If she has not yet registered or met with The JHU centralized Career Services offices, I would recommend that she do so ASAP. Meet with a counselor, make sure her resume is organized and geared towards the jobs for which she is applying, take advantage of any career networking and alumni networking services they offer, do a mock interview for feedback, etc. She will probably want to use a few different versions of her resume dependent upon position. Maybe one that has a section focused on Museum Studies and highlights research projects to make up for lack of work experience and another focusing on transferrable work skills from previous positions (public speaking, client relations and so on). One resume might want to highlight her journalism skills for positions that may require newsletter writing or blog posts.
Agree with everyone that has mentioned informational interviews, networking (both formally and informally), attending events at organizations she wants to work for, and especially volunteering at museums. I would encourage her to look at smaller organizations for volunteering, such as small town historical societies, as they often offer the most opportunity for being able to do a lot of hands on work within the organization. Applying for gift shop & customer service jobs is a good way in too - encourage her to continue that effort - but it works better at smaller institutions as a foot in the door than say at a Smithsonian where jobs are relatively segregated. Non-profits can be hard to break into. Summer hiring can be slow across the board, especially at non-profits where their fiscal year ends June 30. Hiring is often done after that date (and employee summer vacations), so Fall may be the best hiring time for her. Job searches can be gut wrenching and soul crushing. Keep stroking her ego, highlight the positives, and be encouraging.
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