Advice and help with building history capacity.
The Minnesota Historical Society’s Local History Services helps Minnesotans preserve and share their history. This blog is a resource of best practices on the wide variety of museum, preservation, conservation, funding, and non-profit management topics. We’re here to help.
Finding Qualified Applicants
By: admin | January 16, 2007
My curator position closes today, which has me thinking about the application process from the employer's point of view. All I did was post it with MALHM, MHS, MAM, and email the description to a few others. I thought I would get graduating seniors applying for the job because of its temporary nature and relatively low pay. I have been pretty amazed at what actually happened. I have 5 resumes in hand (and am expecting at least one more today). All have college degrees in hand, two have MAs (a third nearly finished). Three have curatorial experience, two extensive. I just want to say that Im probably going to think twice about ever paying for job ads again. Id much rather have 5-10 qualified applicants than an additional 15-25 who are not.
I literally spent about $500 advertising a couple of positions a year and a half ago. We just dont have that kind of money. I got applications, but those I found would have heard about it through free circles anyway. With the distribution of Minnesota Local History News as well as the existence of "member post" sites like MAM, MALHM, and MN Council of Nonprofits, it just seems like a waste of money. Furthermore, it seems like an overwhelming majority of our job seekers are choosing to search via electronic means rather than cruising traditional want ads. Id much rather use the $500 I would have spent on ads on something else. It also tells me the museum economy must be a terribly scary place especially for recent graduates or Minnesotans wishing to remain in-state.
If you have thoughts on this, I'd really like to hear about them. Thanks,
Ben Leonard
Nicollet County Historical Society
I literally spent about $500 advertising a couple of positions a year and a half ago. We just dont have that kind of money. I got applications, but those I found would have heard about it through free circles anyway. With the distribution of Minnesota Local History News as well as the existence of "member post" sites like MAM, MALHM, and MN Council of Nonprofits, it just seems like a waste of money. Furthermore, it seems like an overwhelming majority of our job seekers are choosing to search via electronic means rather than cruising traditional want ads. Id much rather use the $500 I would have spent on ads on something else. It also tells me the museum economy must be a terribly scary place especially for recent graduates or Minnesotans wishing to remain in-state.
If you have thoughts on this, I'd really like to hear about them. Thanks,
Ben Leonard
Nicollet County Historical Society