it's good to have options
I am so out of it. :p
Last night Erik and I watched a movie and then tried to go to bed. . .and I just got totally wired. Don't know what it was. I started stressing about all the stuff I have to get done Monday, and then stressing about break, and then about January which is very busy. . .and it just went from there. It ended with me manically job searching at like 5 in the morning. Didn't go to bed until about 7am.
Now I am totally wrecked! Blah. I slept in but it was fitful and I had weird dreams, and my brain is just all over the place. I'm afraid to drink caffeine for fear that it's going to make me all manic like I was last night.
But, I guess, at least I came up with some crazy plans last night. Can't say I don't get things done.
Erik and I have been talking a lot about the future which is just so hard, because we don't know anything. But he's considering the pros of not getting a house now and waiting to come with me to whatever happens. We discussed a lot of different situations and I feel a little bit better about things.
My plan is to start my hardcore job searching now. Then maybe by March-ish I will have a better idea as to what's out there, and maybe even a job offer or two we could consider. As Claire said before, right now my future job is sort of mythical, so I really need to see what exactly is available and whether its realistic.
Thank god for the American Association of Museums. . .50+ jobs listed! Not anything local or that really jumped out at me, but things at least that I am qualified for and would consider. It's so difficult, because there are so many places I'd be interested in going. . .I basically start by googling "city gallery" "city museum" and "city university" and search job postings on sites and go from there. But it's so easy to miss things and I don't entirely know a more streamlined way to work. Also, as in my last post, it's ridiculous how many postings are for upper-level positions. It's ubiquitous across the places I've looked at. I don't know what happened - where did all the directors go? Did they retire? Get pushed out to hire cheaper replacements? It's so odd. And frustrating. I just need one or two "assistant" jobs, you know?
Another option I'm going to pursue is Crizmac. We are running on a bare-bones staff, and no longer have official people in the positions of purchasing and shipping/warehouse. I'm going to talk to Stevie on Monday about me getting trained in at least one of these areas. I might have to expand my hours and be kind of exhausted next semester, but so be it. If I could graduate and then they would be able to bump me to full-time, doing several positions at once, I think that would be great. It wouldn't be the #1 thing I wanted to do, but I would still be in my field, I would get new work experience, I'd be at a place I knew and had a really great work environment, and I would know I had a steady job and paycheck in Tucson. Because really, if I stay in Tucson and my choices are most likely going to be secretarial work in a totally unrelated field. . .this is a million times better. A billion. The company isn't doing great right now, but if we can weather the storm I think it would be very helpful for them as well to have an affordable, skilled person covering multiple areas for them. I'm excited about this idea.
A third (seventh? where am I at the moment?) option is staying in school. My dad, of all people, actually suggested this. Hahahha. Again, it's not my #1 option, but I think I could find things that would be enjoyable and helpful to me and I know by now how to make it all work. One option is getting my Ph.D. in the new Art Ed program here. I mean, I'd get in, no question. But that idea is kind of meh. . .I'm not super interested, at this moment in time, in becoming a professor, which in my field is the only reason to get a Ph.D really. I might be interested in it if they would let me be POE-flexible with it, and bring in aspects of arts management and museum studies. Which they might, because it is a brand new program and it seems like the required classes aren't 100% set yet. But the worry about that is funding. . .my department has never had a lot of money, and I'm thinking they'd only be able to offer me a TA-ship for my first year out of three. Then it would be up to me to scramble every year to find a job that would cover my tuition. And I don't want to go into any more drastic debt than I am now.
Another school option is going to the community college here. I actually REALLY love our CC and we have great teachers and resources. I would want to get my certificate or associates in graphic/web design. It's a field that there is always a need for and I continually see job postings for designers across the board. I also think I'd really enjoy it and it makes me excited to think about it. There is less federal funding available for CC students, but at the same time, tuition is next to nothing so I start out with fewer costs. And typically the schedules are more work-friendly. So if I could stay at Crizmac with enough hours to get by, and get enough loans/scholarships to cover my basic tuition costs, I'd be in a pretty good place. And graphic design is an area where your portfolio and experience is more important than your education level, so I'd feel good about that. At any rate, I plan on applying to both (apps due in Feb) just to have them as available options come the spring.
Phew. I am exhausting even myself. This is only a small portion of what was going through my brain all last night. And I had such big plans for today :p I was going to clean and get all these errands done and be 100% ready for Monday craziness. I'm still going to try, but I wish I was more well-rested and feeling less crazy.
I also have about 10 saved jobs that I want to apply for. Nothing really that jumps out to me. . .but I am just going to send things out and get my name out there and let the chips fall where they may. There is one job that makes me excited: the University of New Mexico is looking for an academic advisor in the fine arts. I think that would be fabulous, in lovely New Mexico and in a combination of arts/student resources, which is what I'm doing now. The applications were preferred by Nov 30th but it is "open until filled" so I'm going to submit soon. Here's hoping over the next month or so I find more good jobs like that :)
thank you for bearing with my manic planning-ness. I'm off to brush my hair, get out of the house, and get some things done. It's kind of a lovely cloudy day.
