Hello, my name is Karl Wolff and I am looking to get hired by you!  What do I have to offer?  Check out my resume.  I am the best candidate and have the experience to prove it.

Experience and Positive Change

For the past two years, I have worked as Curator of Collections at the History Center of Olmsted County.  Over those past years, I have brought positive change with nine new exhibits and a vastly improved artifact storage area.  Prior to my hiring, the storage areas had crowded aisles and were physically dangerous to navigate.  Now the aisles are clear and the space is better organized.

I was Project Manager for the Rochester Area Foundation Grant.  This involved overseeing an inventory of the History Center’s fine art, furniture, and tools.  I managed two part-time staff members funded by the RAF Grant as well as two volunteers assisting in the project.  During the project, team members and I drafted new collections management method0logies.  We also discussed the necessary strategies for a more efficient shelving of artifacts.  I learned as much as my peers in this experience, greatly increasing my knowledge in the specific artifacts the History Center possessed, and my own leadership abilities.

New Discoveries and Opportunities

With Andrew Bloedorn, a UW-Milwaukee Museum Studies intern, we rediscovered a cache of Paleo-Indian artifacts donated by Al Schumann.  Upon further consultation, it was discovered that the Paleo-Indian artifacts came from north central Wisconsin in the Hixton region.  The site in Eyota where Al Schumann discovered the artifacts is now the oldest known archeological site in Minnesota.  The cache and the story of their significance is currently on exhibit in the History Center.  The exhibit opening — which drew a total of 120 people — has provided the History Center with additional opportunities this coming Archeology Week in May.

Diversified Background

Prior to my curatorial work, I received the Teaching Assistant Fellowship from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  I taught for two and a half years in the UWM History Department. I led discussion sections, graded papers, and proctored exams.  I taught a variety of classes including: The Vietnam War, Early American History, Modern American History, Global History, and Native American History.  In each case, I received positive reviews from my supervising professors.

While at UW-Milwaukee, I also completed and received approval for my Master’s Thesis.  The thesis focused on the Biblical interpretation of monsters in the early modern Germany.  (Thesis available upon request.)

In addition to my museum experience, I have worked for two years as a production specialist at Today’s TMJ-4 in Milwaukee, an NBC affiliate.  I worked as floor manager, TelePrompTer operator, and with Antero graphics software.  During September 11th and the aftermath, I volunteered my skills as a researcher, assisting the newsroom staff with information on Afghanistan, Central Asia, and international terrorism.

Writer, Reviewer, Historian

I have also written book reviews for Blogcritics.org on books of fiction and poetry.  I am available to write histories for corporate, institutional, or individual projects.  I guarantee to produce a quality product, be it a corporate history or a personal history.  I have experience working with historical archives, genealogy, and in academic research.

Recently I was recruited to write essays for the website The Best TV Shows You’re Not Watching. My essays examined pop cultural trends, pertinent themes, and the future of the broadcast medium.  While the topics sound heady, I wrote them in readable approachable prose.

Finally, I manage two blogs.  The one you’re presently reading and The Driftless Area Review.  At the Driftless Area Review I review fiction and non-fiction.  I am currently writing essays as part of a major project entitled “The Art of Reviewing” which examines notable reviewers and critics.  These include book critics, automotive critics, food critics, and more.  Reviewing, like writing an exhibit label in a museum, is a rarefied art form.

I appreciate your taking the time to review my credentials and experience. Again, thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Karl Wolff