Blobseekers Allowance

[troll]

Rightyho, with the current job losses and archaeology staff watching daytime t.v and getting XBox thumbs, how about a thread that discusses:

1. Why is it that archaeologists seem to be unemployable in other industries?
2. How does an archaeologist re-write their c.v?
3. What other industries welcome/value archaeologists? (our own certainly doesn`t)
4. What transferable skills do archaeologists have?
5. How does an archaeologist persuade a potential employer that actually, we`re not from another planet?

For a bit of a giggle, what hideous non-archaeology jobs have you been turned down for? And on what basis were you turned down?

[deadlylampshade]

Serious answer - do a skills based CV (http://www.totaljobs.com/careers-advice/cvs-and-applications/which-cv scroll down to bottom).

Having seen some recent Context Sheets and Sample Sheets I hesitate to offer advice on accuracy and numeracy!:0

Giggle answer...goat milker with a specially designed milking parlour...told not technical enough to operate it!

[Wax]

Fortunately not currently umemployed (but may be soon) when I have been I have signed up with staff agencies and had some weired and wonderful jobs that way
Best sounding was " Cash point machine tester" (many moons ago when such things were a novelty) not real money though
Agency work can be good in that it keeps you employed, pays poor though and some jobs are ............ but as it is often on a weekly basis when archaeological work comes up you can drop it with very little notice.

[ginger]

i may still be young but some of my best where

Sandwich artist (subway) making butties!

equine sales expert (decathlon) selling horse riding stuff

add on merchant (Morrison) the shit you see on the plastic clips hung in the middle of the isle

and the best of all......

assistant mobile sales representative (avon) avon lady assistant!!

and yes i did have all those jobs! lol and no they weren't as good as they sound!
although saying that, people being "intrigued" by my last fieldwork job, has managed to get me at least 3 or 4 interviews! its a good ice breaker! lol

[Cheyenne]

I've actually sacked off getting contract work and gone self employed. Currently doing reconstructions for museums and living history groups. It's where the money is at the moment and people/institutions on the continent seem to have a bit more money that we do here... I'm going to wait until the powers that be realise that heritage services are instrinsic to the social cohesion of the entire country and spend some more money - currently, Vodaphone owe around 200million in back tax to the UK treasury... if the con-dems actually did something about that rather than cutting funding to our industry, we'd all be a lot better off

Rant over

[destroyingangel]

Firstly, couldn't agree more Cheyenne... justifiable rant

Anyway, speaking as someone who is... errr... qualified to answer the questions (six months unemployed and counting)

1. Why is it that archaeologists seem to be unemployable in other industries?

We are both over and under specialised at the same time. For the non-archaeology jobs I've applied for (and actually got some interest/feedback from) they say that I'm either over-qualified and over-experienced in my particular field, yet under qualified and under experienced to move into another one. For my particular specialism (computing stuff), I've got years worth of necessary experience (for archaeological computing), but outside of arch computing (even for those jobs that are close in remit i.e. conservation, ecology, geography) I'm a complete noddy. For non-archaeological computing jobs, I am going up against younger, fitter, faster dudes, some of who have Masters Degrees in computing. Basically, an archaeologist is a 'Jack-of-all-trades, but master of none'.
As Jack of all trades, we are also often too proud to do 'menial' or 'mundane' jobs (unless its to earn some fast cash to: a) pay for the next dig, b) pay off the student loan and/or put off the debt collector, c) pay the bills or d) pay for beer). We think we are 'special' - we are educated, intelligent and deserve respect for our differentness and not-towing-the-line attitude. We don't mind putting up with the sh*t within our own profession, but we won't put up with sh*t in another unless we are desperate. For general McJobs and the like, I'm (we are?) seen as "too proud to work here". That leaves us with temping, but even there we are up against it.
Also as an 'archaeologist', we are often blackballed right from the start. We are a Cinderella profession... everyone wants to be one, those that are one want to stay as one, and die as one. I've been in this profession for nearly 30 years now. I've tried to leave, but it keeps calling me back... that or I just can't kick the habit. Yeah, archaeology is professional heroin! When I'm on it, it's great and I can't get enough, when I'm off it... it's the worst cold turkey going. If you've tried to get out - taking a cv based on this dig, that degree (and that masters degree... oh and that attempted PhD), those desk-jobs to a prospective employer... they'll just look at it and go "he/she's not for us. We feel that you'll take on this job, do it for a while then want to get back to archaeology... we don't feel that you will be committed to us. Why should we spend so many ?1000's on training you up, just for you to dissapear after a few months. Next!"

