service associate

student intern

summer intern

attendant

assistant

Cleveland Museum of Art

I've met some of the most wonderful and talented people there, and I consider them friends for life.  The pay was relatively low but it's unskilled labor that anyone off the street can do.  Literally. 

 There was plenty of over-time available to make up for the hourly wage.  I have a strong work ethic and I hated struggling so I took full advantage of the OT.   I truly appreciated the opportunity to see some of the greatest masterworks of art during my time there.  I have more than a few positive and funny stories to tell about the staff and the visitors.  

I really like the new CEO William M. Griswold.  He had a vision for the museum that wasn't all hype.  So far he's followed through on everything he's talked about with the CMA staff and the local press.  Kudos!  


 Now the downside:  Morale was low among the staff due to the fact that management typically looked for all the things we were doing wrong on the job which created an atmosphere of paranoia and cynicism.  The "floor" managers were rarely on the floor and there were quite a few times when "Is it an emergency?" would be the reply  over the radios when requesting the assistance of presence of a manager.  Maybe they've been on the job waaaay too long to care any more.  

  I think there's plenty of opportunity for Protection Services to move into the 21st century as far as its mission, how it deals with the public (more interaction with the visitors regarding art is a must!) since there has been a global shift from museums being ultra-conservative to providing visitors an informative and engaging "Experience".    

The Gallery Guard has evolved from simply "protecting" artwork.  Gallery Guards are expected and should be encouraged to discuss the art and offer opinions.  I've even helped visitors take selfies for God sake.  CMA Protection Services is long overdue for an image change starting with upper management.

Interview went great, said they would train me and have me shadow for aporx. 1 week or so. When it came to the first day I was given a quick tour (not even the entire building) then by the end of the day I had a radio and they put me in a gallery next to someone who had been there for 4 months instead of with or shadowing one of the countless guards who have been there for 8+ years. Their offer letter also failed to state that there would be mandatory overtime. (you dont find that out until its already too late). I was concerned that I would not receive more training along with my concern for the mandatory overtime to the Human Resources Department. The very next day after my email I was called into the Security Directors Office and they told me that they "heard that I was concerned about the training and about the lack of training I was promised to receive." They stated "We think it would be in parties both interests to part ways". So if you do so strongly want to work at this organization you better not have any problems and if you do DO NOT reach out for help or information or you will be fired. 

Typical day at work included picking a replenishment order for the museum's gift shop. Sometimes there was a second gift shop if there was an exhibition going on. I would also receive gift shop products delivered to the museum and stock them in the basement warehouse or take them to the larger off-site warehouse. My manager was a very friendly and professional woman who I actually didn't see very often, but I saw my supervisor every day, and she was always supportive and helpful with anything I needed to know about the job and the inventory system. She even gave me her personal number to call if I had trouble at work on the weekends or on her off days. Workplace culture was very artistic, and rightfully so, considering it's a museum. There were employee art shows, dinners, concerts, and other engaging events like that for the staff. The most enjoyable aspect of the job was simply the experience of walking into such a beautiful building every day, and the pride of saying that I was employed there.

If you are starting your career do not work here. There is zero room for growth or advancement in this organization. If you start from the “bottom” ie security or building maintence for example you are just simply looked down upon by the “higher” departments. There is a pointless hierarchy in this building. There are never development workshops or the ability to work your way into more relevant departments. 
Management are horrifically awful in Protection Services. They treat you like dirt and gaslight you. They have a horrible turnover rate because of it. The management don’t know how to do their jobs and take it out on the unsuspecting guards. I could go on and on but nothing will change until management changes there. Only work here as an inbetween job til something better comes up because you won’t learn any advanced skills. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Only good part were the perks of entering other museums and parks for free


What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Management absolutely the worst. Will find any reason to put you down and feel superior 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Your co-workers are great unless you work with the ones who watch your every move and report everything. Example- you just get off break and start tucking your shirt in. They report it as untuck shirt on shift.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Typically quiet. When management start messing with your rounds it becomes stressful and annoying

Don't stay here. This is not a place that is a career for someone unless you're a curator. The union is unreliable. Management are bored so they nitpick every little thing to keep people on their toes. Toxic work environment and generally the most unhappy group of employees i've ever been a part of. There is a CLEAR and STARK class divide between the working class and the white collar staff. It really feels like we are the help. It's very discouraging to see employees having boozy brunch and having you check their louis vuitton bag on their way there while most of the security staff is struggling to make ends meet.

I have been doing this job for 13 years and have learned an incredible amount about special libraries.  It has been a privilege to work there. I have worked for several excellent leaders who have given me many opportunities.  The hardest part of the job is the predictability and I miss the variety of my previous job as Visitor Services Coordinator.  The person I worked for for most of my time in the library left last year and I miss not working for her.

I cannot properly review the company as a whole. My department was consistently isolated from the rest of the company both physically and and culturally. We were often regarded as essential personal of limited value.

The benefits were very good, offering many options for healthcare at reasonable rates. Salary, however, was lacking with few and minimal increases.

The job itself was quite enjoyable; the visitors were a pleasure to serve. The museum's mission is a vital one and I was glad to contribute to that.

A day at the museum is filled with the unexpected. Large amounts of guests enter each day, and every one experiences a rich culture of a world renown collection. Caring for the artworks on display takes an individual that is concerned and knowledgeable about the art on display. Assisting guests enjoy their visit is a great pleasure at the end of the day. Although long hours standing on your feet can become difficult, the outcome of engaging with visitors far outweighs the hardships.

Even though working as a security office can be rewarding, management can make the job stressful. 
The coworkers for the most part are fine (and a lot of them are great) but it’s hard to figure out exactly what management wants from us when they tell the guards one thing and go over our heads and go against their own instructions. 
There should be better communication between the guards and the the management but it can be difficult to get them to truly listen input at times. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Service associate 4 salaries reported	$16.75 per hour
Student intern 2 salaries reported	$19.00 per hour
Summer intern 3 salaries reported	$14.83 per hour
Attendant 3 salaries reported	$16.17 per hour
Assistant 2 salaries reported	$18.00 per hour

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