Museum Jobs

1. Burcaw's "How to get a Job" #1. They have started as volunteers. This does not apply to me since I have never had a volunteer job with a museum. I also have never had any job with a museum, so none of the other ways pertain to me.

2. I chose the following job on the Anthropology Museum job board sites:
(Western Museums Association Job Listings)

Docent & Tour Manager
Location: BentonvilleDepartment: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Type: Full TimeExperience: Mid Level (2 to 6 years)
View details
Docent & Tour Manager
Position SummaryThe Docent & Tour Manager is a supervisory position within the Education Division with a considerable amount of public and volunteer contact. They will work closely with the curatorial, collections, education, and IT staff to create tour content and presentation options. The position has two distinct areas of responsibility: (1) Design and develop the content and schedule for public tours to be offered at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. This includes docent-led, self-guided, audio/video, and Web-based tours. (2) Design and develop an efficient, effective, and rewarding volunteer docent corps program, including all aspects of administration, recordkeeping, training and assessment. Key areas of focus include: Development of and management of the docent program; tour design, development and training; tour scheduling and presentation; reporting, tracking and assessment; and collaboration with all areas of the education division.
Major Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions)Tour Program Development (Design, Scheduling, and Training)
Research, design, and produce the roster of public tours, in concert with the curatorial and education divisions (general, thematic, special needs/accessibility, foreign language, and family-friendly) that serve all of the Museum’s audiences (adults, children, elders, families and multi-generational groups)
Develop and implement public tours for the art collection, architecture, grounds and temporary exhibitions
Develop and implement docent-led public tour schedule
Develop and implement non-docent tours (self-guided, web, audio/video)
Develop and implement training and assessment for all those leading tours
Work with Community Programs department to develop and implement tours for community groups
Work with Public Programs department to develop and implement tours for families and children
Advise the School Programs department as they develop school tours that are in concert with national standards
The Docent Corps
Research and develop the policies, protocols and governance of the docent corps:
Develop the mission and vision
Establish the governance and stewardship outlines (structure, communications, discipline, guidance, retention)
Establish policies for docent candidates to become and remain a member of the docent corps (annual hours, annual number of tours, active and non-active status, screening, training, and assessments)
Design, schedule and present the docent training courses – for new and for experienced docents
Research and work with curatorial and education staff to develop docent training course content
Design the course syllabus and timetable
Serve as core presenter for training, and schedule curatorial staff and other experts as presenters
Develop and direct the preparation of written materials (letters, brochures, training materials, manuals, and newsletters)
Develop a mentor program for new docent training
Develop and implement the assessment schedule for new and experienced docents
Oversee the maintenance of the docent space in the Volunteer Lounge
Work closely with the volunteer program staff on many aspects of docent corps business
Establish a docent handbook, updated yearly
Develop and maintain a docent directory
Prepare annual needs assessment for recruiting and screening new applicants
Establish retention and recognition strategies
Develop systems for tracking hours, training, scheduling
Ongoing administration and management of docent program
Develop a system for docent self-scheduling
Maintain a docent website
Ensure a close working relationship between staff and docents by establishing an environment of mutual respect and appreciation
Oversee docent recognition and memorials
Program Management
Develop and manage all aspects of the program, including strategic planning and budget
Develop and generate all reports for board presentations and quarterly/annual reports
Coordinate program databases for mailings and e-mailings
Develop grant narrative and budget information for related programs as directed
Staff Supervision (pending approval)
Develop job descriptions with supervisor for any staff and interns
Coordinate the hiring of staff with supervisor and HR
Responsible for staff scheduling, management, and review
Minimum QualificationsEducation, Training, Traits:
BA or BS degree in art education, art history, studio arts, or museum education studies; Masters degree preferred
Demonstrated knowledge of American art history required; knowledge of architecture, nature, and American history a plus
Demonstrated knowledge of current practices in art museum public tour programs for adults, elders, children, youth and multi-generational groups
Training in multiple intelligences and various learning styles
Work Experience:
Minimum of two years developing and presenting art museum public tours programs and working with docents; experience with architecture and/or nature sites a plus
Minimum of two years experience in docent/volunteer administration, preferably in an art museum
Minimum two years experience in presenting programs and public speaking
Licenses and Certifications:
Valid Arkansas driver’s license with clean driving record. Willing and able to travel for program development.
Skills and Abilities:
Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office applications: Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint
Ability to learn specialized volunteer management and museum software
Exceptional organizational and prioritization skills, and ability to think critically
Excellent people and visitor service skills
Natural leadership qualities
Demonstrated research and writing skills
Ability to work independently and as part of a group
Exceptional oral and written communications skills
Able to creatively and effectively problem solve
Enthusiastic about being a member of a team developing a major new art museum
Highest ethics as they relate to all aspects of museum practices
Ability to maintain the highest levels of confidentiality
Very flexible and helpful; evening and weekend hours will be required
Physical Demands and Work Environment:The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Physical demands: Occasionally, while performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to travel independently regionally and in communities served. In the work environment described below, position requires sitting at a desk and utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time and good eye/hand coordination, bending and stretching for filing, and physical stamina to lift a minimum of 10 pounds to a height of at least three feet for art materials storage and preparation and as appropriate for the demands of the division office. Vision abilities required by the job include close and distant vision. When not in the office, the person in this position will require the capability of staying in the galleries extended periods of time and navigating through the different Museum buildings and on the trails and grounds also for extended periods of time.
Work environment: Work will be performed in an office environment, museum spaces, outdoors, and in the communities served. When not in the office, the employee will be spending extensive amounts of time in the Museum buildings, galleries, and library as well as on the grounds. Some travel is expected, sometimes overnight, to develop and deliver programs. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the Museum work environment is usually low to moderate.
The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position. CompensationCrystal Bridges offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package. Application ProcedureTo be considered for candidacy for this position, submit cover letter and resume online at http://www.crystalbridges.org/careers or to Human Resources, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, P.O. Box 1169 Bentonville, AR 72712-1169. If submitting by mail, please reference Docent & Tour Manager position opening. No phone calls please.

I chose this job because it incorporates working with the public, working with volunteers, education, and working with the curatorial and collections staff. The following are the qualities and qualifications I have for the job:

- I took the Heritage Interpretation class at Folsom Lake College and am a Certified Interpretive Guide with the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) Ft. Collins, CO
This knowledge would be beneficial when working with docents.

- I have management skills when I worked for a woman's retail store as an assistant manager. I assisted in the management of staff, scheduling, and training, working with regional supervisors, public contact, budget, sales and quotas, and store layout and visual displays.

- I worked as an Administrative Assistant in the Wills and Trust Department of a large bank. Key skills were to work independtly, strong organizational skills, prioritizing, writing and editing, communication with staff, supervisors, board members, the public, and clients, mass mailings, and maintaining strict confidentiality.

- I had numerous volunteer jobs I performed for San Juan Public Schools while my children attended over a period of 10 years. These included extensive hands on work with teachers, staff, administration, and students. I was a classroom aid to numerous teachers (reading groups and individual math assistance) Art Docent program, Yearbook staff, School Carnival volunteer, and Field Trips. I was also on the school Site Council for 4 years which determined how state discretionary funding was to be spent. With the help of grant money, I also worked as a bi-lingual aid. I focused the majority of my time on the school library program. I checked out books and read to the students, cataloged and processed new books, helped with book fairs and author days, and was a substitute librarian.