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Re: job market



 I know the archives program here at the University of Pittsburgh has
significantly more students than when I was in the program eight years
ago.  I have had the pleasure of working with many of these graduate
students over the last few years and I don't see a lack of
qualifications as being the major issue.  The students entering the
programs now tend to have experience in other fields as well as archives
and are much more technologically savvy than when I began my graduate
studies.


Salaries are still and have always been the  major problem  in filling
positions. I completely agree with Steve Fisher in his assessment of the
salary situation.  I mean, it's depressing when you think that getting a
job in the field that you love is going to pay less  than the pizza
guy/gal.  My future brother in law made more with his bachelor degree in
his first job and very little experience than I was making with several
years of experience in the archives profession and a master's.
Personally, I don't blame people for trying to hold out for a nice
paying contract position or a better paying full-time position instead
of taking the first thing that comes along.  No one wants to work for
$20,000 when they have an advanced degree and experience. Until the
powers that be come up with competitive salaries that are close or equal
to the corporate world, we will either lose good people or have to wait
months to fill positions with people who are willing to accept that
salary.  Those willing to accept those low salaries are growing fewer
and fewer.

We can also try to blame human resources for not getting resumes to the
those who need to do the actual interviewing on time.  In some cases
this is a big problem that can cause great delays in filling positions
and even resulting in the reposting of job opportunities.

I am still going to say that salaries are the issue.

Miriam

Miriam


--
Miriam Meislik,MLS
Associate Archivist/
Photograph Curator
Archives of Industrial Society
400 North Lexington Avenue
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
(412)244-7075
(412)244-7077  fax
miriam+@pitt.edu


Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.
--Steven Wright

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