✍️ The newsletter: Feedback for Conservators #14
Feedback for conservators: The motivation letter and what should be really about (part 2) 📚
This is a monthly free newsletter project that came from the Initiative Feedback for Conservators ✍️: a place to bring a little bit of professional advice to help on topics that I wish I knew more about at the start of my art conservation career. Topics discussed here are recurrent ones that I see over Zoom sessions! So I thought would be useful to discuss them here. It’s also not a perfect newsletter and doesn’t intend to, but rather a space to share. Published once a month1. Read past newsletters here. And as always, some disclamers2
The Motivation Letter and what should be really about (part 2)
The motivation letter is hands down the star of all the enquiries I get. The two main worries for which I’m approached are:
I did it but something is off… but I do not know what.
Although I could be talking for ages about it (it is really one of my favourite topics to work on), I decided to keep this subject in 2 posts to cover the two main blocks I mentioned previously. After part I, today part II: I did it but something is off… but I do not know what. And we will do it by sharing the main “off” elements of aaall the motivation letters.
.
.
► 🧐 Depending on which country you’re applying to will differ how you do it, and also depending on where you apply (private studio or museum). So you need to do your research first:
E.g. how conservators are trained in that country? If it differs from yours, you might need to briefly explain it: you do X amount of years, the specializations are divided differently so you know more range of materials, maybe the final project is different etc.
► 🧥Yes, every motivation letter must be tailored. Every single one. It is one of the few documents that regardless of what you have done, the writing power has true value and can make somebody double-check your CV. So do not try to create a template. I have seen over and over that investing time in it really pays off.
.
► 🌈 Each of the paragraphs that you wrote on a motivation letter must have a purpose/theme and you must be able to synthesise in 1 sentence out loud: e.g. my work experience, my engagement to the work community, why I want to apply, why I am a good candidate etc, it helps to see where you’re repeating yourself or maybe if something is missing.
Tip: colour code the paragraphs and then see how they play out in the letter, but especially they show in the part of “why I want to apply” since it should be a mix of those. This helps a lot to not lose control of all the things you want to mention and how you mention them.
.
► 🧶 Connection connection and connection, make sure that each thing you mention you connect to the end part of your story and the star technique. Remember it has to be fluid: I need to want to read it from the start to the end like a good book (and the good ones make it effortless reading from start to finish because they work well in connections and highlights. Think the last book that from the first page, you could not stop reading).
.
► 🤫Tell me things, but the right things. It is fantastic that you did that internship at X place. But if the place and the project can not be related to what you’re applying or can not add value to it, I do not care. See it from the perspective of the person who is reading it. That does not mean that you can not mention different things from exactly that job/internship that you’re applying for, but find a value in it.
E.g. a private conservation studio probably will not be interested if you have experience with the Raman technique, because simply, their small studio can not run these tests, however a museum perhaps yes.
.
► 💼 Make sure that you really tell substantial elements on why the place you’re applying is THE right place. I would say that 95% of cases where we work on applying the colour-code technique to their motivation letter are surprised that, in their draft version, turns out to be just a couple of very short and vague sentences about the place (and team) they are applying. It is better to be shorter on your previous paragraphs rather than leave this part with just 3 lines. Remember: never has to feel like a template, but rather that you know the place you’re applying.
.
► 🙋🏻♀️And talk about you. I can not know what you are good at, or interested in unless you tell me. Same with your personality, always give me 3 adjectives that describe you (3 is the key number, people remember it better) so I have a glance at how you are:
E.g. curious, motivated and very perseverant emerging paper conservator especially interested in cleaning methodologies for XVI-century books and advocacy of our profession. (clear and to the point 🔥)
.
For the motivated
Try to apply the colour code technique in any of your draft motivation letters + “paragraph titles”. Then check these questions:
How many topics are you covering? are they appropriate regarding what and where you’re applying?
How is the length of each theme discussed? More or less the same? Some parts take too much place?
Are you telling substantial elements of the place you’re applying?
Are the things mentioned connected to why you’re applying? or are you just dropping information without connection to the end goal = the story?
How many reasons are you giving to apply for this place? and how many that you can add value? Are they correctly supported or simply listed? can you name a project, person or approach that got your interest from that place?
.
That’s a warp for today. More next month, see you then?
As mentioned, this newsletter supports the mentorship service Feedback For Conservators (here are some testimonials). Also, as part of it, I offer limited pro bono sessions for those colleagues or students who can not afford them. If you’re interested in any of both just email me, promise I do not bite 🤓.
Life happens so from now on I will only post once a month (always good stuff).
This is my personal opinion, which means also that I could be wrong! You do you✨.
Please do not share extracts of this newsletter without my consent.