Change up your strategy, build up your patience, and remain optimistic.

We all know the museum field, like most other industries, has been widely impacted by the spread of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many museum professionals have been laid off or furloughed, and have since sought out professional development trainings, networking opportunities, and new careers. Now, it seems everyone’s career goals have changed.

If you're looking to grow in your current job or place yourself on a different career path – either within or outside the museum field – you may be contemplating the best way to go about it.

Well, what follows is our latest guide on how to productively move forward with your career goals. Whether you want to learn new skills, switch careers, or continue your job search, you can still be successful during this trying time.

Expanding Your Skillset This Fall

This holiday season might just be the perfect time to add new skills to your repertoire. Investing in professional development training can support growth within your current job or enhance your ability to land that next perfect career opportunity.

To begin, visit our Professional Development Resources page where you’ll find job search guidance, working-at-home support, and a variety of professional development resources from museum industry organizations and associations – some of which include:

• American Alliance of Museums Professional Development Programs
• Institute of Museum and Library Services Professional Development Programs
• American Association for State and Local History's Professional Development Resources
• Association of Children's Museums Professional Development Activities, Webinars, Workshops, & Publications
• Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Webinars and Online Meet-Ups
• New England Museum Association's White Papers – Thought Leadership on Current Museum Issues
• Mountain-Plains Museums Association Professional Interest Groups
• Southeastern Museums Conference Professional Development page
• Association of Midwest Museums Webinars and Videos­
• National Association for Museum Exhibition
• Emerging Museum Professionals Facebook Group

Switching Careers

If you’ve been reconsidering your present career path or rethinking your priorities, there are a few key questions you should be asking yourself before you make the leap.

However, if you’ve decided to make the jump, Indeed offers a helpful Guide to Changing Careers During Covid-19 (With Tips From a Recruiter) and shares actionable steps you can take to position yourself for success during this unpredictable and challenging season.

Furthermore, The Balance Careers walks you through the following four-step career planning process, helping you to find that satisfying career that is perfect for you.

1. Conduct a self-assessment to learn about your personal interests, work-related values and more.
2. Explore occupations that seem to be a good fit based on the results of your self-assessment.
3. Select your career based on what you learned from steps #1 and #2.
4. Establish your career action plan with short-term and long-term goals.

Job Searching This Season & Beyond

Believe it or not, this holiday season might just be your big break. Here are 5 ways you can stand out this COVID-19 winter among the sea of job seekers.

Michelle Tavares, an experienced media recruiter, and Danielle Alvarez, founder of PR and influencer marketing agency The Bonita Project, discuss how you can tailor your job applications to fit the Covid-19 virtual landscape.

From learning how to format your resume and write your cover letter, to finding the best job and preparing for your next interview, Indeed’s Career Guide has it all.

And when it comes to searching for that perfect museum job, consistently check the following job boards for the latest, open positions.

• Western Museums Association Job Board
• Association of Midwest Museums Job Board
• Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Job Board
• Southeastern Museums Conference Job Listings
• Mountain-Plains Museums Association Job Bank
• New England Museum Association Job Board
• American Alliance of Museums Career Website
• MuseWeb Job Board
• Museum Jobs
• Smithsonian Job Opportunities
• National Emerging Museum Professionals Network Facebook Group Job Board 

With this guidance, we hope to give you a change of strategy and an optimistic spirit as you continue to look for new opportunities. Yes, these times are extremely difficult, but by staying up to date on the latest professional development and job search processes, you can still be successful.

Written by Jessica Noyes, Communications Coordinator, WMA