From the Fellow: Leading & Learning Up – 8 Insights For and From Young Professionals

Monica Andrews (she/her) is the 2021/22 NEMA Fellow. As part of the fellowship Monica is writing a series of articles for the NEMA community. She is also the NEMA YEP PAG for Emerging Museum Professionals co-chair.

Introduction

Over the past two years, we have experienced a period of ongoing turbulence marked by a global pandemic, social reckonings, remote work, periods of isolation, climate change, digital consumption, value shifts, the Great Resignation, and a constant redefinition of “normal”. Many of us have found this period difficult to navigate as we embrace new challenges in our personal and professional lives. Amidst these challenges, our professional paradigm is shifting; one that many of us young and emerging professionals are still growing into, all while the rulebook is actively being rewritten.

The need for communities of support is stronger than ever to share, amplify, and build upon our ideas, learn from our successes and our failures, and grow together during these periods of uncertainty. This article aims to provide support for our vibrant community of young and emerging professionals by sharing and amplifying insights sourced from our peer leaders.

As young professionals, we are uniquely positioned through our experiences in our field and have often faced different sets of challenges presenting different outcomes than our colleagues. Centering the voices of young professionals in support of our peers is imperative to presenting relevant tools and advice, equipping professionals of the “now”. To our young professional readers, I encourage you not only to traditionally learn from those above you, but to also lead for those around you – we all have a great deal to learn from one another, and together we can emerge stronger than ever.

A Young Professional’s Toolkit: Sourced From and For Emerging Professional Leaders

#1: Self-Advocacy & Self-Care: Keys to Professional Development
Contributed by Adriana Dunn, NEMPN Publications Committee Member; Amina Chergui, NEMPN Publications Committee Chair, Director of Resources; Michele Stewart, NEMPN Publications Committee Member

It is important to know your self worth, to work through imposter syndrome and recognize that your needs deserve to be met. It can be challenging for young professionals to become their own advocates, yet it is critical they do so. This is especially the case for people who have been historically marginalized from museums. Advocating for yourself also helps make your workplace environment more equitable for others. There is strength in numbers; rallying your community or getting involved in workers’ rights initiatives fosters sector-wide change. For instance, getting involved in the National EMP Network’s advocacy initiatives, such as the Salary Transparency campaign or the Paid Internship Pledge, can make an impact.

Because you can’t pour from an empty cup, self-care is necessary to succeed in a professional environment. You are better equipped to deal with challenges if you are caring for your physical, emotional, mental and social needs. Find what fuels or mends your body, mind, and soul. Set boundaries for yourself, know your needs and limits, and carefully consider where you devote your time and energy. Promoting a healthy work environment starts from within.

#2: Leaning into Confidence
Contributed by Emma Scheinmann, NEMA YEP PAG Co-Chair

Be confident and assertive: learn to edit emails to remove qualifiers from sentences such as “In my opinion,” “I believe,” “might you…,” “my understanding is,” etc., and be more firm in what you have to say. Your voice and opinions matter; that’s why you were selected for your position. This ties into imposter syndrome and feeling like you don’t belong. One of the ways for me to combat that feeling was reminding myself that I was hired for my position, therefore my opinions and ways of thinking are what the institution wants and I owe it to them and to myself to make my voice heard. Standing up for yourself, setting boundaries, and making your voice an active rather than passive participant, will not only benefit you as an individual, but your whole team as you learn to work and grow together. 

#3: Equipping Yourself for Success
Contributed by Monica Andrews, NEMA YEP PAG Co-Chair

In conjunction with tip #2, we can recognize the value we bring to our institutions and project confidence to our colleagues through our language, but feeling confident doesn’t always come easy. It is important to identify what makes you feel confident and secure. Is it your wardrobe, your practice and preparation, or your notes and research? Prepare yourself for success in a way that works best and feels authentic for YOU. No one can change or judge how you prepare to succeed, and no one needs to know or understand how you equip yourself and your energy to lean into confidence.

Confidence may begin within oneself, but can also be supported by your colleagues. Establish networks of trust and respect in your workplace; be dependable, communicative, authentic, and kind. As you build relationships with your colleagues you can grow together as collaborators, find increasingly more comfort in expressing yourself with confidence, and gain their support throughout the workplace to further empower your voice. 

#4: Building & Sustaining Professional Communities
Contributed by Adriana Dunn, NEMPN Publications Committee Member; Amina Chergui, NEMPN Publications Committee Chair, Director of Resources; Michele Stewart, NEMPN Publications Committee Member

A strong and discouraging level of competition often exists in both academic and professional settings, causing many to feel isolated. To avoid this, we should devote ourselves to a community that will connect us to fellow professionals, help us learn new things about the field, and serve as positive reinforcement. For example, university students can connect with classmates, professors, and other professionals through social events (e.g. lectures, field trips, university clubs, and internships). There are many museum professional associations united by geographic location, size, and type, such as the National EMP Network (NEMPN). Sustaining a connection to fellow EMPs fosters genuine relationships grounded in shared practice, values, and experiences and encourages mutual support and knowledge-sharing.