2. How does an archaeologist re-write their c.v?

After all of the above, basically leave all the archeology crap off the cv. Gear your cv to the employer... most Insurance Sales companies do not need to know that your sepcialism is in "GCMS on food and plant residues adhering to Meso-American pottery". If they do want to know about that (God forbid), then don't bore them to death with it.

3. What other industries welcome/value archaeologists? (our own certainly doesn`t)

If your young enough, adaptable and have a flexible attitude, then other professions will look favourably on you. Do the digging scene for a few years (it looks like an extended gap year on most cv's), then move elsewhere. If your entrenched like I am, then just keep bumbling on... apply anyway.
Suitable professions -
a) Law. The number of times I've seen archaeologists become lawyers is truly astonishing. We, as archaeologists, are literate (did I spell that correctly?), meticulous and methodical. Many skills can be transfreed to law (and vice-versa). Being a lawyer is a good, albeit 'leave your soul and ethics at the doorstep' thing to move into. If you can put aside your (generally) left-of-central, right-on, socially-aware and pc political views, it could be the career for you. The pay's not bad either. There are some positions in the law profession that may ethically sound, but these are few-and-far-between and often oversubscribed (i.e. competition).
b) Archivist/Librarian/Registrar - close in so many ways
c) Undertaker (I see dead people)
d) Ecology / conservation - depends on what you want and what you got. For low-scale practical conservation, archaeology will be looked upon favourably. Higher up (i.e. Ranger) you are up against people who have been doing it a while and/or have qualifications. For environmental consultancy jobs, get on some courses, then apply... you won't get far with just archaeology under yer belt. Learn about fluffys, trees, conservation law and the like. Aboriculture is a good one, but to get one of those you will probably have to take specialised courses in... well for instance... 'aboriculture' (natch), chain-saw use and health-n-safety.
e) I'll think of some more in a while... or maybe there just aren't any more to think of!

Who's going to value us, when we can't even value ourselves? We should be proud for what we are... it's just that we don't shout about it, nor are we able to organise ourselves enough to shout about it. Become accredited, become unionised, value the good, hard-working people in it (and, sorry, but also get rid of those that aren't). simples.

4. What transferable skills do archaeologists have?

Too many to list, but not enough to go on about length about them. Apply the 'Jack-of-all-trades, master of none' principle.

5. How does an archaeologist persuade a potential employer that actually, we`re not from another planet?

Remove the "I'm an archaeologist. I'm brilliant... don'tcha wanna be like me" attitude... a job is a job. Yep, archaeology is a cool profession, but it has it's levels of cr*p just as much as any other. In applying, be honest, be earnest and cross your fingers. Above all, sell yourself not your vocation.

[Dinosaur]

You all seem to be overlooking the truism that the vast majority of archaeology graduates generated by the excessive number of archaeology courses us taxpayers (yes, that includes you, assuming you're working) are expected to fund, don't then go into archaeology-related careers, ergo an archaeology degree is clearly a transferrable qualification. Think the main problem is that, if having graduated you then spend years playing in the mud, you are then regarded by most potential non-archaeology employers as long-haired hippy wasters without the drive to have gone into a 'proper' career with the single-minded targets of a nice car, a Barratt home and 2.4 kids....sad but true.... :face-stir:

[Kel]

Potential non-archaeology employers will only see you as a long-haired hippy waster, if that's how you think about yourself and how you present yourself. Want an office job for a while? Buy a suit, get a haircut, polish your shoes and ditch the facial hair (s'pose that's ladies and gents if we're being politically correct about it...).

My non-archaeology CV contains the sort of transferrable skills that the Grey Suits Full Of Bugger All really appreciate, without actually mentioning the arch*****gy word at all:
- Working as part of a team (digging)
- Team leadership (managing diggers)
- Working systematically within project plans, costs and timescales (even if all you do is lug spoil around, you're still doing this)
- Gathering data according to established standards (filling in context sheets)
- Analysing and interpreting data from a range of sources (trying to figure out what it is you're digging, even if it doesn't appear in anyone else's final report)
- Liaising with clients, contractors, third-party companies and members of the public at all levels (these could pop up on pretty much any site)
- Report writing (if you've done it, sing it out loud)

Conversely, my archaeology CV condenses a 20+ year IT career to half a dozen bullet points. Strangely, pretty much the same ones as above, just expressed as they'd apply to archaeology.

