13th March 2013, 11:11 AM
Overall, I'm not sure I'd do anything differently. I missed my first opportunity to get into archaeology as an 18 year old school leaver in the early 80s. I instead opted for a bash at an academic career which turned out to be a disasterous dead-end. If I'd gone into archaeology back then I'd have had a better shot of long-term employment in it. However, I'd never have earned enough alone to be financially secure or own my own home.
Going into archaeology as a 40-something, I have the opposite problem. My accidental IT career has paid off the mortgage and given me the savings which allow me to try out archaeology. On the other hand, I now emerge blinking into an economic climate which is bitterly harsh for fresh archy graduates (never mind middle-aged ones), with little left of my life savings and in all probability, no employment prospects.
So I don't know, really. I wouldn't have missed archaeology for the world, even if it means I now have to scratch round for unrelated jobs for the rest of my life. And at least I know I'll have a roof over my head, despite not being able to afford to heat it these days. It sort of balances out for me. Think I've done it right (ask me again in three years when the bailiffs arrive!)
Going into archaeology as a 40-something, I have the opposite problem. My accidental IT career has paid off the mortgage and given me the savings which allow me to try out archaeology. On the other hand, I now emerge blinking into an economic climate which is bitterly harsh for fresh archy graduates (never mind middle-aged ones), with little left of my life savings and in all probability, no employment prospects.
So I don't know, really. I wouldn't have missed archaeology for the world, even if it means I now have to scratch round for unrelated jobs for the rest of my life. And at least I know I'll have a roof over my head, despite not being able to afford to heat it these days. It sort of balances out for me. Think I've done it right (ask me again in three years when the bailiffs arrive!)