A New Phase part 4

 

Today is Labor Day, and nothing happens on Labor Day. These days not much happens at colleges on any day, but for today, not at all.  So it was a good day to take care of things I have to do before I attempt to get a job at one.  

Earlier this year I was asked to send an updated CV to the dean at my university, and I did so. This is mostly because the dean has never set foot in the department, or met any of the faculty, or probably has a clue what we do there, but he needs to learn some of that stuff.  Today I made a new duplicate of the file (on my computer), and updated the new file with address information not related to that school. Easy task.

Taking more time was creating an online portfolio.  I did this with a blog- free, huge amounts of memory available, and can be read by anyone with a computer. In the old days, when you applied for anything you sent 35 mm slides, a page containing 20 of them, plus a SASE so you could get them back.  Slide film isn't even made anymore, so I've been shooting digital examples of all work for years. I still have slides and use them with my classes, where the students are fascinated with the projector, which is essentially a powerful light bulb and a lens.  Very low-tech, but still the best way to show an image to a whole class at once.  But as I wrote, slide film isn't available these days, so I use digital for posting things to my school blog, etc. I have hundreds of images on my computer, so I simply started a new blog, and went through all my folders, selecting images for this portfolio.  With no more specific instructions given, I put together the equivalent of a page of personal work, and a page each for Printmaking, Drawing, and 2D Design, the three classes I see advertised. 

Since I can't apply through the official place, all I can do is contact the department person, and the job listing does provide an email address.  No point in doing that today, but when I am ready to, a simple email, introducing myself, expressing my interest and qualifications for those 3 classes (if they are actually looking for someone), contact information, and an offer to send images, the CV, transcripts, etc, which I can get out in about a minute.  Then I wait and see.  But it's all ready to go right now.