Full Description
Do you love museums? Do you believe in their wonder and power? Do you want to contribute to a wider museum community? Do you want to build a satisfying independent career?
Museum Mercenary is for you. This book is for anyone who believes in museum work but struggles to find satisfaction in traditional museum jobs. It is for those who want to be challenged and inspired by a wider network of colleagues. It is for the creative, committed, and curious who want to live fulfilling lives while building meaningful careers. It is for those just hitting the job market, for those looking for a mid-career shift, or those wanting to contribute after retirement. It is for those who hope to balance making money with making a difference. Museum Mercenary shares how a dedicated museum worker can launch and sustain a successful and satisfying career as an independent museum professional.
This book is a toolkit for anyone looking to build a career consulting for museums. It provides practical advice about establishing your business, building your network, and managing projects to ensure long-term success and satisfaction. This book will help you answer key questions, such as:
How do you market your services and find clients? Which skills should you develop and how? How do you manage taxes and insurance? What professional standards should you follow? How do you plan for the future? And, most importantly, how do you do all of that while doing museum work that makes you proud?Museum Mercenary bridges the gap between guides for doing great museum work and guides for building a successful freelance career. It prepares you to become freelance professional engaged in transforming the museum field. Use the tips, tactics, and activities in this book to navigate freelancing and then get back to the business of meaningful museum work.
Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Definitions
Table of Contents
List of Activities
Preface
Introduction
PART I: Venture
Chapter 1: Decide
Chapter 2: Start
PART II: Hustle
Chapter 3: Marketing
Chapter 4: Networking
Chapter 5: Pitching
PART III: Paperwork
Chapter 7: Business
Chapter 8: Money
Chapter 9: The Law
Chapter 10: Insurance
Chapter 11: Retirement
PART IV: Endeavor
Chapter 12: Onboarding
hapter 13: Doing the Work
Chapter 14: Troubleshooting
Chapter 15: Declaring Victory
Part V: What's Next?
Chapter 16: Professional Polish
Chapter 17: Maintaining Momentum
Appendix: Freelancing and The Future Of Museum Work. Or, Why Should Museums Hire Freelancers?
Resource List
Index
About the Author
