Bridging the Gap: Supporting Emerging Professionals
How can we make our industry more responsive for the next generation?
2019 Angels Project at the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, Alaska, held during the 2019 Museums Alaska Annual Conference.
When I first entered the museum field over a decade ago, I was one of many recent graduates navigating an industry that often valued experience over potential. Our heads were filled with theory from classroom lectures, guest seminars, and—more often than not—unpaid internships. But we lacked the hands-on, real-world experience needed to land a job in our chosen field. Like many others, I struggled with limited job prospects and eventually found myself working in an adjacent field just to get by.
Thankfully, the museum and archival professions have made progress. Networks like the National Emerging Museum Professionals Network and the Society of American Archivists’ Students and New Archives Professionals Section (SAA-SNAP) are now helping to build community and offer support for those just entering the field. A growing number of professional organizations now offer continuing education and professional development opportunities.
But despite these positive developments, a significant gap still exists between the resources currently available and what’s truly needed to support the next generation of cultural heritage stewards.
So how do we fill that gap?
Meeting the needs of recent Museum Studies and MLIS graduates will take more than good intentions—it will take active engagement from those of us already working in the field. It may be time for us to revisit our own early-career struggles and ask: What did we need that wasn’t there? What would have made the difference?
The COVID-19 pandemic forced our industries into digital spaces, and in doing so, opened new doors. This moment presents an opportunity to reimagine access, mentorship, and training—on a scale we couldn’t have imagined before.
For many, affordable digital instruction focused on practical, hands-on applications—rather than theoretical coursework—could be the key difference between landing a job or being passed over. Membership dues and conference registration fees remain a barrier to access, especially for those just starting out. We must begin to address affordability if we truly want to build a more inclusive and supportive field.
Emerging professionals also need a seat at the table—whether that means presenting at conferences, serving on committees, or teaching workshops. These are opportunities not just for skill-building, but for visibility, confidence, and leadership development.
If we truly believe that the next generation will carry this work forward, then we must start trusting them to do the work now—or at least a part of it. That trust must be backed with opportunity, access, and mentorship.
Because the future of our institutions doesn’t begin later—it begins now.
