help and worried undergrad out

[worriedundergrad]

I am entering my senior year of college and I really need some direction in my post-graduation life so if anyone has any suggestions or advice it would be GREATLY appreciated.

I am a double major in history and art history at one of the top public universities in the U.S. My GPA is a 3.4 (though, I should add, the only reason it is so low is because I didn't do great in my science and math requirements; my art history and history gpas are around 3.8-3.9). I am very active in extracurricular activities; I am the president of my university's art history society, a paid columnist for an art journal, an editor for an academic journal, and political cartoonist for a newspaper,and a tour guide for my university's museum. I have had two research papers published in academic journals. I am writing a senior thesis and I studied art history and french in Paris for a semester. I had a museum internship doing research on and curating an exhibit on a series of Daumier prints. I mostly have focused on modern French artwork, though of course I have taken coursework on a wide range of things. I have a couple of fantastic references as well. I really want to become an art historian and get my PhD but I plan on taking a gap year and that is where the problems arise...

I am really uncertain as to what I should be doing during that gap year. I am considering returning to France to au pair but that is not really ideal; I would like to be doing something art history related. I would love to do something in a gallery or something writing related but I just have no idea how you find or apply to these things. It seems like everything I look at requires a masters or a PhD. So if anyone has some insight please share I need all the help I can get.

*Also, I am aware of the typo in the title but I can't figure out how to fix it please don't judge me too harshly for that!

Edited July 18, 2012 by worriedundergrad

[fullofpink]

Ask one of your advisers if they know someone who needs an intern or is looking for extra/temporary help. Check AAM for jobs. Most good BA jobs come from putting in your time at an institution or something. If you are planning on moving to a city with a museum, they are almost always looking for security guards/gallery assistants or visitor service/front end staff. You have a good background, but honestly, finding some kind of good job will be impossible at this time of year if you are looking for full-time employment. Not only will you sign a contract for at least 2 years, but if you have to move for grad school next summer, you might even end up working somewhere for less than a year which won't bode well for any institution, especially if you'd like to keep good relations.

Having a current title is not as important as having good experiences, which you do.

There are tons of temporary opportunities. If you haven't discovered linkedin yet, I suggest you check them out.

[fullofpink]

Sorry, didn't read you were in your final year.

If you are looking for one-year jobs/fellowships/internships, almost all jobs and internships open up in the Spring. Still, ask your adviser for recommendations but don't get your hopes up too much - it's still very tough competition out there, ESPECIALLY for fellowships and paid internships.

I love how everyone has been boasting about extracurriculars lately - honestly, they mean very little. Please don't highlight these types of activities on your resume. Show your art historical strengths and lessen or eliminate the talents you have that fall outside this category. New applicants tend to want to show their entire range of experience but what it really does is distract from your good experiences. Highlight your best and most relevant skills and make sure your package is completely clean and tidy.

Since you do have wonderful experience, taking a gap year and chilling isn't out of the question - but don't stray too far from art history - definitely carve some time for that as well (again, unpaid internships, working visitor services). Even being physically in an art history institution is better than being completely out of it; however, I know people with PhDs who are waiting tables while on the adjunct circuit, so don't be afraid to do something lax if you need that time for yourself. I started in my institution as a busser in the restaurant after getting my BA, and now I have one of the best jobs in the museum since I toughed it out, made contacts, and was offer a job once one opened.

[asdf123]

I think Fullofpink is right, generally speaking, about "extracurricular activities" (no one really cares if you were president of the undergraduate art history association) but I think it's perhaps more a matter of semantics -- don't call them extracurriculars. If, as part of the undergrad art history group, you organized a conference, call yourself the conference organizer (don't lie, of course). If you edit a journal, then call yourself an editor in a cover letter, etc. On your resume, put them all under the heading "experience" or something like that. If you're applying for an administrative job at a museum, then it's certainly worthwhile to highlight any admin/organizational experience that you have. Having said that, Fullofpink is right, I think, to advise you to highlight your academic achievements.

Also, in my opinion, there is no shame is taking a year to live abroad as an au pair, particularly if you work during that year to really hone your language skills in a serious way. If you go that route, consider enrolling in a class in a local college or language institute -- all of that will bode well on your application. I suspect that admissions committees wouldn't bat an eye if they see that you took time off to live in France to really master French (since you won't have time to do this and focus just on language once you're in gradschool) -- and the best way to make sure that's reflected on your application is to enroll in some sort of course while you're there. After statement of purpose, writing sample, recs, and transcript, language skills are the most important part of your application. If you have a choice between taking a low-level admin job at a museum or going abroad to hone your language skills, I'd say that going abroad will serve you better in many ways.

[crossedfingerscrossedeyes]

Better than au pairing, I would say apply for an English teaching Fulbright or French Government Teaching assistanship. It's only a year, which is what you're looking for, and gives you a good explanation for what you're doing on applications; you're not just taking a gap year, but completing a fellowship.

[oh_la_la]

In addition to finding something relevant to do for your gap year, you also need to think about what you want to say in your statement of purpose. You can never start too early on this: it will be one of the more difficult pieces of writing that you will have to prepare. What brought you to art history? What will you specialize in and why?