20. When Leaving Isn’t a Choice: Chronic Illness, Motherhood, and Letting Go of a Museum Career

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 bosses * leaving museum jobs without another role lined up * navigating specialization vs. being a museum “generalist” * museum grad school and higher education realities * resume strategy and transferable skills * job searching outside the museum field * networking (or “fellowshipping”) * and how to build sustainable careers in and beyond museums They also discuss: * the emotional realities of burnout and underemployment * why museum professionals often undersell their skills * the importance of hands-on experience in today’s hiring market * and how career conversations in museums are often happening quietly behind the scenes instead of openly on conference stages Throughout 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 difficult This 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.” ---------------------------------------- ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 Live from AAM: introducing the podcast 03:00 Why we started Curate Your Career 05:00 Grad school discourse and the 3-part series 08:00 “Aching in the Archives” — feeling isolated in museum work 15:00 Transitioning from archival work into public-facing roles 16:00 Toxic bosses and leaving difficult workplaces 20:00 References, reputation, and museum world politics 24:00 Being a museum generalist vs specialist 31:00 Career advice for museum studies students 35:00 Grad school myths and “the hustle” 38:00 Leaving museums for full-time work and stability 44:00 Networking, LinkedIn, and building community 46:00 Labor organizing and transferable skills 49:00 Museum job boards and accessibility issues 54:00 Elin’s career transition story 57:00 Why these conversations matter ---------------------------------------- 🔍 KEYWORDS museum careers museum jobs museum professionals museum burnout museum grad school career transitions museum networking museum resumes museum job search museum career advice AAM conference museum studies careers transferable skills leaving museums

21. Why Your Resume Isn’t Working (And What to Do About It)

If you’ve been applying to jobs, getting auto-rejected, or hearing absolutely nothing back… this episode is for you. Elin Filbey and Alli Schell break down the biggest resume mistakes they see museum professionals making and why so many resumes fail before a hiring manager even seriously looks at them. Because most of the time, it’s not that you’re unqualified. It’s a strategy issue. It’s a communication issue. Or your resume simply isn’t making it easy for someone to understand why you’re a fit. Throughout the conversation, they unpack: * why a resume is a marketing document, not a full record of your career * the difference between resumes and CVs * how museum professionals often write for the wrong audience * and why hiring managers are not going to “connect the dots” for you They also dive into: * tailoring resumes to specific job “lanes” instead of sending the same one everywhere * why focusing only on tasks (instead of impact) hurts your applications * how to better communicate scope, leadership, and responsibility * and why so many museum professionals undersell the complexity of what they actually do The episode also tackles one of the most common areas of confusion in today’s job market: ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) Elin and Alli explain: * why overly designed templates often backfire * why Canva/Etsy-style resumes can create technical issues * what actually makes a resume easy for both humans and software to read * and why “standing out” visually is outdated advice in a digital hiring landscape Throughout the episode, they come back to one core idea: The goal of your resume is not to sound impressive. It’s to make it obvious why you’re a fit for the role. If your resume hasn’t been getting traction lately, this episode will help you step back, rethink your strategy, and understand what might actually be getting in the way. **If you want to meet up with Elin and Alli at AAM in Philly, fill out this short form [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19wDvd6uPBU63Bbg5eUWOKXCCVGuzC8BNVz5pmeYVzsw/edit#responses] to be included in updates on where we'll be. ---------------------------------------- CHAPTERS 00:00 Why resumes get auto-rejected 02:00 Resume myths and “standing out” advice 03:30 A resume is a marketing document 05:00 Resume vs CV: what’s the difference? 08:00 One page? Two pages? Resume length debates 13:00 Who are you actually writing for? 15:00 Tailoring for museum vs non-museum audiences 18:00 Why you need to “connect the dots” 20:00 Don’t bury the lead: highlighting relevant experience 23:00 Tasks vs impact in bullet points 28:00 Showing scope, outcomes, and responsibility 31:00 ATS systems and resume formatting mistakes 35:00 Why Canva/Etsy templates can hurt your applications 38:00 Keyword stuffing vs strategic alignment 39:00 Why generic resumes don’t work 43:00 Leadership resumes and organizing complex experience 45:00 Final takeaways: clarity, strategy, and alignment ---------------------------------------- KEYWORDS museum careers museum resumes resume tips museum professionals ATS resume tips job search strategy museum job search career transitions resume formatting transferable skills museum jobs resume mistakes career coaching museum career coach

