Mystery Career #2: Who Am I? Can You Guess My Job?

I integrate many seemingly unrelated disciplines in my work, including studio art, history and chemistry. I know how to clean almost anything, but I am not a janitor. I am good with my hands and know how to fix many things but I am not a carpenter or a mechanic. I do the same work for Popes that I do for universities and individuals. It can take minutes or years to complete my work, depending on the situation. Can you guess my profession?

I have a Master's degree. (Many of my colleagues have several Master's degrees and even Doctorates!) My schooling entailed study in numerous seemingly unrelated fields such as art history, chemistry, architecture and anthropology, as well as an internship at a famous museum. Because of the multidisciplinary nature of my line of work, many individuals from numerous backgrounds choose it as a second career.

Because the disciplines of science and technology that I utilize in my job are ever advancing, I must continually update my knowledge and skill set. I accomplish this by regularly attending classes, reading scientific and technical journals, attending peer meetings, and regularly participating in on-line discussion groups in my field.

Still can't guess who I am? These are some of the tools of my trade that I depend on to get my job done every day: paints, scalpels, infrared cameras, carpentry tools, chemical tests, x-ray machines, microscopes, black lights, computers and adhesives.

You still haven't a clue? Well, the following facts should give it away. Throughout modern history, my colleagues and I have worked on projects such as these:

o Preparing priceless artifacts like those found in King Tut's Tomb for safe shipping during world-wide museum tours.

o Cleaning old master paintings of great artists such as Rembrandt and Da Vinci.

o Designing the environmental control systems for archives housing civilization's oldest books, such as the Bible.

o Restoring artifacts and treasures recovered from historical shipwrecks, like the Titanic.

o Preserving ancient mummies found high in the Andes Mountains of South America.

o Repairing ancient Greek and Roman statuary.

If you guessed that I am a conservator, you are absolutely right! I am lucky to be in this line of work right now. The government predicts that the demand for conservators is growing steadily and will outpace many career fields through 2016 ¹ .

To read the very first Mystery Career Installment, click here

Sources: 1. "Conservators," collegeboard.com/csearch/majors_careers

2. "Museum/gallery conservator: Job description and activities," prospects.ac.uk

3. AIC "Types of Education and Training,"conservation-us.org