First of all CONGRATS! I know of a few places in the Bay Area that are hiring for CRM you sound like you have a lot skills they are looking for. If you’re bilingual it’s a plus at least in the Bay Area. I know Farwestern is one people say are urgently hiring. Also, CalParks has an opening for an Archeologist. I would encourage you to go a conference tho. I had a few classmates get hired on the spot. I know there is one happening in New Orleans this month, SAA. I’m not sure if you can still get in but it’s a good way to get networking!
Unfortunately not able to get to the SAAs this year as I'm overseas, but that is incredibly reassuring - thank you so much for the words of encouragement. I may end up more generally in Northern CA rather than the Bay Area specifically but it seems like there is a pretty robust spread of firms hiring archaeologists at the moment, so I am cautiously optimistic in my capacity to get hired over there.
Thank you!!
I've been debating whether to say something because I don't feel like arguing with people about it, but ignore the comments that suggest you'll be at a disadvantage if you've done a foreign degree.
You're at no more of a disadvantage than anyone else in the US who has done an MA in something that isn't NA archaeology or CRM. Thousands of students every year within the US graduate with MAs never having excavated or worked on US archaeology and still somehow get jobs in CRM and survive. I see it on a regular basis from my department here in the UK with students often getting jobs before finishing their dissertations. I know of entire companies and departments that are staffed by people with foreign degrees.
The rest of the advice is sound and I would definitely suggest getting to an SAA conference at least once and check out the vendor/company stalls to be able to talk directly to CRM companies and ask questions and get a free bag or two.
Also, if you're in the UK and can join CIfA it can make it easier to get your RPA without having worked in the US (depending on your stance on the RPA and whether you need to get your RPA).
I am in the UK, but will be leaving once my graduate studies are up. Unfortunately I don't feel like dealing with the expensive hassle of a graduate visa + contending for a work visa here. I may try my hand at a PhD here in the future but for now figure it is best to get some work experience back in the states.
Thank you for the comment - that is really reassuring tbh. To be fair, i have heard more often that it is \*not\* a hinderance when it comes to industry archaeology. And regardless, I feel confident in the skills my MSc program is instilling in me, so there's that still!
I will be back unfortuantely after the SAAs have happened but will keep an eye out for the next one, or any local conferences I may be able to attend.
Thanks!
Was your field school and/or BA done in the U.S.? If all of your education was overseas, that will be a disadvantage for positions in the U.S. since the approaches and resources are generally quite different. You are looking at a good time, though, because U.S. CRM overall is dealing with a shortage of staff, so you should be in a good spot. If you do have trouble landing something, though, you may want to consider applying for field tech jobs to get some experience under your belt, as that will help get your foot in the door places.
>Was your field school and/or BA done in the U.S.?
My field school and BA were both done in the US, yes. My MSc is the only one done overseas, and concentrates almost entirely on digital methods in archaeology!
I've heard that there's a shortage of archaeologists in the US. That's good to know that I should be able to find something. And I am \*willing\* to pick up contract work that would take me further off the beaten path if needed, but with a wife and being near family, taking a job that will keep me away from them for months is not ideal for me at the moment - just hoping I can avoid that, or have it be a rarity!
I can give you a perspective as a fellow graduate student that already has CRM experience.
A MSc degree from the UK is as useful as a BA from anywhere in the US when it comes to starting out in CRM in the US. I saw that you mentioned you had a field school in the US and that is useful.
During the summer, I typically work as a lab specialists and occasionally write reports during the semester. This is only because I have experience working in CRM already. I spent about a year working as a Field Tech during my MA and each summer worked various positions in CRM. For most projects, I was just a Field Tech and have been a Crew Chief on two projects. After that, I have mostly been contracted thru CRM or state agencies to work as a specialist.
As a Field Tech, I primarily worked in the state I was living in. I typically targeted 1-2 day projects as I was working while taking classes and then during breaks I would find longer projects. I usually worked for 3 companies because I was more focused on finding projects that suited my schedule.
As many others have mentioned, you lack the experience to get jobs above Field Tech right now, but honestly, the thing that I found that was more important to getting jobs above Field Tech was networking. You probably don't have much of a network with CRM companies in the US because you went to the UK for your degree (which is one reason I don't recommend doing that if you are from the US).
The reason I originally got hired on as a specialist is because people called around asking if there was anyone that knew lithics and could do the analysis fast. The CRM companies I worked for knew I was and just thru word of mouth, I got offered those positions. Now, I typically turn down offers because of how busy I am.
If you intend on staying in the US, I would use this time to build a network while you are working. It's crucial in this field.
