A Golden Gopher, that is. (Image via tumblr)
I have been keeping this news to myself for the last month because I don’t like sharing things until they’re 110% set in stone.
Tomorrow I start my new job as the Graphic and Multimedia Designer for the University of Minnesota College of Design.
- I’ll be working with the communications and alumni departments to design campaigns for the college.
- This is pretty similar to what I did at Drake and at Iowa State, but for a different university.
- I chose the College of Design because I know the audience best (having been a design student for nearly a decade), and because the work can be a bit more artsy than work I’ve done professionally in the past.
For those of you who are wondering about me teaching, don’t fret!
I’m planning to teach at some point in my career. I chose to go back into industry right now for a few reasons.
- Teaching positions only come about once a year — in January. That means I could be waiting until January to start applying (if any jobs are even available in the area) and IF I got a teaching job, I wouldn’t start work until August 2017 (!!!). Although we can squeak by on Mark’s salary, we are itching to buy a house. We decided I’d go back into industry for a while, but only if there was a good opportunity for me.
- The right opportunity presented itself. I need a job that not only allows me to directly impact others, but one that allows me to keep learning and to remain relevant. This position promises all of those things.
- Adjunct (and other types of teaching) positions might still be an option. If, after a while, it looks like I could work my full-time job and teach a class on the side, I will consider doing so. I did this in the past when I worked with The Workspace at Iowa State.
Bottom line is that I love teaching, but I don’t need to officially be a teacher to keep doing what I love. What I love about teaching is sharing knowledge with others, which is what I do here on a daily basis. Teaching also forces me to keep learning, which is something that my new job promises to do as well.
//
I’m excited to start my new role tomorrow. Wish me luck!
