Summer Life

I know what I want to do... now I need to figure out how to get a job doing it.

This summer has been very busy with work. Not as busy as last summer's 60+ hours a week, but close. Between Old Sturbridge Village and Walmart, I've managed to rack up about 45 hours a week, with only twenty of those being paid. But the experience of working as an interpreter at OSV has been fantastic.

What is best about OSV is the chance to dress up in costume and talk to people about history, using entire houses, crafts, and furniture as props to get at some of the social history.

Okay, so the costume part is a really big part of the excitement. But, hey, it's me we're talking about here...

The material culture (houses, objects, clothes) is interesting, however I do not want to go into a curatorial position. This is because it's the PEOPLE who are most interesting. I understand and appreciate the need to save all these objects. But unless we can make those objects relevant to today's people, and today's society, those objects exist in a vacuum, and are worthless.

Old Sturbridge Village is well known for its preservation. In recent years, however, their upper management has been encouraging staff to become more interested in the customer service end, and in providing a fun and educational experience for visitors. That is what I like to see. Since the change in the upper levels four years ago, OSV has dramatically increased the number of staff in interpretation, especially in the summer months when they have the highest visitation. It makes the village seem more like a real village. I'm excited to be a part of it this summer.

I would love to stay as an interpreter, and be hired full-time. But full-time interpretation positions for women are harder to come by than full-time positions for men, mostly because of the gender imbalance already in place among the staff. So as I wait, I am formulating a plan.

The Plan To Get Michelle A Job At Old Sturbridge Village:
(1) Get a Foot in the Door. Check! In this internship, I've made myself known to them, I've worked alongside a variety of staff, and I've taken part in several different trainings.
(2) Stay Present. Will C., the lead of Print, asked me to stay on as a volunteer after the internship is done. I am happy to do so. I want to stay at OSV as long as I can, while still making enough money to pay for school.
(3) Learn All You Can. My philosophy is, if you know all the skills, why spend the money to re-train someone new, when you have someone connected with the village who already has the skills you're looking for. To that end, I am going to try to do as many trainings as I can. I've already taken several trainings that are not directly connected to my stations, and I would love to do more.
(4) Network. This step is crucial in every job, but even more so at OSV where, in order to get a job, you have to have a strong cheering section singing your name to those in power. Therefore, I am going to have to work my hardest, show them my enthusiasm, be friendly, and win friends who have enough influence to encourage my pursuit of paid employment.

So... if those four steps all work out...
Come find me at Old Sturbridge Village.