By Katie Williams

I would like to share my experiences as a young professional, in my first full-time museum job.  It has been a wild ride to get to where I am now – an Education Assistant at the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) in Seattle. I will attempt to tell you a little bit about the journey at my new job and what I have learned so far.

What does it mean to be African American in the Pacific Northwest? It is a beautiful range of colors and hues -- a diversity of experiences and locations. African Americans come from a variety of countries of origin, both known and unknown representing an assortment of religions, a staggering array of occupations, a multitude of co-workers, neighbors, friends and families, and an ever evolving community that continues to shape and reshape the human experience in the Pacific Northwest region. The Northwest African American Museum invites you to explore this continually changing story, for it is yours, it is mine, it is all of ours. (source: http://www.naamnw.org/)

After eight months of solid job searching and near misses with three different jobs, I finally found this position. One critical factor that helped me land this job is my previous volunteer and intern experience. I encourage everyone who is now looking for employment or will be in the future, to keep volunteering; anywhere and everywhere. Many of the staff members here at NAAM got their jobs by volunteering first.  Both of the museums I volunteered at in Seattle, the Wing Luke Asian Museum and the Nordic Heritage Museum, are models for the newly opened NAAM.  There was no way I could have known this, but it made me a much more attractive job candidate.  I added it up recently, and I have worked at eight different museums since I decided to go down this career path.  Another important factor for this job is my graduate degree. The classes I took, the internships to earn the degree, as well as the confidence and “can-do-it-ness” my grad program gave me, prepared me well for this position. I can say without a doubt I have drawn on all my previous experience in my new position. 

NAAM is a brand new museum, being open only been open a year when I started in March.  I came in at an exciting time when they had both the funding, and now the staff, to do many of projects they would like to.  This was the opportunity I had hoped for, the chance to put my skills into practice and help create something meaningful for the community.

Much has been expected of me from my very first day in this position.  When I first started I heard the phrase, “you have a master’s, what would do you think?”  I have never been in a position where I felt respected for the skills I have and it is very encouraging. It is also challenging.  My co-workers expect more from me, and I feel pressure to live up to these invisible standards. Whenever I heard someone say that, I wanted to say, “You have been working here much longer than I have, what do you think?” I want to be seen as a colleague, and part of the team.  I also want everyone to feel that their opinion is respected, which it should be.

Since beginning, it has been a balancing act to prioritize the projects I am given and the ones I take on.  My big project -creating educational outreach trunks- seems to get pushed back each time a new and more demanding deadline appears.  This has been a source of frustration, but also in recognizing this, I do not feel as bad when I have to say no to other projects that come along.  In the beginning I said yes to everything.  And I wanted to. Now I realize for self-preservation, it is OK to say no sometimes.

I still am finding a balance between helping everyone, doing my work, and staying sane.  I am able to work on some great projects, and since we are a small museum, those projects are very diverse.  In addition to my duties in education, I have been pulled in to work an upcoming exhibit, handle object donations, and work with our Board of Directors. Though all of the projects put together can sometimes be overwhelming, I love the variety. Outside of work, I find it is essential to take care of myself. Yoga, vegetables, and spending time with friends are essentials; weekends are sacred. I will of course come in when I am needed, and I do. But a big lesson in my career has been the importance of professional and personal balance. It took time for me to realize that it is just as important to take time for myself too.

I enjoy my position.  Each day is different and each day comes with a new set of challenges to overcome.  This is a great place to be, even if it can be overwhelming sometimes.  I work with a great staff and feel supported and encouraged in everything I do.  Just today my boss said thank you for coming in each day, staying late for meetings and coming in the next day with no complaints.  I said it was no problem, it’s my job.  But it felt great to be recognized for the work I do each day.

Categories: Administration · Education