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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here- your replied confirm my suspicions based on my sample size of 2 curators. One married money; one came from money.

Anyone with experience in Anthropology? Have been reading that companies hire anthropologists for consumer experience and research type work. Perhaps a better option?  When I worjed in CPG our researchers had marketing quant degrees but maybe things are changing??[/quote]

I was an anthropology major in college and went to grad school in museum education. I worked in museums and in a related field with lots museum professionals - curators, educators, exhibit designers. Many of my peers have spent their careers at the Smithsonian, which is the most lucrative gig in town, but not at first and it’s very competitive. Curators are among the most overeducated and underpaid of the lot. It’s tough to crack $100k in museum work without supervisory management responsibilities and a well funded institution.[/quote]

+1. I worked as a curator assistant for the Smithsonian and I concur that it is a competitive field. These positions don’t come up often because curators tend to stay in their jobs for life. The pay is not good, and even worse for a curators assistant. But the work is interesting and satisfying.

If you want to volunteer at the Smithsonian, I recommend getting started now with the paperwork so that when summer comes around, he will be in the system. It can take a while for the paperwork to go through and to be reviewed by staff at the museums.
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Yes- I was surprised by looking at the website how much is involved just to volunteer.  Even the volunteer positions seem highly competitive![/quote]

+1 You have to do a lot of internships too which are also competitive--I think that's why its perceived as a 'rich' person's job--or at least someone coming from a solidly UMC background--the academic credentials are high, you have to have plenty of time to do volunteer work to lead to internships, the museums tend to be in HCOLA and the end result if you are lucky and last through this is a fairly low-paying job for its competitiveness/credentials. But it's like wanting to become a professor--it's a very long, hard haul for a few slots that don't pay a lot.  But if you want to do that kind of work, that's the way you do that kind of work.

I agree with the posters who say--try out volunteering--if your kid still wants to pursue that path, at least they have taken the first step.  And it may make them aware that the rewards aren't worth the sacrifices to them. [/quote]

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