18th July 2013, 10:15 PM
You are right to think twice about committing yourself to a Masters, funded or not. A masters in a topic that interests you and/or you wish to pursue as your specialism may be worthwhile, but one that is just a qualification isn't worth the time and money. The only selling point I would see from a non-relevant masters would be the dissertation demonstrating that you could devise, thoroughly research, and report on a substantial subject - I would therefore advise you to consider your aversion to this element.
More generally, I think you will have to accept that, with the job market in archaeology as it is, you will probably need to take up any opportunities you can, whatever the practical problems. The internship schemes are designed to be just-about-liveable-on, and anything that adds to your breadth of expreience is valuable.
The people you should be talking to are your lecturers and post-grads who can advise on what your next step should be.
And as has been said many times before, get a driving licence, get a CSCS card, and join the IfA.
More generally, I think you will have to accept that, with the job market in archaeology as it is, you will probably need to take up any opportunities you can, whatever the practical problems. The internship schemes are designed to be just-about-liveable-on, and anything that adds to your breadth of expreience is valuable.
The people you should be talking to are your lecturers and post-grads who can advise on what your next step should be.
And as has been said many times before, get a driving licence, get a CSCS card, and join the IfA.