Work and jobs
Note: I wrote this up on Friday as an email to myself, and I was feeling a little despondent. Now I'm lazing in my room with Maze so while the situation is not really any better I'm more blazé about it.
So, Let me talk for a little bit about jobs, and working.
So, the contract I am on is meant to end at the end of the month. Possibly instead I will get some kind of extension through to the end of July. Then I'm traveling for most of August, and then ?????
I have a pretty decent savings because I am super lucky to be in the living situation I have, where I can contribute to stuff and still save a lot of money.
I have been looking at and for jobs to apply to, though, and coming up short.
For one thing, I don't really want to leave where I am. I'm super happy with my situation. That said, my family here are probably going to start house hunting here soon anyway, so things are going to change one way or another.
For another thing, I have a really hard time describing my job skills, and those I can readily identify are really not in demand, or if they are I can't figure out where :p
Here's what I've got:
Collections experience - artifact handling for 2d and 3d art and archaeological materials, collections cataloguing, collections monitoring, familiar with collections management practices and policies.
Conservation - I spent about a year as an archaeological conservator, but I don't have any actual degrees or certifications so that really done'st amount to much. Shoulda gone for my certificate when I was at A&M :p [My boss sent me a posting for fine art conservation but that is really not The Same.]
Archaeological experience - I have done academic research fieldwork, and I ran a tiny project in a foreign country, and had to deal with all that entailed - getting permits and permissions, budgets, travel and accommodations, taking care of my tiny crew. Plus all the research, analysis, and writing experience of composing the dissertation.
General academia - I've worked inside university bureaucracy in different contexts. I can research, I can write (and am published), and I have a tiny bit of teaching experience.
3D imaging: I have some experience doing 3D scanning on a few different machines and using a few different softwares. It is enough for me to claim familiarity and practice but I am by no means an expert.
Office-y stuff: I've done a lot of writing up of workflows and policies and logistical planning that no one actually uses :p I'm pretty okay at organizing things and dealing with people.
????
So what do I do with all that? There aren't any jobs in collections management right now - I've looked, and its a wasteland. When they do turn up usually they want someone with Museum Studies stuff. I can count this job for related field experience, though, so that will help with my qualifications.
I don't know what else I'm qualified for that is anything I'd actually like to do, but at some point that will cease to matter. I recognize that I have skills but I can't identify how to market them or identify a market in which I could make use of them, if that makes sense. I don't know who to sell myself to :p
So.... ugh. What do I do? Where should I be looking? What do I even want to do? I really have no idea, and that's another whole big part of the problem :/
So, Let me talk for a little bit about jobs, and working.
So, the contract I am on is meant to end at the end of the month. Possibly instead I will get some kind of extension through to the end of July. Then I'm traveling for most of August, and then ?????
I have a pretty decent savings because I am super lucky to be in the living situation I have, where I can contribute to stuff and still save a lot of money.
I have been looking at and for jobs to apply to, though, and coming up short.
For one thing, I don't really want to leave where I am. I'm super happy with my situation. That said, my family here are probably going to start house hunting here soon anyway, so things are going to change one way or another.
For another thing, I have a really hard time describing my job skills, and those I can readily identify are really not in demand, or if they are I can't figure out where :p
Here's what I've got:
Collections experience - artifact handling for 2d and 3d art and archaeological materials, collections cataloguing, collections monitoring, familiar with collections management practices and policies.
Conservation - I spent about a year as an archaeological conservator, but I don't have any actual degrees or certifications so that really done'st amount to much. Shoulda gone for my certificate when I was at A&M :p [My boss sent me a posting for fine art conservation but that is really not The Same.]
Archaeological experience - I have done academic research fieldwork, and I ran a tiny project in a foreign country, and had to deal with all that entailed - getting permits and permissions, budgets, travel and accommodations, taking care of my tiny crew. Plus all the research, analysis, and writing experience of composing the dissertation.
General academia - I've worked inside university bureaucracy in different contexts. I can research, I can write (and am published), and I have a tiny bit of teaching experience.
3D imaging: I have some experience doing 3D scanning on a few different machines and using a few different softwares. It is enough for me to claim familiarity and practice but I am by no means an expert.
Office-y stuff: I've done a lot of writing up of workflows and policies and logistical planning that no one actually uses :p I'm pretty okay at organizing things and dealing with people.
????
So what do I do with all that? There aren't any jobs in collections management right now - I've looked, and its a wasteland. When they do turn up usually they want someone with Museum Studies stuff. I can count this job for related field experience, though, so that will help with my qualifications.
I don't know what else I'm qualified for that is anything I'd actually like to do, but at some point that will cease to matter. I recognize that I have skills but I can't identify how to market them or identify a market in which I could make use of them, if that makes sense. I don't know who to sell myself to :p
So.... ugh. What do I do? Where should I be looking? What do I even want to do? I really have no idea, and that's another whole big part of the problem :/