Hi Rosalie,

I totally understand. I have an Art History degree, and had a pretty rough time after graduation finding my first job in the "art world." I found the space to be super competitive.

Here are my take aways from my job search:

1. Expand your view of the art world --- there's so much beyond museums, look at independent artists hiring assistant, art galleries, universities, libraries with object collections, architecture firms, organizations that just "own" or "rent" art. Examples of what my peers did include: working as an assistant at a bank that had a large collection of art, internships at schools with art programs, working for an university with an art collection, being a tour guide at a historic building, internships in art publications, also working as an assistant in art action house.

2. Get an unpaid internship to get your foot in the door --- this one is super painful, because most of us cannot afford this. I have to admit, I wish I had had the luxury to do this because some of my friends got their feet in the door at amazing collections by taking an unpaid internship. The art world, I've found, is particularly notorious for unpaid jobs. So many jobs are filled by volunteers and willing unpaid interns, that I think the industry hasn't felt the pressure to move towards paid internships or starting paid roles. I'm not sure if this is everywhere, and it might be something that was particular to my location at the time. I would seriously consider taking an unpaid internship and trying to do "something else" to make ends meet. I've tutored in the past, but I have friends that worked retail, in restaurants or with uber while doing their internships.

I hope this helps! I might have a list of sites and resources somewhere from back in the day. If I find it I'll post it here as well.

Also, where are you located? At the time I was in NYC, but I know a few people in other locations that might be able to provide some advise as well.

Best, Gabriela

Hi Rosalie--great question! I also graduated with a degree in art history with the goal of working in a museum, and I faced with the exact same problem. I found that a ton of positions required a doctorate or at least 1-2 years of experience, which was really frustrating. I would suggest compiling a list of all museums and art galleries in your area. Make sure you don't count out the smaller art galleries--usually competition for open positions aren't as competitive, and it's still great experience in the museum industry for your resume. Visit their career pages to see what's available, and call to inquire about open positions. Most museums also offer paid/unpaid internships and volunteer opportunities. I know that's not ideal, but something like that might be the stepping stone you need to set your resume apart and establish some experience in the field. Hope that helps!

Hi Rosalie: Is there any way you can contact the career services center at your college to ask them for any connections or programs you can do? I have a friend who majored in museum studies, and she only managed to get hired because her career center told her about a local museum that was hiring. Remember, it's all about getting your foot in the door - once you're there, you can start moving up the career ladder!