Looking for new opportunities (paid or volunteer)

Having taken several months off, I’m starting to think about what to do next. So I’m looking for interesting opportunities outside of high-tech. And, dear blog reader, I am hoping for your help. I want to talk to interesting people doing interesting things, particularly if they might lead to a paid position. (I am open to starting as a volunteer.) Here’s a summary of what I’m looking for.

Areas of interest (in order of preference):

1. Organizations working in the realm of art. I’m completely open about what organization and what role.
2. Organizations doing cool stuff that is not art.
3. Anything that is not high-tech.
4. Anything that is not software project management.

Skills I bring to the table:

• Professional project manager. I’ve spent twenty years getting the job done. That means identifying, coordinating, and organizing the logistics of getting a project from an idea to a successful finish, and managing the team that’s doing it. I’m also good at analyzing and streamlining processes.
• Good networking and relationship-building skills – you don’t survive as a project manager without it.
• Superb analytic skills. I have a math degree from Caltech, which you simply cannot get unless you are (a) smart, and (b) hard-working.
• Excellent writing skills – enough to write and sell a book, in addition to the blog and a bazillion magazine articles. I’d probably be killer on grant proposals.
• Practicing artist -here’s the list of publications and awards.

Timeframe: I can volunteer for several months before I need paid employment. My goal at the moment isn’t money specifically (though money is always good!), but gaining experience, expanding my network in the art/nonprofit/non-high-tech world, and finding a position I can be passionate about.

Basically, I want to talk to interesting people doing interesting things, particularly if they might lead to a paid position. That is deliberately vague; my intent for the next few months is to explore intriguing byways until I find something that “clicks”. So if you know someone working at an art-related organization, doing an fascinating project, or leading a cool startup or nonprofit in my area, I’d love to hear about it. (I live in Sunnyvale, California.)

If you know anyone who might be interesting to talk to, or would like to suggest an organization to contact, please drop me a line at tien@tienchiu.com. Please pass the word! And a big thank you to you, my blog readers, for helping.