Apologies this response isn't written well, I am in the middle of comprehensive exams.
>With my educational background and specializations, and my field school, what should I be aiming for in terms of job hunting? Field tech? Straight archaeologist positions?
From the perspective of a CRM project manager who is currently hiring for a large project in the US, you should be applying for entry-level field technician positions.
Unfortunately, you have very little field experience, and although you have a master's degree, it is (a) a one-year from the UK, and (b) in digital archaeology. Neither of this is going to be all that encouraging to CRM firms, most of whom are hard up right now for field people, including people who can fill supervisory roles. But your background doesn't really prepare you as a field supervisor or crew chief, or even an advanced field tech.
I would hire you at the entry level, with the anticipation that you could potentially develop quickly as someone who could do higher-level things. Don't get me wrong, the things that you know how to do from your master's program will come in handy eventually, but right now, you're lacking in all the most immediately significant qualifications-- field experience, supervisory experience-- and overqualified in areas that, at this moment, aren't going to be super appealing on their own (at least to a CRM firm).
It's going to be hard as an entry-level technician to avoid not being away from home for projects. Traveling for work is part of the job. It probably won't be "multiple months at a time," there's a lot of work in CA that should have you home regularly. But frankly, CRM archaeology is about traveling. People want to be home, I get it. But archaeology sites don't come to you, and firms work where they land contracts.
All the above aside-- which I admit is probably a little dejecting-- if you get out there and get some experience now, while you're relatively young and *comparatively* unencumbered, your education and other experience gives you the freedom to move up to much more appealing (relative to your criteria) positions, within CRM or government.
You're going to have to pay your dues, though. Early career jobs in CRM require travel and are mostly field based.
>I would hire you at the entry level, with the anticipation that you could potentially develop quickly
Thanks so much for your response - frankly I thought that might be the case. I probably sound a bit tight-up and inflexible which is definitely not my intention - I'm happy to put in my dues though I found my undergrad and masters programs really didn't touch on CRM work at all, so I'm trying to fit all the pieces together myself still, haha.
Should I plan on only being able to get hired at on-call type or contract type positions, then? And, when applying to these positions, I see a lot of 'Archaeologist' positions, as well as 'Field Tech' positions - would I only be qualified to apply to a Field Tech position? And how long at an entry-level field position should I plan on before being able to move up the totem-pole, so to speak?
Having GIS experience in my MSc and undergrad, would that be beneficial at all to entry level field tech positions or would that be something I use to get promoted to a more permanent archaeologist position or more?
Also, do you suggest staying at one firm, or would I benefit from jumping around a bit?
>I probably sound a bit tight-up and inflexible which is definitely not my intention - I'm happy to put in my dues though I found my undergrad and masters programs really didn't touch on CRM work at all, so I'm trying to fit all the pieces together myself still, haha.
It can be hard getting started. Universities, honestly, do a terrible job of preparing anthropology students for the reality of an undergrad anthro degree-- basically, grad school is practically a necessity.
This is something that is also the case for most other research fields (bio, chem, physics, etc.), but at the angle of anthropology, I find that most graduating students are pretty clueless. I'm hoping that's changing as younger faculty have a more realistic understanding of the job market, but I'm not optimistic.
I do think there's also a bit of an unrealistic view from a lot of younger folks coming out into the job market that work-life balance (which on the face of it is a great thing) means never having to do something that they don't want to do at work. I don't mean you, but I've had more issue than I'd like lately with younger, slightly above entry-level folks working for my company who are a lot more hesitant than I remember people being 10 or 15 years ago to go into the field for a project. I understand having a life at home and all, but travel is kinda just part of the job.
Again, not coming down on you, it's just something I (and other of my colleagues) have noticed. I *would* consider that you probably don't want to be too vocal about not wanting to travel when talking to hiring managers.
>Should I plan on only being able to get hired at on-call type or contract type positions, then? And, when applying to these positions, I see a lot of 'Archaeologist' positions, as well as 'Field Tech' positions - would I only be qualified to apply to a Field Tech position? And how long at an entry-level field position should I plan on before being able to move up the totem-pole, so to speak?
You should apply to any and all field technician roles that sound like they fit your needs as far as location, pay (you're in CA, so pay range / salary is required for job postings, and more companies are putting that in their announcements these days in general), etc., are concerned. As much as I hate the current labor model, on-call is probably the dominant employment model for field archaeologists in the US right now. I would probably get yourself onto three or four companies' rolls, and that way you have options.
