5th July 2011, 10:19 AM
Marcus Brody Wrote:What would you see yourself doing in the longer term? You said that you didn't see yourself staying in academia, and you don't see the commercial sector as a viable career path for more than a couple of years, so what sort of jobs would you ideally be looking for? As you say, it's difficult to get commercial experience at the moment, with the units being able to pick and choose between several candidates for each job. There's a risk that you may be seen as overqualified for a digging job, on the assumption that you'll be off at the first offer of an academic position.
I don't mean to be negative or dismissive, I'm just curious as to what you see yourself doing for the next 30-40 years of your life. I'd advise anyone thinking of undertaking an MA or PhD to think about the sort of job you want to have before you start, and ask yourself whether that additional qualification is necessary to getting it, or whether you'll find yourself at the end of the course more deeply in debt but no closer to getting the job you want.
I'd like to come back to academia, after some more experience in the commercial/heritage sector. I've dabbled in several things and I really like working with the public on history/heritage/archaeology related matters and have tried to apply for jobs along those lines but alas to no success. When I started the PhD I was sure I wanted to do academia and I still do, but maybe do academia in 5-10 years time when hopefully have some publications under my belt and more digging experience.