Last night Erik and I watched a movie and then tried to go to bed. . .and I just got totally wired. Don't know what it was. I started stressing about all the stuff I have to get done Monday, and then stressing about break, and then about January which is very busy. . .and it just went from there. It ended with me manically job searching at like 5 in the morning. Didn't go to bed until about 7am.
Now I am totally wrecked! Blah. I slept in but it was fitful and I had weird dreams, and my brain is just all over the place. I'm afraid to drink caffeine for fear that it's going to make me all manic like I was last night.
But, I guess, at least I came up with some crazy plans last night. Can't say I don't get things done.
Erik and I have been talking a lot about the future which is just so hard, because we don't know anything. But he's considering the pros of not getting a house now and waiting to come with me to whatever happens. We discussed a lot of different situations and I feel a little bit better about things.
My plan is to start my hardcore job searching now. Then maybe by March-ish I will have a better idea as to what's out there, and maybe even a job offer or two we could consider. As Claire said before, right now my future job is sort of mythical, so I really need to see what exactly is available and whether its realistic.
Thank god for the American Association of Museums. . .50+ jobs listed! Not anything local or that really jumped out at me, but things at least that I am qualified for and would consider. It's so difficult, because there are so many places I'd be interested in going. . .I basically start by googling "city gallery" "city museum" and "city university" and search job postings on sites and go from there. But it's so easy to miss things and I don't entirely know a more streamlined way to work. Also, as in my last post, it's ridiculous how many postings are for upper-level positions. It's ubiquitous across the places I've looked at. I don't know what happened - where did all the directors go? Did they retire? Get pushed out to hire cheaper replacements? It's so odd. And frustrating. I just need one or two "assistant" jobs, you know?
Another option I'm going to pursue is Crizmac. We are running on a bare-bones staff, and no longer have official people in the positions of purchasing and shipping/warehouse. I'm going to talk to Stevie on Monday about me getting trained in at least one of these areas. I might have to expand my hours and be kind of exhausted next semester, but so be it. If I could graduate and then they would be able to bump me to full-time, doing several positions at once, I think that would be great. It wouldn't be the #1 thing I wanted to do, but I would still be in my field, I would get new work experience, I'd be at a place I knew and had a really great work environment, and I would know I had a steady job and paycheck in Tucson. Because really, if I stay in Tucson and my choices are most likely going to be secretarial work in a totally unrelated field. . .this is a million times better. A billion. The company isn't doing great right now, but if we can weather the storm I think it would be very helpful for them as well to have an affordable, skilled person covering multiple areas for them. I'm excited about this idea.
A third (seventh? where am I at the moment?) option is staying in school. My dad, of all people, actually suggested this. Hahahha. Again, it's not my #1 option, but I think I could find things that would be enjoyable and helpful to me and I know by now how to make it all work. One option is getting my Ph.D. in the new Art Ed program here. I mean, I'd get in, no question. But that idea is kind of meh. . .I'm not super interested, at this moment in time, in becoming a professor, which in my field is the only reason to get a Ph.D really. I might be interested in it if they would let me be POE-flexible with it, and bring in aspects of arts management and museum studies. Which they might, because it is a brand new program and it seems like the required classes aren't 100% set yet. But the worry about that is funding. . .my department has never had a lot of money, and I'm thinking they'd only be able to offer me a TA-ship for my first year out of three. Then it would be up to me to scramble every year to find a job that would cover my tuition. And I don't want to go into any more drastic debt than I am now.
Another school option is going to the community college here. I actually REALLY love our CC and we have great teachers and resources. I would want to get my certificate or associates in graphic/web design. It's a field that there is always a need for and I continually see job postings for designers across the board. I also think I'd really enjoy it and it makes me excited to think about it. There is less federal funding available for CC students, but at the same time, tuition is next to nothing so I start out with fewer costs. And typically the schedules are more work-friendly. So if I could stay at Crizmac with enough hours to get by, and get enough loans/scholarships to cover my basic tuition costs, I'd be in a pretty good place. And graphic design is an area where your portfolio and experience is more important than your education level, so I'd feel good about that. At any rate, I plan on applying to both (apps due in Feb) just to have them as available options come the spring.
Phew. I am exhausting even myself. This is only a small portion of what was going through my brain all last night. And I had such big plans for today :p I was going to clean and get all these errands done and be 100% ready for Monday craziness. I'm still going to try, but I wish I was more well-rested and feeling less crazy.
I also have about 10 saved jobs that I want to apply for. Nothing really that jumps out to me. . .but I am just going to send things out and get my name out there and let the chips fall where they may. There is one job that makes me excited: the University of New Mexico is looking for an academic advisor in the fine arts. I think that would be fabulous, in lovely New Mexico and in a combination of arts/student resources, which is what I'm doing now. The applications were preferred by Nov 30th but it is "open until filled" so I'm going to submit soon. Here's hoping over the next month or so I find more good jobs like that :)
thank you for bearing with my manic planning-ness. I'm off to brush my hair, get out of the house, and get some things done. It's kind of a lovely cloudy day.