I know it can frustrating to look for a suitable job, specifically because potential employers don't really understand what we study or how we conduct those studies, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Many will mistakenly believe that we are focused exclusively on traditional societies that are not part of the contemporary world of commerce and industry. There won't ever be many jobs available that actually have the word anthropologist in the title; in cover letters and interviews, you really want to echo the skills listed as required in the job announcement, and explain to the potential employer how anthropology provides both those skills, and a unique perspective on how to get the most impact/benefit out of those skills.

I have the same concern about this. I'm still studying undergrad, currently in my final year, I'm starting to worry about the job prospects of this major. After I did an internship at a feeling, I realized that very few people understand what anthropology is and it is very rarely used at least in companies in my country. I like anthropology, learning is very fun.

@@sorijilleo9297 One way of approaching this is to make an inventory of all the skills that you've acquired as part of studying anthropology. Here's a list of items I came up with some years back; I put it in a text file, so I could copy and paste it readily into cover letters, etc. archival research, historic secondary sources archival research, primary sources author progress/final reports on research activities author research funding grant proposals client engagement and development collate location- and/or context-specific historical and research background information develop appropriate research designs develop location-specific predictive/probabilistic archaeological models develop partnerships with identified stakeholders ensure presence and supervision of adequate personnel equipment acquisition and maintenance fieldwork, area/block excavation fieldwork, artifact screening fieldwork, backfill excavation units fieldwork, collect global positioning system data fieldwork, data recordation fieldwork, equipment logistics fieldwork, establish precise grid system fieldwork, identify archaeological features, artifacts, and ecofacts fieldwork, identify climatological, geomorphological, faunal, and floral features of environment fieldwork, identify cultural features of environment fieldwork, produce accurate and meaningful field notes fieldwork, produce graphical representations of natural/cultural features fieldwork, shovel test sampling fieldwork, site stabilization/restoration fieldwork, soil/sediment coring geospatial analysis and cartographic representation interpret past human behaviors, activities, organizational structures, interaction densities, and communication/cognitive capacities, based on inferences drawn from the analysis of diachronic variation in the tangible remains of those processes, within historically particular contexts, for the purpose of generating analyses that are cross-culturally comparable at the systemic level laboratory, artifact identification and typological classification laboratory, artifact processing, cataloging, and analysis maintain clean, orderly, organized worksite/workstation maintain legal compliance with federal/state/local cultural resource management laws, standards, and guidelines maintain professional development/current best management practices maintain project/artifact databases pattern recognition, analysis, and interpretation prepare educational materials present public education programs pursue appropriate research funding grant opportunities qualitative data analysis and interpretation quantitative data analysis and interpretation recommend alternatives to archaeological mitigation recommend appropriate archaeological mitigation procedures respond to requests for proposals submit completed forms to relevant agencies

What is it you want to do with the degree? What kind of work do you want?

@@sorijilleo9297 your degree shouldn't be the biggest seller, your experience and interests should be. You can apply anthro to so many careers, but you have to make those connections, people won't make them for you.

This sounds like a wonderful idea! I'm so glad you are continuing to pursue it :)

@@AliviaBrown Thanks Alivia. You've inspired me.

@@Ariapeithes_ Aw, thats so sweet!

There's a huge push for more education as Gaeilge here in Ireland. Going the education route could be so helpful if that's what you want to do.

Not necessarily true. You only need a Bachelor's to excavate in a professional environment. However, there is a ceiling you'll hit really quickly once you're hired full-time. You'll never do anything but be a field technician, crew chief, or field director without your masters. The latter of those positions have light writing, but if you want an office job with your archaeology focus you will need a Masters and to seek your RPA certification.

@@anduemelson I thought my post went over the criteria set forth in 36 CFR Part 61 pretty thoroughly. To be clear, I am Registered Professional Archaeologist 44090910; I am also a Secretary of the Interior qualified Principal Investigator (determination made John Ketchum, who was the Federal Preservation officer for FEMA at time when I worked for that agency). I think we might be differing on what constitutes being a "professional archaeologist." I do understand that many field technicians refer to themselves as professionals because they get paid to do archaeological fieldwork; however, "professional," here, refers to someone who holds a professional level of education and/or certification.

I would recommend studying business or economics as a minor OR MBA(but don’t think about post-graduate till you have more work experience as you might not need more degrees). Also minimise your student debt as much as possible and make yourself as marketable as possible. Try get jobs asap.

i’m a freshman in college right now, no matter what major you plan on going into, you should look up your future college’s general education requirements and start taking those classes through dual enrollment. you can get college credits in highschool for way cheaper. like i went into my first semester of college with 39 credits through AP tests and dual enrollment, now i’m technically a college sophomore and after my first semester i’ll be done with all of my general education requirements. it’s great. but you have to be careful because if you fail a class then you’re messing up your college gpa before you even get into college. take the subjects that you find easy to set yourself up for success. and always use rate my professor before you sign up for a class, the reviews will often tell you what the course work is like or if the prof is a super hard grader or not.

@@kila1101 thankyou!

Good idea! Thank you!

NOPE! I love anthropology!!!

Weird creep