Hi! My name is Kristian Payne and I will be transitioning out of the Army for the next 8 months. I am focused on working towards getting the education to pursue a career in Archaeology, but I want to be well-prepared and on the right track for the necessary courses needed. I am also seeking advice on which institutions have the best programs available. I am currently enrolled in TAP classes and have applied for both the Service to School and Warrior-Scholar Programs. If there is anyone you know that could lend me a hand or has some experience in the archaeology field, I would greatly appreciate you reaching out and connecting me with them!
Thank you for reading!
Answers
Great suggestions to check out Uni's and the reachout via LinkedIn.
I recently learned that in LinkedIn under the work tab there's a Groups app, type in archaeologist or whatever and you'll get a list back of folk to consider reaching out to.
The Society for American Archaeology has some possible contact points listed under Education and Outreach, though admittedly many are targeted toward younger folks. One listed in particular; Earthwatch, pre-pandemic had quite a few digs going throughout the world. (https://www.saa.org/education-outreach/teaching-archaeology/teacher-training-field-opportunities) (https://earthwatch.org/)
Consider also other non-profits such as natural history museums as possible mentor sources. I had the good fortune to participate in Eastern Woodlands digs years ago when Dr. David Brose was with the Cleveland Museum of Nat History.
Hello, Kristian
Ah, anthropology! A wonderful career that is pretty fulfilling but jobs in the field are few and far between. That said, there are numerous "digs" going on around the world, mostly in the ancient worlds of Israel, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, and South America, i.e., Chile and Peru.
If you contact the local universities in these countries and/or their national museums, I am confident you can find a contact who can tell you about how best to enter the field. I was an anthropology minor in college but went into special education and then into marketing and product management. I still have a love for anthropology and archeology and I am always excited to learn what scientists and researchers are "digging up" and newly discovering these days. I think at this junction you might seek an "internship" at one of the digs, work for a year onsite--hopefully paid or at least with room and board as compensation--and that may open some doors, or crypts, as it were.
Much success in your new career.
Regards,
David F Eastman
Life Science Industry Marketing Consultant, US Navy Veteran.
Career Coach (no charge) - reach out to me on LinkedIn - you should start making connections there by doing informational interviews and building your network - I have over 9200 professional connections - also Navy Vet.
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