14th November 2008, 01:02 PM
Basically, education and outreach is a very technical area to work in with very specific conceptual differences from 'dirty' archaeology. The skills overlap, but you need to totally rethink how you present them in terms of emphasis and language. The PGCE will help, probably mainly to get you thinking in the right mindset and using terms that the outreach bosses (who, after all have an education background...) will understand. That said, relevant qualifications never hurt.
I fell into training/youth work when I packed in archaeology 10 years ago. I then went back to archaeology soon after, but have fallen in and out of education/training since then with some mixed results. It wasn't something I ever really planned, which I appreciate is annoying for those who have tried really hard with no success, but it is possible. It's helped my archaeology and general personal development (I think), so it's been worth it- if nothing else it tided me over a lean period when almost everyone else got laid off. Good luck, but make sure you adapt to a different way of thinking and presenting yourself- that's the key.
I fell into training/youth work when I packed in archaeology 10 years ago. I then went back to archaeology soon after, but have fallen in and out of education/training since then with some mixed results. It wasn't something I ever really planned, which I appreciate is annoying for those who have tried really hard with no success, but it is possible. It's helped my archaeology and general personal development (I think), so it's been worth it- if nothing else it tided me over a lean period when almost everyone else got laid off. Good luck, but make sure you adapt to a different way of thinking and presenting yourself- that's the key.