20. When Leaving Isn’t a Choice: Chronic Illness, Motherhood, and Letting Go of a Museum Career

Leaving the museum field is often framed as a choice. Better pay. Better work-life balance. A new career path. But sometimes… it’s not a choice at all. In this episode, Elin Filbey and Alli Schell talk with Sam McLaren-Fahey about what it looks like to leave museum work because life requires it, not because you want to. Sam spent years working in museum education and nonprofit programming before transitioning into real estate. But her decision to leave the field wasn’t about career growth or dissatisfaction with the work. It was shaped by: * chronic illness * physical limitations * becoming a parent * and needing to build a life that was actually sustainable This conversation gets into what that looked like in real time, including navigating years of undiagnosed illness, pushing through work while her health declined, and ultimately having to make a decision she didn’t feel ready for. They also talk about: * the emotional impact of losing your professional identity * what it means to grieve a career you loved * and how museum work can stay with you—even after you leave Sam shares what it was like to: * move from a physically demanding museum role into more sustainable work * navigate job loss during maternity leave * and eventually build a new career in real estate—one that still reflects her values around education, empathy, and helping people Throughout the conversation, one thing becomes very clear: 👉 Leaving doesn’t mean you stopped caring 👉 And it doesn’t mean that part of you is gone It just means something in your life needed to change. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like they were pushed out of a career they loved or had to make a decision they weren’t ready to make. ---------------------------------------- ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 When leaving isn’t a choice 02:00 Sam’s background in museums and education 05:00 Early health challenges and undiagnosed illness 08:00 Working through severe physical decline 12:00 Medical gaslighting and finally getting answers 17:00 Adjusting roles and leaving museum work 20:00 Losing professional identity 25:00 Becoming a parent during a pandemic 28:00 Forced career break and mental health challenges 32:00 Finding real estate (and why it made sense) 36:00 Building a new career from scratch 41:00 Transferable museum skills in a new field 46:00 Collaboration vs competition in different industries 50:00 Money, value, and mindset shifts 55:00 What Sam still misses about museum work 58:00 Flexibility, health, and redefining success 1:00:00 Advice for people navigating similar situations ---------------------------------------- 🔍 KEYWORDS museum careers leaving museums career transitions museum professionals chronic illness and work nonprofit careers career identity working with chronic illness museum education careers career change stories

