Testimonials

nonprofit annual report

Tara did a remarkable job taking our somewhat unorganized end of year accomplishments and collaboratively crafted an excellent annual report. Very impressed by Tara's communication and organization skills. Fantastic experience and I'm already planning future work with her. Tara was exactly what our small organization needed to put out a professional caliber annual report! Thank you!

artist project statements

Tara is amazing. She has been crucial to all of my recent writing and editing projects. I definitely recommend her and will hire her again.

reviews of so you want to work at a museum

Tara Young is on a mission – a mission to excite people about the prospect of a museum career at a time when museums arguably most need diverse and creative talent. Aimed at aspiring museum professionals of all ages and backgrounds, Young grounds readers in the basics of museum types, structures, sizes, and challenges before diving into a comprehensive catalog of job titles. This book gives us a potent antidote to the struggles and difficult conversations facing museums today.
— Anne W. Ackerson, co-author, Leadership Matters and Women in the Museum: Lessons from the Workplace; and co-founder, Gender Equity in Museums Movement (GEMM)

This book shines a light on a needed path, supporting those who are considering a museum career journey. It provides a breadth of basic insights in order to encourage more intentional entry into the field. And, its candid approach should inspire a number of personal reflections.
— Dina Bailey, CEO, Mountain Top Vision

With decades of museum work under her belt, Young is uniquely qualified to answer the titular question. Indeed, this is a thorough, thoughtful book that will be of interest to a variety of job seekers, from teens just starting to consider a path to subject specialists looking for a career change to committed potential museum workers who aren’t sure if a professional degree is necessary. Young begins by laying out different types of museums and explaining how different sizes of museum are organized and governed. The bulk of the book walks the reader through the typical museum departments (exhibitions, development, etc.) and details the most common jobs in each area. After describing job duties, she lists the skills, experience, and education necessary to get hired and, most helpfully, the personality traits most suited to the job as well as things to “keep in mind,” like the possibility of working weekends. Each chapter ends with a profile of a museum worker that describes his or her career path and the best and worst parts of the job. A realistic, practical guide.
— Susan Maguire, Booklist