Curator onboarding at a glance

Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.

Before day one

Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
Verify required credentials: Master’s, Ph.D. (as applicable)
Prepare equipment and access: collections databases; research libraries; exhibit design software; presentation tools
Assign a buddy or preceptor
Enroll the new hire in Curator training so foundations are covered before or during week one

Week one: orient and protect

Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
Handle objects carefully
Follow conservation rules
Follow ethics on acquisitions
Follow security procedures
Shadow an experienced curator through a full shift
Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)

Days 1–30: learn

Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.

Supervised practice: plan a museum exhibition
Supervised practice: research an object’s provenance
Supervised practice: write exhibit labels visitors read
Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins

Days 31–60: contribute

Goal: handle a regular workload independently.

Research collections: independently
Recommend acquisitions: independently
Plan exhibitions: independently
Write labels and catalogs: independently
Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
60-day check-in

Days 61–90: own

Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.

Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
Begin cross-training on a secondary task
Agree on a credential goal (for example, Master’s)
Discuss the career path: Curatorial Assistant → Assistant Curator → Curator
90-day review

Competency checklist

Skill or task	Trained	Observed	Signed off
Plan a Museum Exhibition
Research an Object’s Provenance
Write Exhibit Labels Visitors Read
Research
Exhibition planning
Writing
Collections care

How to measure onboarding success

Time to first independent project
Revision rounds per project
On-time delivery rate
90-day retention

How Curator training maps to this plan

Introduction to the Curator Role
A Day on the Job
Essential Curator Vocabulary
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Common Tasks, Step by Step
Tools, Equipment and Technology
Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
Skills Employers Look For
Launching Your Curator Career
Final Knowledge Check

Get team pricing

Curator Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)