• Art trainees may wish to work in a museum.Roman art gallery, Vatican Museums image by Eishier from Fotolia.com
  
  Recent graduates looking to enter the art world may find themselves in a very competitive market. Depending on the city in which they live, applicants may not be able to start out their careers in art in an entry-level position. Luckily, many art institutions offer trainee programs and internships to help an aspiring artists and curator get her foot in the door. These programs may not be paid; however, the training and connections they can offer young job seekers can be extremely worthwhile. Three main branches of the art world generally offer trainee and internship positions.
  
  

Art Museums

• Museums tend to have the best-funded and best-developed programs. Usually non-profit institutions, museums have an interest in developing tomorrow's curators. Programs like those of the Museum of Modern Art or the Metropolitan Museum in New York are renowned for the prestige and connections they provide applicants. However, job searchers shouldn't stop at the curatorial departments: such museums may offer opportunities in other areas, such as membership or development. These kinds of training programs offer invaluable experience navigating a complicated sphere of programming and exhibitions. Applicants shouldn't overlook smaller museums, which may offer more hands-on training.
  
  

Art Galleries

• The training programs at galleries usually take the form of internships, though the most established galleries may have more official training programs. Gallery interns and trainees can expect to do a lot of basic office work, though they will probably have some interaction with the public as well. In return, they will get to see first-hand the inner workings of art galleries--liaising with artists and clients and planning exhibitions as well as the more day-to-day tasks involved in running any business. For those interested in pursuing a career in art business, an art gallery internship can be a valuable experience.
  
  

Auction Houses

• Auction houses (like Sotheby's and Christie's) have training and internship programs for students and recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in art business, but particularly in an auction house. The training options here are more varied than they are in art galleries or in museums, and may include graduate work in art business, an internship in a particular department, or even brief work-study at different branches around the world. Extremely competitive, auction house trainee programs tend to require a good deal of polish and excellent presentation.