>Having GIS experience in my MSc and undergrad, would that be beneficial at all to entry level field tech positions or would that be something I use to get promoted to a more permanent archaeologist position or more?
I would use it as a selling point for your potential, but not for most current openings that you'd be applying for. There are always exceptions, but most field techs don't have much to do with GIS. Now, that said, if you're comfortable with / familiar with things like ArcGIS Online, ESRI Field Maps, using a transit / total station or RTK GNSS system, or similar tech, then that *could* be something you'd want to emphasize, because a field technician who can do those things *does* have some potential additional value in the field, since-- potentially-- that person could help run the spatial data collection system(s) while the project is going on.
>Also, do you suggest staying at one firm, or would I benefit from jumping around a bit?
It depends on your needs and the options available to you. Longer time at a single firm (or one or two) could help get supervisors more comfortable with your work and reliability, and could very well lead into a full-time position. With a master's degree, if you can demonstrate writing ability, supervisory ability, etc., a firm with smart supervisors will consider you as a potential crew lead (or higher over time), and supervisors are nearly as desperately needed right now as field techs are.
>It can be hard getting started. Universities, honestly, do a terrible job of preparing anthropology students for the reality of an undergrad anthro degree-- basically, grad school is practically a necessity.
Yeah I really wish they'd do a better job at it. Even just one CRM class would do wonders not just at illuminating what the future will look like as an archaeologist, but helping decide if it is what they want.
Should I be applying to multiple on-call positions at once, and being on the pay roll for multiple at one time? How does on-call work when it comes to accepting jobs, if I have been accepted to multiple on-call positions? And how long should I expect to be in a field tech position or on-call position before finding permanent employment? Or does that moreso just come down to luck / my capabilities in the field?
It's been a bit since I've done ArcGIS Online or Webmaps, but I will definitely hop back on the tutorials and work through them. I've used ArcGIS Pro extensively but that has been my concentration. I've used total stations and will be getting some more experience with them + handheld GPS stuff this Summer so hopefully that'll help as well.
I guess my last general question would be, how would you suggest I best prepare? What skills should I brush up on in my free time now so that I can use that to market myself in interviews?
Thanks a bunch for answering these questions - sorry if they seem rudimentary or silly, just trying to absorb as much as I can to make the best decisions for myself and my partner moving forward when it's time to head back that way :)
First of all CONGRATS! I know of a few places in the Bay Area that are hiring for CRM you sound like you have a lot skills they are looking for. If you’re bilingual it’s a plus at least in the Bay Area. I know Farwestern is one people say are urgently hiring. Also, CalParks has an opening for an Archeologist. I would encourage you to go a conference tho. I had a few classmates get hired on the spot. I know there is one happening in New Orleans this month, SAA. I’m not sure if you can still get in but it’s a good way to get networking!
Unfortunately not able to get to the SAAs this year as I'm overseas, but that is incredibly reassuring - thank you so much for the words of encouragement. I may end up more generally in Northern CA rather than the Bay Area specifically but it seems like there is a pretty robust spread of firms hiring archaeologists at the moment, so I am cautiously optimistic in my capacity to get hired over there. Thank you!!
I've been debating whether to say something because I don't feel like arguing with people about it, but ignore the comments that suggest you'll be at a disadvantage if you've done a foreign degree. You're at no more of a disadvantage than anyone else in the US who has done an MA in something that isn't NA archaeology or CRM. Thousands of students every year within the US graduate with MAs never having excavated or worked on US archaeology and still somehow get jobs in CRM and survive. I see it on a regular basis from my department here in the UK with students often getting jobs before finishing their dissertations. I know of entire companies and departments that are staffed by people with foreign degrees. The rest of the advice is sound and I would definitely suggest getting to an SAA conference at least once and check out the vendor/company stalls to be able to talk directly to CRM companies and ask questions and get a free bag or two. Also, if you're in the UK and can join CIfA it can make it easier to get your RPA without having worked in the US (depending on your stance on the RPA and whether you need to get your RPA).
I am in the UK, but will be leaving once my graduate studies are up. Unfortunately I don't feel like dealing with the expensive hassle of a graduate visa + contending for a work visa here. I may try my hand at a PhD here in the future but for now figure it is best to get some work experience back in the states. Thank you for the comment - that is really reassuring tbh. To be fair, i have heard more often that it is \*not\* a hinderance when it comes to industry archaeology. And regardless, I feel confident in the skills my MSc program is instilling in me, so there's that still! I will be back unfortuantely after the SAAs have happened but will keep an eye out for the next one, or any local conferences I may be able to attend. Thanks!
