultural institutions in New York City. Member families are also provided with “a quarterly publication that provides a borough-by-borough listing of cultural attractions, including practical information on hours and public transportation, as well as a calendar of events especially geared toward families and young children.”

Cool Culture also offers Cultural Liaison Training to help member families become more comfortable visiting cultural institutions. This program trains Head Start, Day Care, and public school staff as well as parents/guardians on how to maximize the educational value of visits to museums and other institutions for children. Those who undergo this training become Cultural Liaisons and help other families to make more of the experiences granted by a Cool Culture Family Pass.

Cool Culture is currently hiring a Program Assistant to communicate and work with partner institutions, manage enrollment, and assist with educational workshops. This positions is also responsible for fielding public inquiries, keeping Cool Culture’s website up to date, and taking on a variety of special projects.

If you love the arts, are preferably bilingual (Spanish and English), and have excellent organizational skills, you might be able to make a difference by working at Cool Culture. You can see more about the Program Assistant in the job listing on idealist.org or you can submit a cover letter, resume and WRITING SAMPLE to: Candice Anderson, Executive Director, hr@cool-culture.org.

Cool Culture is also always looking for volunteers to help them enrich the lives of their member families. So if working for them isn’t a possibility, why not send an e-mail to info@cool-culture.org and ask what you can do to help?

Note: On April 26th we revisited entry-level jobs at Cool Culture.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about Cool Culture? Leave a comment?