Students should obtain as much experience in the field of conservation as possible by participating in internships and part-time jobs at museums, historical societies, private conservation laboratories, and other employers of conservation professionals.
Conservation can be physically demanding. Conservators and conservation technicians need to be able to concentrate on specific physical and mental tasks for long periods of time. Endurance, manual dexterity, and patience are often needed to complete projects successfully. Work on one piece of art could take months or even years; because of the fragile nature of the materials, conservation work should never be rushed. Finally, an important personal quality to have for this line of work is a respect and love for art. Conservators and conservation technicians should appreciate the value in all art forms (regardless of personal bias) and treat all pieces that they work on with the utmost care.
- Anthropologists
- Apparel Industry Workers
- Archaeologists
- Archivists
- Artists
- Book Conservators
- Computer-Aided Design Drafters and Technicians
- Demographers
- Economists
- Education Directors and Museum Teachers
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Ethical Sourcing Officer
- Ethnoscientists
- Exhibit Designers
- Fabric Designers
- Fashion Designers
- Futurists
- Gallery Owners and Directors
- Genealogical Researchers
- Genealogists
- Geographers
- Grant Coordinators and Writers
- Historians
- Historic Preservationists
- Laboratory Testing Technicians
- Leather Tanning and Finishing Workers
- Lexicographers
- Linguists
- Manufacturing Supervisors
- Marketing Managers
- Medical Ethicists
- Museum Attendants
- Museum Directors and Curators
- Museum Technicians
- National Park Service Employees
- Political Scientists
- Product Development Directors
- Product Management Directors
- Product Managers
- Quality Control Engineers
- Quality Control Technicians
- Sales Managers
- Sociologists
- Statisticians
- Taxidermists
- Textile Manufacturing Workers
- Tour Guides
- Zoo and Aquarium Curators and Directors
- Zookeepers
- Zoologists