Hey, wanna be a curator?
Officially, today was my day off, so I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to hike the Lower Calf Creek Falls trail, which is only about ten minutes outside of Boulder. After all, I've been here for over a month - it's high time I visit the most popular local trail!
Before I left, though, I popped in at the museum because my boss' boss, our division chief, was visiting. The Division Chief was a really nice guy, and seemed very enthusiastic about my proposed flint-knapping exhibit. He really liked that we were linking modern, local flint-knappers to the prehistoric Anasazi, and he seemed intrigued by my proposal to utilize a QR code to link a video to the exhibit. He asked me about my past museum experience, and we ended up talking about my time leading school tours at the Egyptian Museum and my retail experience, too.
He asked me if I ever thought about moving to Utah permanently, and I said I'd be open to the possibility if there was a good job waiting. He then told my boss and I that a curator position had opened up at one of the other state park museums, and he thought I'd be perfect for the job. he even ticked off the reasons: I had experience handling artifacts and was familiar with the state park system. I was not a "stuck up" archaeologist who thought they were too good to work the front desk - apparently, this prima donna attitude has been a problem with past candidates. In fact, I had extensive retail experience and could perform most of the tasks of the retail manager. At this point, I figured it was best to be honest, so I pointed out that I didn't have a master's degree and that seemed like something most museums liked in their curators. He agreed that it was preferred, but it was not a requirement for the position, and for this particular position the retail skills would be more valuable and applicable. Plus, he said, I clearly had a good attitude and a 'delightful' personality.
So I've been mulling the idea over ever since my boss forwarded the link to the internal job listing. Do I want a permanent job in Utah? On the one hand, YES. To be a curator, and in charge of my own collection - well, that would be a dream come true! Sure, it wouldn't be an art collection - but to be honest, I've always been as interested in archaeology as much as in art history, so I don't consider that a huge loss. If I can get the position when I technically lack the usual credentials, I would be a fool not to take it. But on the other hand, I love California. That's where my family and my friends are. The weather is perfect. I don't have to drive three hours to get to a Target or a Starbucks. The museum I'm considering, the Fremont Indian State Park Museum, isn't as rural as Boulder, but it definitely isn't close to a city like San Jose.
I shouldn't get ahead of myself. The Division Chief might think I'd be great as the museum's curator, but he's not the one who does the hiring. That's up to the park manager. But there's absolutely no harm in putting in an application. I can always turn the position down if it comes to it - and that's assuming I'll even manage to make it through to an interview in the first place!
Before I left, though, I popped in at the museum because my boss' boss, our division chief, was visiting. The Division Chief was a really nice guy, and seemed very enthusiastic about my proposed flint-knapping exhibit. He really liked that we were linking modern, local flint-knappers to the prehistoric Anasazi, and he seemed intrigued by my proposal to utilize a QR code to link a video to the exhibit. He asked me about my past museum experience, and we ended up talking about my time leading school tours at the Egyptian Museum and my retail experience, too.
He asked me if I ever thought about moving to Utah permanently, and I said I'd be open to the possibility if there was a good job waiting. He then told my boss and I that a curator position had opened up at one of the other state park museums, and he thought I'd be perfect for the job. he even ticked off the reasons: I had experience handling artifacts and was familiar with the state park system. I was not a "stuck up" archaeologist who thought they were too good to work the front desk - apparently, this prima donna attitude has been a problem with past candidates. In fact, I had extensive retail experience and could perform most of the tasks of the retail manager. At this point, I figured it was best to be honest, so I pointed out that I didn't have a master's degree and that seemed like something most museums liked in their curators. He agreed that it was preferred, but it was not a requirement for the position, and for this particular position the retail skills would be more valuable and applicable. Plus, he said, I clearly had a good attitude and a 'delightful' personality.
So I've been mulling the idea over ever since my boss forwarded the link to the internal job listing. Do I want a permanent job in Utah? On the one hand, YES. To be a curator, and in charge of my own collection - well, that would be a dream come true! Sure, it wouldn't be an art collection - but to be honest, I've always been as interested in archaeology as much as in art history, so I don't consider that a huge loss. If I can get the position when I technically lack the usual credentials, I would be a fool not to take it. But on the other hand, I love California. That's where my family and my friends are. The weather is perfect. I don't have to drive three hours to get to a Target or a Starbucks. The museum I'm considering, the Fremont Indian State Park Museum, isn't as rural as Boulder, but it definitely isn't close to a city like San Jose.
I shouldn't get ahead of myself. The Division Chief might think I'd be great as the museum's curator, but he's not the one who does the hiring. That's up to the park manager. But there's absolutely no harm in putting in an application. I can always turn the position down if it comes to it - and that's assuming I'll even manage to make it through to an interview in the first place!