Description:
Administer affairs of museum and conduct research programs. Direct instructional, research, and public service activities of institution.
Tasks
- Plan and organize the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections and related materials, including the selection of exhibition themes and designs.
- Develop and maintain an institution's registration, cataloging, and basic recordkeeping systems, using computer databases.
- Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public.
- Inspect premises to assess the need for repairs and to ensure that climate and pest-control issues are addressed.
- Train and supervise curatorial, fiscal, technical, research, and clerical staff, as well as volunteers or interns.
- Negotiate and authorize purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections.
- Plan and conduct special research projects in area of interest or expertise.
- Conduct or organize tours, workshops, and instructional sessions to acquaint individuals with an institution's facilities and materials.
- Confer with the board of directors to formulate and interpret policies, to determine budget requirements, and to plan overall operations.
- Attend meetings, conventions, and civic events to promote use of institution's services, to seek financing, and to maintain community alliances.
Knowledge
- English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Clerical
- Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
- Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
- Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
- Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Skills
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Abilities
- Speech Clarity
- The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Information Ordering
- The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Speech Recognition
- The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Near Vision
- The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Deductive Reasoning
- The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Category Flexibility
- The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Oral Comprehension
- The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Inductive Reasoning
- The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Written Comprehension
- The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Far Vision
- The ability to see details at a distance.
Work Activities
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
- Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
- Thinking Creatively
- Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Scheduling Work and Activities
- Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
- Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People
- Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
- Getting Information
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Work Context
- Face-to-Face Discussions
- How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
- Telephone
- How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
- Structured versus Unstructured Work
- To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
- Contact With Others
- How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
- Electronic Mail
- How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
- Letters and Memos
- How often does the job require written letters and memos?
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
- Physical Proximity
- To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
Interests
- Enterprising
- Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
- Conventional
- Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
- Investigative
- Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
- Artistic
- Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
- Social
- Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Realistic
- Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Work Style
- Attention to Detail
- Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Dependability
- Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Independence
- Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
- Initiative
- Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
- Integrity
- Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Cooperation
- Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Innovation
- Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
- Analytical Thinking
- Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
- Self Control
- Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
- Achievement/Effort
- Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Work Value
- Independence
- Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
- Achievement
- Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
- Working Conditions
- Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
- Recognition
- Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
- Relationships
- Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
- Support
- Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Related Occupations
- Park Naturalists
- Urban and Regional Planners
- Archeologists
- Historians
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
- Archivists
- Museum Technicians and Conservators
Common Lay Titles
- Art Gallery Director
- Coin Collector
- Collections Manager
- Curator
- Curator of Collections
- Curator of Education
- Curator of Photography and Prints
- Director of Collections and Archives
- Director of Exhibit Development
- Educational Resource Coordinator
- Field Collector
- Herbarium Curator
- Historic Site Administrator
- Historic Sites Supervisor
- Manager of Exhibitions and Collections
- Museum Curator
- Museum Director
- Museum or Zoo Director
- Museum Registrar
- Numismatist
- Old Coin Dealer
- Philatelist
- Research Associate
- Stamp Collector