Volunteering at museum for future anthropologist?

Question

I'm interested in socio-cultural anthropology. I read that one of the best ways of getting experience on your resume is to volunteer at a museum. I'd like to do this at the American Museum of Natural History in New york. Should I volunteer with the crowd or behind the scenes - doing clerical work, collections, or cataloging?

Answer 1

YES, YES, YES, YES, YES!

Yes, it's a good way of getting experience on your resume.

Even more valuable is the opportunity for networking.  Interesting jobs are rarely advertised.  Word of mouth is the way it happens.  It's not easy to make a career of cultural anthropology; a supportive mentor makes a very big difference.

If you can do so without spreading yourself really thin, it would be a good thing to get experience in various departments and functions before you make any major choices.

The Museum of Natural History is one of my very most favourite place in the whole world.  What a joy it would be to work there!

Answer 2

That's my favorite place, I'd like to volunteer there also.  First, do you get that much of a choice?  If so, I think working with collections or cataloging, etc. would be more valuable, both for resume looks and for actual experience.

Answer 3

any volunteer work and especially at museum would look good on a resume. collections and/or cataloging would be most preferred but any experience would help.