Another way to keep connected is through writing. NEMPN’s Publications Committee is committed to creating and sharing publishing opportunities for emerging museum professionals, providing ways for EMPs to be active participants in the profession. We believe in the importance of sharing expertise, and that EMPs have valuable knowledge and perspectives that can benefit their colleagues at many stages of their careers. No matter what organization you participate in, the level of success you experience as an individual professional strongly depends on the community we build.

Learn more about writing for New England Museums Now or Theory and Practice: The Emerging Museum Professionals Journal

#5: Learning the Art of Disagreement
Contributed by Monica Andrews, NEMA YEP PAG Co-Chair

Building confidence and communities can equip you to authentically participate in the workplace. Learning how to respectfully disagree will strengthen your abilities as a collaborator. Approach disagreements with a growth mindset – everyone is working on the same team towards the same goal to better the institution, and to acknowledge and value different perspectives will only strengthen the quality of a team’s output. Dissenting can be uncomfortable, especially for young professionals. One must lean into the vulnerability of expressing their authentic perspectives and feel confident that their contributions matter. When voicing disagreement, ensure that your collaborators feel understood, and then respectfully articulate and support your contrary thoughts by acknowledging their value and application to the discussion. Not every collaborator will agree on every issue – start by advocating for changes little to large and expand upon your ideas as they gain traction.

#6: Identify Qualities You Admire in Your Leaders
Contributed by Darcy Foster, NEMA YEP PAG Co-Chair

As a young and emerging professional in the museum field, I am constantly absorbing what my colleagues do and how they lead from any position. The best leadership lessons I have learned come from my colleagues that make me enjoy working with them and lead by example. My favorite leaders…

• Respect the time of the colleagues they are working with. A clear example of this is arriving with an agenda to meetings and projects, as good leaders want to cover the most important topics and work efficiently.
• Set clear tasks and communicate them effectively. Both in meetings and after, leaders set clear objectives moving forward so everyone on the team is on the same page.
• Take decisive action. When difficult decisions need to be made, leaders respect the opinions in the group, listen to multiple parties, and make the best decision they can.
• Recalibrate when needed. The ability to realize something is wrong or not working and fix it without embarrassment shows humility and that the leader is invested in the work at hand.
• Celebrate their colleagues. Leaders show enthusiasm in their colleagues’ work and encourage them to share the things that they are excited about.

What qualities do you admire in your leaders? Identifying these characteristics can expand self-awareness of your own environmental needs, working-style, interpersonal relationships, and values to help inform your growth.

#7: Self-Reflection: Mapping Your Values
Contributed by Monica Andrews, NEMA YEP PAG Co-Chair

Learn to understand your personal and professional values and how they may guide your career trajectory. Self-reflection is key to understanding our strengths as professionals. Ask yourself some guiding questions: What aspects of your work do you find most fulfilling? What topics, functions, or ideas excite you and why? What do you find challenging about your job? What does this tell you about your professional needs? Understanding these influences can help one best determine their values and needs to better align themselves with different career paths, communities, and professional goals. Let us also acknowledge that our values and needs may shift over time – be sure to check in with yourself intermittently to assess how your current path aligns. 

Institutional Advocacy: What Can Organizations Do to Support YEPs?

#8: To Pay or Not to Pay: Should Museums Pay their Interns?
Contributed by Adriana Dunn, NEMPN Publications Committee Member; Amina Chergui, NEMPN Publications Committee Chair, Director of Resources; Michele Stewart, NEMPN Publications Committee Member

At the start of any aspiring museum professional’s career, participating in an internship program is an excellent way to gain practical experience. However, in many cases, museum internships are offered as volunteer positions, severely limiting who can commit to these rigorous, unpaid programs. Museums should provide paid internships and can prepare for this expense through budgetary planning or by applying for state and federal grants. Seasoned museum professionals have an obligation to invest in future colleagues. Incorporating paid internships into museum programs allows museums to offer applied learning opportunities to a much wider audience.

The cost of an unpaid internship is placed on the individual intern. For instance, a private university student interning in New York City on average pays over $7000 in tuition, transportation, and costs of living [1]. Because of the extreme financial demands for both students and non-students, those seeking an internship should invest their time in paid internship opportunities, no matter how new you are to the field. Participating in paid internships has short-term financial benefits and increases the pressure for museums to provide such opportunities for future interns.

Onwards and Upwards: References and Resources for Further Learning

This article aims to provide a launchpad for accessible insights and advice towards professional development. For further learning, I encourage you to explore the following references and resources related to topics presented in this article and to stay connected to the NEMA YEP PAG through our events and communications this season.

A sincere thank you to New England Museums Association Young and Emerging Professionals Peer Affinity Gathering Co-Chairs Darcy Foster and Emma Scheinmann, National Emerging Museum Professionals Network Publication Committee Members Adriana Dunn, and Michele Stewart, and National Emerging Museum Professionals Network Publication Committee Chair and Director of Resources Amina Cherugi for their time and contributions to this article.

[1] “What is the Price of an Unpaid Internship?”

National Emerging Museum Professionals Network (NEMPN) Opportunities to Get Involved

American Alliance of Museums Professional Development Resources

Museum Savvy Career Development Resources