19. Museum Grad School Series (Part 3 of 3): Alternatives & What the Field Gets Wrong

If you’ve made it this far in the series, you’re probably sitting with a big question: If I don’t go to grad school… what are my options? In Part 3 of this series, Elin Filbey and Alli Schell break down what it actually looks like to build a museum career without relying on a graduate degree and why that path is more viable (and necessary) than the field often acknowledges. Because while museum grad school is often presented as the “next step,” the reality is: * it’s not the only path * it’s not always the most effective path * and it’s definitely not a guarantee of a job * This episode explores: * how the museum field has shifted (but expectations haven’t kept up) * which roles actually require degrees and which don’t * how to use job descriptions to reverse-engineer your career path and necessary education * and how to identify the difference between “required” vs. “preferred” qualifications They also get candid about where the field itself needs to do better... from over-reliance on degrees to lack of training, inaccessible internships, and unrealistic hiring expectations. Because this isn’t just an individual problem. It’s a structural one. ---------------------------------------- 🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS * There is no single path into or within museum careers even if it’s often presented that way * A graduate degree is not a “silver bullet” and does not guarantee a job * Many roles value hands-on experience more than degrees * Job descriptions are your best data source. Look for patterns, not one-offs * “Required” vs. “preferred” qualifications matter when evaluating roles * You can build skills through targeted, lower-cost alternatives instead of full degree programs * Transferable skills (project management, communication, collaboration) are highly valuable across roles * If you’re investing time in learning, you need to reflect that on your resume * The museum field still has major gaps in training, accessibility, and hiring practices * Choosing not to go to grad school is not opting out, it’s choosing a different strategy ---------------------------------------- ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 Where you might be after Parts 1 & 2 02:30 The disconnect between degrees and ROI 05:00 The “grad school or nothing” mindset 08:00 How the field has shifted (but expectations haven’t) 12:00 Roles that do require degrees 15:30 Starting with job descriptions (your data set) 20:00 Identifying patterns: requirements vs preferences 24:00 Using AI, spreadsheets, or manual tracking 28:00 Certifications and targeted training programs 34:00 Webinars and free/low-cost learning 39:00 Libraries, online learning platforms, and YouTube 45:00 Transferable skills and broad skill-building 52:00 Strategic volunteering as professional development 55:00 Internships and fellowships (and their limitations) 59:00 Mentorship, networking, and informational interviews 1:03:00 Conferences, vendors, and hidden opportunities 1:06:00 Where the field needs to do better 1:12:00 Rethinking grad programs (trade school model) 1:18:00 Final reframes and decision-making ---------------------------------------- 🔍 KEYWORDS museum careers museum grad school alternatives museum jobs museum professionals career development museums museum education careers transferable skills museum job search strategy GLAM careers professional development museum internships career transitions

18. Museum Grad School Series. Part 2 of 3: How to Evaluate a Program

If you’re considering museum grad school, this is the episode where things get real. In Part 1, we talked about whether grad school makes sense in the first place. In this episode, we’re assuming you are considering it and walking through how to actually evaluate programs so you can make a smart, informed decision. Because here’s the truth: Grad school is not just an academic decision. It’s a financial, professional, and strategic one. And not all programs are created equal. In this episode, we break down: * how to approach grad school like a mutual selection process (you’re interviewing them, too) * the questions you should be asking before committing * how to think about ROI (beyond just “getting a job”) * what actually matters when comparing programs * and where a lot of museum grad programs fall short We’re also very honest about something that doesn’t get talked about enough: Many museum grad programs are revenue generators for universities. Which means you need to approach this as an informed consumer... asking for data, not just vibes. This episode is here to help you slow down, ask better questions, and make a decision that actually aligns with your goals. ---------------------------------------- 🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS * Grad school should be evaluated based on what you want to get out of it... not what the field says you “should” do * You should approach programs like a two-way interview, asking clear and specific questions * ROI matters and that includes cost, time, lost income, and realistic salary expectations * Location can significantly impact your access to internships, networks, and job opportunities * Online programs can work but often require you to create your own hands-on experience * Internships are critical, but not always built into programs in a meaningful way * Not all programs provide career support tailored to the museum field * Alumni networks and faculty connections can be one of the most valuable parts of a program * You are often paying for access and networks, not just coursework * Transferable skills matter both inside and outside the museum field ---------------------------------------- ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 Why you need Part 1 before this 02:30 Treating grad school like an interview 04:00 What do you actually want out of a program? 07:00 Using job descriptions to guide your decision 10:00 Location, cost of living, and opportunity access 13:00 Online vs in-person programs 16:00 “Be a smart consumer”: programs as revenue generators 18:30 Time to completion + working while in school 21:00 Financial realities (tuition, scholarships, hidden costs) 24:00 Faculty connections and real-world experience 28:00 Hands-on skills vs theory 32:00 Internships: required, paid, and competitive 37:00 Job placement transparency (what to ask programs) 39:00 Career support: resumes, interviews, and beyond 40:30 Alumni networks and long-term value 42:00 Transferable skills (and why they matter more than you think) 52:00 Final thoughts + how to make your decision ---------------------------------------- 🔍 KEYWORDS museum grad school museum studies degree museum careers museum jobs graduate school evaluation museum professionals career development museums museum internships arts careers GLAM careers museum education career strategy