22. Live from the American Alliance of Museum Annual Conference: Special Mailbag Episode

In this special live episode of Curate Your Career, Elin Filbey and Alli Schell take the podcast on the road to the American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting for their very first live audience recording.What started as a shared idea between two internet friends became a candid, funny, and deeply honest conversation about the realities of museum careers and the questions museum professionals are actually asking behind the scenes.Using audience-submitted questions, Elin and Alli tackle topics including:toxic workplaces and difficult bossesleaving museum jobs without another role lined upnavigating specialization vs. being a museum “generalist”museum grad school and higher education realitiesresume strategy and transferable skillsjob searching outside the museum fieldnetworking (or “fellowshipping”)and how to build sustainable careers in and beyond museumsThey also discuss:the emotional realities of burnout and underemploymentwhy museum professionals often undersell their skillsthe importance of hands-on experience in today’s hiring marketand how career conversations in museums are often happening quietly behind the scenes instead of openly on conference stagesThroughout the episode, one thing becomes clear:👉 Museum professionals are incredibly skilled, adaptable, and resourceful👉 But many are navigating systems that make career growth and sustainability difficultThis live conversation creates space for honesty, nuance, and practical advice. Whether you want to stay in museums, leave museums, or simply feel less alone while figuring things out.And yes… there are also several references to fantasy romance novels, networking awkwardness, and museum people being “emotional scapegoats for the board.”⏱ Chapters00:00 Live from AAM: introducing the podcast03:00 Why we started Curate Your Career05:00 Grad school discourse and the 3-part series08:00 “Aching in the Archives” — feeling isolated in museum work15:00 Transitioning from archival work into public-facing roles16:00 Toxic bosses and leaving difficult workplaces20:00 References, reputation, and museum world politics24:00 Being a museum generalist vs specialist31:00 Career advice for museum studies students35:00 Grad school myths and “the hustle”38:00 Leaving museums for full-time work and stability44:00 Networking, LinkedIn, and building community46:00 Labor organizing and transferable skills49:00 Museum job boards and accessibility issues54:00 Elin’s career transition story57:00 Why these conversations matter🔍 Keywordsmuseum careersmuseum jobsmuseum professionalsmuseum burnoutmuseum grad schoolcareer transitionsmuseum networkingmuseum resumesmuseum job searchmuseum career adviceAAM conferencemuseum studies careerstransferable skillsleaving museums