Museum Wannabe: One Year On

 Blimey, it’s been a while since I published a blog. So let’s talk about that.

 

In May 2021, I logged into Twitter for the first time as the Museum Wannabe. The thoughts and feelings behind my first post had long been brewing, and as I sent off my application for what would become the first of three jobs I held that year, I also bit the bullet and said a big hello to Museum Twitter.

I wasn’t a stranger to online networking and spent a good deal of 2020 attending conferences and contributing to niche networking groups. Before the pandemic, I’d participated in the odd bit of Twitter discourse, but I never really strived to make connections or exclusively present myself as a ‘museum person’ online. Then, fuelled by pandemic boredom and a post-graduation job hunt, I began to make a conscious effort to network in the hopes of finding application advice and like-minded 20-somethings starting out in the sector.

However, I often felt like a cuckoo in a nest of experienced museum professionals. I found interesting and inspiring individuals to follow, somehow ended up in conversations about management and learnt *a lot* of insider info about various institutions, but something was missing. Where were the other people like me?

Yes, there were events and calls about starting out, but these were rare, and I didn’t always feel like I fitted in. Although it was always refreshing to talk to others starting out, I rarely stayed in touch with anyone I clicked with.

So, one day, I bit the bullet. If I was struggling to find others who were pre-career, perhaps, I could make them come to me? It felt a bit conceited, but like a big, pink bat signal, I created Museum Wannabe.

It was never about the blog. The blog was my way of justifying having (yet another) Twitter account. People have been surprised that I never mentioned Museum Wannabe on applications or turned my blog into a full-blown resource for those pre-career. It was not about becoming the next viral museum account. It was not about making my applications stand out. It was about finding others like me, who were navigating that first, precarious job hunt.

And boy, did it work.

It worked very well.

Not long after joining Twitter, I got a shout out from a fellow blogger, and things snowballed. A post or two later, I received a message from someone pre-career about how they were enjoying what I shared online. Then there were a few more messages. From these conversations, it was clear I wasn't the only one looking to network with peers.

So, if things were going so well, why did I stop blogging?

The easy answer is work. Less than a month after joining Twitter, I found myself in my first paid role. Relaxing pandemic rules and the approaching summer meant there were a couple of casual opportunities emerging. By the end of 2021, I was working three casual jobs in three different cities. My spare time was spent commuting, learning sessions to deliver, and researching the collections I worked with. Unfortunately, my personal life and hobbies were often thrown out the window for last-minute shifts, and I found it hard to sit down and write.

Then there was the attention my account was gaining. It didn’t take long for a couple of my Tweets to be shared in sector group chats or appear on my personal feed. Someone I knew offline even messaged me as the Museum Wannabe. This all felt… Weird.

Furthermore, by August, I had covered everything I wanted to share on my blog. At this point, I had just been offered my third casual role, and knew I needed to be careful about what I posted. I couldn’t publish a blog on, say, working Front of House while in such roles. I considered tackling broader topics, like the sector’s relationship with Higher Education, but I felt too ill-informed to have my thoughts and feelings published for all to see. I’ve always been careful about what conversations I contribute to. If someone else is better positioned to discuss a topic, I would rather retweet than add my two pence.

That’s not to say I didn’t stay completely silent. I always found time to tweet. In November, I learned how to use Discord after a tweet about an EMPs group chat gained so much traction, interest surpassed Twitter’s group limit. However, come 2022, even my tweets began to fade. I think the Discord server is partly to blame for this. Now part of a community of EMPs, I didn’t need to ask the whole of Twitter for help.

However, just because the sever fulfilled my desire to network with my peers and seek advice, it didn’t mean I wanted to be absent from the latest Twitter chat. So, what happened?

Well, I got a job.

A full time, permanent job.

I packed my bags and relocated my entire life to embark on what felt like the opportunity of a lifetime. In the last year, I’d worked between three cities, accidentally established a ninety-strong networking group and been retweeted by SUE the T-Rex. So surely, relocating was going to be a walk in the park.

Three jobs? Try a different house each month. Let’s just say my life outside of museums hasn’t been great. Furthermore, it took time to adjust to full-time work. I assumed my first permanent role would be part-time, and going full-time was a bit of a shock. Fortunately, I’m now much more settled. Even then, after working 9 to 5 for most of the week in a museum, do I want to spend my free time thinking about the sector?

This time last year, I was craving the next step in my career. Now I’m in the right place: developing skills and being challenged in the workplace. Yes, I have ambitions about where I want my career to go, but for now, I have much to learn where I am. The continuous job hunt that kicked off this account has well and truly ended.

So, what next for Museum Wannabe?

I don’t really know. I’d love to attend conferences and meet online people in real life. I’ve made more than connections through this account – I’ve made friends. I had a wild 2021, and I’m now in a place where I feel I can share some of my adventures as a nation-trotting casual worker. As I write this, I’m having a well-earned week off. I’ve had a lot of life admin to sort during my weekends, and it’s nice to have a break and think about Museum Wannabe again.

I’ve had suggestions about what I should do with my platform: give talks, launch a job-hunting site, formalise the networking group... Honestly, I don’t have the time or energy to do any of those things. Perhaps in the future, but for now, I’m happy taking things at my own pace.

I’m incredibly grateful for the insanely warm and supportive reception I’ve received. I hope you understand why I’ve been silent and don’t want to push my online presence too far. If you’re just starting out, thank you for seeing something in me that makes you want to follow. Hanging out with the next generation of museum workers in the server, it’s great to see that the sector's future is in enthusiastic and capable hands.