Value what you do. Express and present your skills in a professional way that non-archaeologists can understand and map directly onto the vacancy at hand. Speaking as a former GSFOBA who has recruited for a couple of non-arch organisations, a scruffy covering letter or appearance will scupper you, as will a CV peppered with technical jargon alien to the job you're chasing.

[BAJR]

IT was interesting that archaeology was seen as a good 'all round' degree... much valued..

This is from the Southampton University website (and I am not picking on them per ce... as they represent the general view)
http://www.southampton.ac.uk/archaeology...reers.html

Careers in archaeology

About a quarter of our graduates have pursued a career in archaeology or related subjects. Opportunities exist in practical archaeology as field archaeologists, with national bodies and local authorities, in museum curation or in higher education. We have close links with many archaeological organisations and opportunities exist for placements with several of these bodies over the summer or at the end of your course. This is also helped by further work experience opportunities and careers talks organised by the Archaeology Society.
There are many jobs in archaeology. The estimated archaeological workforce in 2007-08 was 6865, a 20% increase on the figure of 5772 estimated for 2002-03 (and a 55% increase over ten years on the estimated archaeological workforce in 1997-98 of 4425).

Other careers

Archaeology is an all round degree blending academic and practical subjects across arts and science. You will acquire a wide range of key skills that employers look for when appointing graduates. These include presentation skills, use of IT, time management, problem solving and report writing, and analytical skills. Out wide range of assessment methods allows you to develop these skills throughout your degree. In particular fieldwork is highly regarding with respect to potential for working in a professional environment.

What about Bristol Uni?
http://www.bris.ac.uk/careers/dept/archaeology.asp

Archaeology students develop a wide range of skills from their academic study where the analysis of written and statistical data is developed. The practicals, fieldwork and project work, which are a feature of this degree, will build teamworking, communication and technical skills which are transferable to many occupations. Large numbers of graduate vacancies do not require a specific degree discipline; therefore past Archaeology graduates can be found in careers sectors as diverse as charities, publishing, retail and healthcare.

Or how about this now pant wettingly funny (well perhaps not!) view of archaeology from 2007 (thats only 3 years ago folks!) as a damned good degree to give you the world on a plate... with quotes from IfA and CBA about how archaeology means getting your hands dirty... but you can get any other job you want.
http://www.independent.co.uk/student/mag...55597.html

He points to the recent research from the Association of Graduate Recruiters, which found a number of graduates lack soft skills such as communication and presentation skills. "One of the great things about an archaeology degree is that it teases out these skills among students, alongside problem solving and team working. Indeed, they often have to spend summers working on digs doing intense work in intense conditions. You have to get along with your team and be sufficiently analytical to make it a success. I'd also say that archaeology students tend to excel at critically assessing the worth and value of other people's opinions, as well as understanding scientific data and constructing logical written arguments."
Wysocki would like to see more careers advisers informing young people that an archaeology degree is worthwhile for these very reasons. "Careers advisers need to make sure that students understand the degree will give them really good job prospects, as well as offering an exciting three years where they get the opportunity to travel round the country and visit amazing sites. I think it's one of the best degrees you can do."

So why this disparity? Why the fond belief and the harsh reality? Who is kidding who? and do they even know the reality?

In between jobs I used to get to be a Petrol pump attendant, a security guard and a cream boy ( not a word I tell you!! ) I did try for CAD work, survey etc... but "I was too precise", no building job for me... "in case you find something"... etc.... all my transferable skills were as much use as a chocolate fireguard... a concrete lifejacket... etc.

So perhaps the big boys should tell the truth... don't build up hopes...

I tell people now - get a job and do archaeology as a hobby.... OR do archaeology and realise thats it... archaeology or burger operative are the two job options you give yourself.

[Kel]

In fairness, a university prospectus is a sales document. I wouldn't go taking anything on those as gospel - they're trying to get bums on seats and are hardly likely to tell any prospective customer the ghastly truth about the outcome of any of their courses. I bet plenty of people do an Accountancy degree expecting financial comfort and job security, then find that their lives are actually a tedious grey drudge of soul-corroding number crunching and commuting that make the wages irrelevant.

Also, I'm not sure that the employment of fresh graduates is quite the same situation as seasoned archaeologists looking for work outside an area that they've been working in for a while. Graduates with limited work experience in any field, probably find themselves less stereotyped than those of us with ...erm... more life experience (I'm not "old" - I'm "value-added").