Lovely colleagues but there's a reason the turnover is so high
Pros
Lovely colleagues (mostly) who really try to take care of each other. Has a union which is good. Sub-standard pay does mean it's easier for younger/less experienced staff to get their foot in the door, which we unfortunately have to be grateful for in a very competitive industry. Your staff ID does get you into a lot of good museums/galleries, but this isn't unique to DM!
Cons
Pay for everyone except FOH and Director(s) is awful. Training request process is very very opaque and the actual trainings I've had have varied in quality, with a complete lack of more advanced-level trainings available. Fancy sounding titles don't mean much without structured development opportunities. Lack of consistent structures or systems between departments other than the Curatorial-Exhibitions relationship means a lot of knowledge/work seems to get lost. Short-term cost-cutting often prioritised over long-term quality and sustainability, with many departments/programmes incredibly understaffed by employees running on fumes, constantly working unofficial overtime (hours were reduced a couple years ago but targets didn't change...), and therefore often unable to deliver to a high standard or meet deadlines. Our reputation is going to deteriorate and our staff are going to burn out, but it doesn't seem to matter. Turnover seems very high and nobody at the appropriate levels seems willing to address the glaring problems listed above, which accelerates net loss of knowledge and constant reinventing the wheel.