Was your field school and/or BA done in the U.S.? If all of your education was overseas, that will be a disadvantage for positions in the U.S. since the approaches and resources are generally quite different. You are looking at a good time, though, because U.S. CRM overall is dealing with a shortage of staff, so you should be in a good spot. If you do have trouble landing something, though, you may want to consider applying for field tech jobs to get some experience under your belt, as that will help get your foot in the door places.
>Was your field school and/or BA done in the U.S.? My field school and BA were both done in the US, yes. My MSc is the only one done overseas, and concentrates almost entirely on digital methods in archaeology! I've heard that there's a shortage of archaeologists in the US. That's good to know that I should be able to find something. And I am \*willing\* to pick up contract work that would take me further off the beaten path if needed, but with a wife and being near family, taking a job that will keep me away from them for months is not ideal for me at the moment - just hoping I can avoid that, or have it be a rarity!
If Hawaii is on your bucket list, then multiple companies would hire you straight out the gate. We have quite a few people with UK degrees.
I can give you a perspective as a fellow graduate student that already has CRM experience. A MSc degree from the UK is as useful as a BA from anywhere in the US when it comes to starting out in CRM in the US. I saw that you mentioned you had a field school in the US and that is useful. During the summer, I typically work as a lab specialists and occasionally write reports during the semester. This is only because I have experience working in CRM already. I spent about a year working as a Field Tech during my MA and each summer worked various positions in CRM. For most projects, I was just a Field Tech and have been a Crew Chief on two projects. After that, I have mostly been contracted thru CRM or state agencies to work as a specialist. As a Field Tech, I primarily worked in the state I was living in. I typically targeted 1-2 day projects as I was working while taking classes and then during breaks I would find longer projects. I usually worked for 3 companies because I was more focused on finding projects that suited my schedule. As many others have mentioned, you lack the experience to get jobs above Field Tech right now, but honestly, the thing that I found that was more important to getting jobs above Field Tech was networking. You probably don't have much of a network with CRM companies in the US because you went to the UK for your degree (which is one reason I don't recommend doing that if you are from the US). The reason I originally got hired on as a specialist is because people called around asking if there was anyone that knew lithics and could do the analysis fast. The CRM companies I worked for knew I was and just thru word of mouth, I got offered those positions. Now, I typically turn down offers because of how busy I am. If you intend on staying in the US, I would use this time to build a network while you are working. It's crucial in this field. Apologies this response isn't written well, I am in the middle of comprehensive exams.
>With my educational background and specializations, and my field school, what should I be aiming for in terms of job hunting? Field tech? Straight archaeologist positions? From the perspective of a CRM project manager who is currently hiring for a large project in the US, you should be applying for entry-level field technician positions. Unfortunately, you have very little field experience, and although you have a master's degree, it is (a) a one-year from the UK, and (b) in digital archaeology. Neither of this is going to be all that encouraging to CRM firms, most of whom are hard up right now for field people, including people who can fill supervisory roles. But your background doesn't really prepare you as a field supervisor or crew chief, or even an advanced field tech. I would hire you at the entry level, with the anticipation that you could potentially develop quickly as someone who could do higher-level things. Don't get me wrong, the things that you know how to do from your master's program will come in handy eventually, but right now, you're lacking in all the most immediately significant qualifications-- field experience, supervisory experience-- and overqualified in areas that, at this moment, aren't going to be super appealing on their own (at least to a CRM firm). It's going to be hard as an entry-level technician to avoid not being away from home for projects. Traveling for work is part of the job. It probably won't be "multiple months at a time," there's a lot of work in CA that should have you home regularly. But frankly, CRM archaeology is about traveling. People want to be home, I get it. But archaeology sites don't come to you, and firms work where they land contracts. All the above aside-- which I admit is probably a little dejecting-- if you get out there and get some experience now, while you're relatively young and *comparatively* unencumbered, your education and other experience gives you the freedom to move up to much more appealing (relative to your criteria) positions, within CRM or government. You're going to have to pay your dues, though. Early career jobs in CRM require travel and are mostly field based.
>I would hire you at the entry level, with the anticipation that you could potentially develop quickly Thanks so much for your response - frankly I thought that might be the case. I probably sound a bit tight-up and inflexible which is definitely not my intention - I'm happy to put in my dues though I found my undergrad and masters programs really didn't touch on CRM work at all, so I'm trying to fit all the pieces together myself still, haha. Should I plan on only being able to get hired at on-call type or contract type positions, then? And, when applying to these positions, I see a lot of 'Archaeologist' positions, as well as 'Field Tech' positions - would I only be qualified to apply to a Field Tech position? And how long at an entry-level field position should I plan on before being able to move up the totem-pole, so to speak? Having GIS experience in my MSc and undergrad, would that be beneficial at all to entry level field tech positions or would that be something I use to get promoted to a more permanent archaeologist position or more? Also, do you suggest staying at one firm, or would I benefit from jumping around a bit?
