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You bet!
Fortunately it will a grading and career structured system agreed by all the major players and tied to an external audit/benchmark - thus parity with external and comparable positions... it won't happen overnight... but it will happen.
BAJR is just one person, so anything I came up with would not be fair - based upon the views of one meglamaniac (rather than lots of them
) Thus its good that the process is not only underway, but making real progress,.
Currently ... I am working on an online/offline database system for working out where you are just now (in terms of modules) and where you want to go (in terms of something as simple as I want to be a Project Officer... or a Senior Illustrator or a HER Post) and it will tell you how to get there - Big job.... but hey... it fills the day
"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu
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Digger, I obviously can't comment on specific situations but reading between the lines I can get the general jist! However, if I have read it correctly, I would imagine that what I have said above still holds true - if there isn't a position to promote to, then yes promotion would have the potential jeopardise the whole finds team.
Re. being in a position to move area - this is definately a problem for a lot of people trying to push their career forward. At present, I am in a similar situation with family commitments making it an impossibility to move further than a reasonable commute outside of the area I live in and it is extremely frustrating to see ideal jobs coming and going!
Melandra
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Posted by Melandra:
Quote:quote:I think there are probably very few of us on here that haven't had to move for a better oppotunity at least once in our career, whatever branch we have chosen
That is a problem that affects many people in archaeology - but while many of our problems are unique (or more severe than in other professions), this one isn't. Most people in most professions have to move to achieve the career progression they want.
For some, of course, that means moving employer but not necessarily home. However, we are not the only small profession where there may be few employers to choose from in any given area.
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished
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Another (occasional) advantage to finds over fields is that they can go by post. I know of several regionally specialised finds people that now live far from where the stuff they study was dug up. Quite how they got themselves to that convenient position I don't know.
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I'm contributing here as someone who recently applied for a couple of the finds officer positions recently advertised on BAJR, was shortlisted for both of the ones I applied for, and has recently been offered one of them (I'm twiddling my thumbs while my references are being checked).
I'm perhaps a particularly severe example of someone who's moved around to find work; I've been fortunate in that my material and period specialisation has allowed me to move between the UK, the USA and - most recently - Australia. In what's perhaps a sign of borderline masochism, I'm now preparing to pack up and return to the UK from Melbourne in the space of only 2 1/2 months.
But as Melandra has pointed out, this isn't always practical. This is the first time that I'll be making a move like this since marrying 3 years ago, and if there had been any children in tow (which there obviously aren't), I'm not sure this rapid turnover would have been feasible. I also have a very sympathetic and supportive wife! Again, I recognise that I'm an extreme case of moving to find work, and not everyone can have this level of flexibility.
While I'm going to be discreet here about the identity of my not-quite-absolutely-confirmed new employers, I think it's worth noting that they are offering to pay me at the top end of their grade 6 (just over 22k), and are also throwing in a not ungenerous 2,000 pound resettlement package. I hope that helps to show that a decent wage is possible for finds specialists/officers once you have gained the experience, though I recognise that this payscale is by no means universal for this sort of position (and I have both a PhD and supervisorial experience on 3 continents, so I make no claim to being typical).
Oh, and a quick edit to add a thank you to BAJR for helping me find my new job!
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Good to hear that Vakraas ... and good to hear that payscales are actually used by that company, where exp and ability counts and that its not just employ at lowest level... I think I know who this is.. and could say... they do try to be the employer that we all hope for...
And thanks for thanking BAJR... all part of the service.
)
"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu
