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Useful experience for curators includes:

• voluntary or paid work in art galleries or museums
• work as an artist, art critic or art historian
• library or research work
• project management.

Curators may do some or all of the following:

• decide what to add to art and museum collections and exhibitions
• liaise with artists, art dealers, museums and galleries to get items for collections
• plan, organise and oversee the content and quality of exhibitions 
• research, write and give talks about collections and exhibitions
• work on repatriation projects (returning art and cultural objects, usually looted, to their original place)
• manage budgets.

Small occupation size and low turnover mean opportunities scarce

Chances of getting a job as a curator are poor because:

• it is a fairly small occupation, with fewer than 400 workers, and few full-time jobs available
• people tend to stay in the role for a long time, which limits vacancies. Some vacancies arise at senior level when experienced curators leave for roles overseas.

According to the Census, 459 curators worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Willingness to volunteer or move for work may increase chances

You can increase your chances of getting a curator job if you:

• volunteer at museums, which gives you experience and can lead to paid work
• are adaptable and willing to move for work. Curators usually start off by getting experience at small or regional museums or galleries, before getting work at larger organisations.

More roles for specialised curators

Opportunities are best for experienced curators who have knowledge of:

• contemporary New Zealand art and Māori and Pacific art because galleries and museums often focus on these areas
• digital data collections, such as film and music files, which are becoming increasingly important.

Types of employers varied

Half of curators work in museums, with the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington being the largest employer. Curators may also work for:

• art galleries
• auction houses
• historic sites
• local councils (overseeing public arts policies and projects)
• government agencies such as the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, or Creative New Zealand
• heritage libraries or archives.

After five or more years' experience, curators may progress into senior positions or move into management. With further experience they may progress to education roles such as tertiary lecturer.

• Tertiary lecturer job information

Curators may specialise in areas such as:

• art
• art history
• natural history
• Māori or Pacific Island culture.

Curators need to be:

• creative thinkers
• good researchers and writers
• accurate and methodical, with an eye for detail
• able to work well in a team
• excellent networkers
• excellent communicators who can relate to people of all ages and cultures, and who have public relations skills.