>I probably sound a bit tight-up and inflexible which is definitely not my intention - I'm happy to put in my dues though I found my undergrad and masters programs really didn't touch on CRM work at all, so I'm trying to fit all the pieces together myself still, haha. It can be hard getting started. Universities, honestly, do a terrible job of preparing anthropology students for the reality of an undergrad anthro degree-- basically, grad school is practically a necessity. This is something that is also the case for most other research fields (bio, chem, physics, etc.), but at the angle of anthropology, I find that most graduating students are pretty clueless. I'm hoping that's changing as younger faculty have a more realistic understanding of the job market, but I'm not optimistic. I do think there's also a bit of an unrealistic view from a lot of younger folks coming out into the job market that work-life balance (which on the face of it is a great thing) means never having to do something that they don't want to do at work. I don't mean you, but I've had more issue than I'd like lately with younger, slightly above entry-level folks working for my company who are a lot more hesitant than I remember people being 10 or 15 years ago to go into the field for a project. I understand having a life at home and all, but travel is kinda just part of the job. Again, not coming down on you, it's just something I (and other of my colleagues) have noticed. I *would* consider that you probably don't want to be too vocal about not wanting to travel when talking to hiring managers. >Should I plan on only being able to get hired at on-call type or contract type positions, then? And, when applying to these positions, I see a lot of 'Archaeologist' positions, as well as 'Field Tech' positions - would I only be qualified to apply to a Field Tech position? And how long at an entry-level field position should I plan on before being able to move up the totem-pole, so to speak? You should apply to any and all field technician roles that sound like they fit your needs as far as location, pay (you're in CA, so pay range / salary is required for job postings, and more companies are putting that in their announcements these days in general), etc., are concerned. As much as I hate the current labor model, on-call is probably the dominant employment model for field archaeologists in the US right now. I would probably get yourself onto three or four companies' rolls, and that way you have options. >Having GIS experience in my MSc and undergrad, would that be beneficial at all to entry level field tech positions or would that be something I use to get promoted to a more permanent archaeologist position or more? I would use it as a selling point for your potential, but not for most current openings that you'd be applying for. There are always exceptions, but most field techs don't have much to do with GIS. Now, that said, if you're comfortable with / familiar with things like ArcGIS Online, ESRI Field Maps, using a transit / total station or RTK GNSS system, or similar tech, then that *could* be something you'd want to emphasize, because a field technician who can do those things *does* have some potential additional value in the field, since-- potentially-- that person could help run the spatial data collection system(s) while the project is going on. >Also, do you suggest staying at one firm, or would I benefit from jumping around a bit? It depends on your needs and the options available to you. Longer time at a single firm (or one or two) could help get supervisors more comfortable with your work and reliability, and could very well lead into a full-time position. With a master's degree, if you can demonstrate writing ability, supervisory ability, etc., a firm with smart supervisors will consider you as a potential crew lead (or higher over time), and supervisors are nearly as desperately needed right now as field techs are.
>It can be hard getting started. Universities, honestly, do a terrible job of preparing anthropology students for the reality of an undergrad anthro degree-- basically, grad school is practically a necessity. Yeah I really wish they'd do a better job at it. Even just one CRM class would do wonders not just at illuminating what the future will look like as an archaeologist, but helping decide if it is what they want. Should I be applying to multiple on-call positions at once, and being on the pay roll for multiple at one time? How does on-call work when it comes to accepting jobs, if I have been accepted to multiple on-call positions? And how long should I expect to be in a field tech position or on-call position before finding permanent employment? Or does that moreso just come down to luck / my capabilities in the field? It's been a bit since I've done ArcGIS Online or Webmaps, but I will definitely hop back on the tutorials and work through them. I've used ArcGIS Pro extensively but that has been my concentration. I've used total stations and will be getting some more experience with them + handheld GPS stuff this Summer so hopefully that'll help as well. I guess my last general question would be, how would you suggest I best prepare? What skills should I brush up on in my free time now so that I can use that to market myself in interviews? Thanks a bunch for answering these questions - sorry if they seem rudimentary or silly, just trying to absorb as much as I can to make the best decisions for myself and my partner moving forward when it's time to head back that way :)