Will this job look pointless on my application?

[MyWorkIsDone]

This past summer I worked at an arts camp as a photography teacher. My major is photography and I'm applying for history of photo PhD programs next year (I'm a junior now).

I'm trying to decide if I should go back to work at the camp again this summer. The problem is that I really feel like I should be working at a museum or getting some kind of internship that's more related to art history. I do have a museum internship lined up in London for next fall (2013), but wouldn't it be best to have more than one internship on my application? I really really loved working at camp and would love to go back (and it also pays really well, which would be helpful considering I'll be abroad for the semester immediately following it). Sorry this is turning into a ramble.

Basically I'm wondering if the camp job is going to look like nonsense to an admissions committee. What do you think?

[condivi]

Your work and your ideas are what committees care about. Internships are nice, but they only go so far in helping your development as a scholar; professors realize this. You're not applying to college--extracurriculars for grad school are less important in the grand scheme of things. So do what makes you happy as far as summer work is concerned, or pick up a foreign language, and above all read a lot and figure out what kind of intervention you might want to make in the field so you can write an intelligent, focused personal statement and writing sample. As far as teaching photography goes, I think it can only work in your favor. It shows you have an intimate understanding of the medium, not to mention teaching experience.

Edited November 10, 2012 by condivi

[arthistoryvoe2]

I'm not even sure most faculty on admissions committees look at summer jobs and internships at all. Teaching experience of any kind is at least as valuable as sitting at a photocopier that happens to be in a museum.