<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <html><head><style type="text/css"></style><title>[CAUT] CAUT Endorsement (was Re: Job Opening, U. of Michi</title></head><body> <div><font face="Arial" size="-4" color="#000000">Well, if you need something to keep you busy.<br> <br> Some of you old-timers may remember when I was on staff at Illinois Wesleyan.  When I started there I had been a tech for 8 years and was one of those "home" tuners.  Yet, I got the call and was told, "I hear you're the only game in town."  I started out on a contract.  When I handed the director of music and piano faculty the Guidelines, the director's response was that it was a self-serving piece of propaganda. He wanted to know what other similar schools were doing.  Well, that wasn't going to work, was it? To sell IWU's school of music on a full time position (90 instruments)  I had to write reports using "IWU's" numbers and data, explaining what in meant in terms for "IWU."  After 5 years and umpteen reports later, the position was made full time and the rebuilding and piano purchasing plans were approved.  I was there one semester with full benefits and then my husband accepted that job in Texas....<br> <br> Anyway, the point is, they didn't give a you know what about my qualifications (RPT, assistant to God, whatever).  What counted was the work I did and that I could explain in terms that they would understand how they would benefit from the proposals I made.<br> <br> If it were up to me, which it is not, I'd concentrate on upgrading skills and finding ways for individual techs to communicate  with their faculty and administration (including making reports & proposals specific to one's institution).<br> <br> BTW, I know the story behind a former job ad from a major institution.  A faculty member, or some faculty members wanted a certain technician, but according to law, they had to advertise.  So, they wrote the qualifications to match that certain technician--RPT, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music.  It turned out that the "wanted" technician found something else he wanted more, the surprise was there was another tech out there interested in the job that had those qualifications.  What I do know, is that when a professor from that major institution came to visit at IWU, he told one of my faculty that he wished they had pianos like ours at his school....  I was sort of surprised because I was wrestling with mid 70's S&Ss.  It's crazy out there...<br> <br> Man, I've got to get to work.</font></div> <x-sigsep><pre>-- </pre></x-sigsep> <div><br> Regards,<br> <br> Jon Page</div> </body> </html>