Now, having completed the program, I can confidently say that I chose correctly, and that this experience was invaluable for helping me realize my career goals in ways I could not have even imagined. As someone pursuing a career as a museum professional, I knew that London and Paris would have a lot to offer me. What I did not expect was the sheer volume or the diversity of museums in either city. I of course looked forward to seeing the British Museum and the Louvre, but did not anticipate hidden gems like the Imperial War Museum in London or the Quai Branly in Paris. Exploring lesser known, more specific museums allowed me to consider all the different purposes that museums serve and how their presentation, content, and visitor engagement can reflect these purposes. I went to a different museum nearly every weekend. I can now say more confidently than ever that I am certain I want to continue working with museums, and that my definition of what museums can or should be has dramatically expanded in a way that I am eager to explore.
I can confidently say that this experience was invaluable for helping me realize my career goals in ways I could not have imagined. As someone pursuing a career as a museum professional, I knew that London and Paris would have a lot to offer. What I did not expect was the sheer volume and diversity of museums in either city. Of course I looked forward to the British Museum and the Louvre, but exploring lesser known museums allowed me to consider all the different purposes museums serve and how their presentation, content, and visitor engagement can reflect those purposes. My definition of what museums can or should be has dramatically expanded in a way that I am eager to explore.