Well, first off feel free to join us over in r/museumpros.

To answer your question, the museum field is currently pretty difficult to get into. Most entering professionals need a MA (at least), as well as several years worth of experience (internships, volunteering, and maybe some nice part time work) before they'll even be considered for a full time position.

There's currently some oversaturation of professionals vs the amount of positions open, so job hunting isn't easy. As an example, I recently applied for a Collections Assistant position at a state museum, and was later told that there were over 400 applicants for that one job. Some of them might have been people applying for everything, but it still illustrates the point of how difficult it is right now.

All the doom and gloom aside, it's definitely worth it if you are passionate about some aspect of museum work (there are so many different types of work in museums).

I work as a writer and editor for projects related to history and heritage. I didn't find the process to get the job that difficult, but it was a number of jobs down the line after graduating. It was also a job that was very similar to other jobs that I had held (coming from a background in translation), but had a slightly different focus. The most concerning part was knowing my top competition was my friend, and also that she was hands-down better qualified than me.

And I second the person or people who mention how important networking is. I didn't get my job because of who I know, but I did find out about the job that led to the job I now have because of someone I knew.

I work as a tour guide in a museum and I love my job. It was not difficult to get my job (it was a work-study position for students) but i know that it is difficult to get some of the full time positions there. There who are hired usually started as LTEs or as student assistants. Though it may seem cruel to outsiders applying for the full time positions, it works well that those who know the museum from several positions take on a leadership role.

I definitely recommend working in a museum for the atmosphere. It is like a family and, at least where I work, always a learning experience. You are always encouraged to learn new things, to smile, and to grow as a person.

As others have mentioned, it is a really tough field to get into at the moment. There is a glut of graduates with bachelor's degrees at minimum going for a shrinking number of positions as many humanities departments around the country are being, or already have been, cut back. My sister just graduated this spring with her master's in history. Luckily, she worked in a major museum for two years prior to getting her degree, but she is finding it difficult to find a job that will really utilize her master's degree at the moment.

Many upper level students run the risk of falling into what has become known as the dreaded 'adjunct trap.' This is when an institution employs a doctoral student or recent doctoral graduate as an adjunct professor with the idea that they will eventually be able to gain permanent employment and even enter a tenure track, but... it just never materializes. Meanwhile, the adjunct is expected to do just as much work as a tenured or full time professor but at a relatively very low wage and limited benefits.

If you are interested in pursuing a career in the field, I would advise you to consider a more technical path. For example, if you get a bachelor's in history, you could then get a technical degree or a master's degree that is more specialized, like learning how to become an archivist. By doing this, you learn a number of technical skills that broaden your appeal beyond academic institutions, while still making yourself an indispensable asset to them.

EDIT: After looking at some of the other posts, I have to agree, networking is absolutely vital. Getting good recommendations from the right professors or museum professionals can go a long way. That being said, many archives and museums are understaffed and are more than happy to accept volunteers to come in and do 5 hours of work a week without any prior experience. You should contact your local Historical Society and ask what sort of work they have available for volunteers. Have fun!

I'm not an historian and don't work in a Museum, but I think that, like most "real" careers, there's going to be a lot of networking involved. Fast-growing companies can hire people with H.R., but other than that, it's usually about who you know, or entry level. Entry level is never beneath you; it's where you start developing your professional network!