How do I get a Job in Archaeology after I have my Degree?

10 Tips on how to get a job in archaeology with a BA

You went to field school and got your BA! You have your dipolma, now what?

I think the days and weeks right after graduation are some of the scariest. Likely, until now, you knew what the next step in life would look like at each stage. Now, you are thrust into the world, and there is no specific path for you to follow. Don’t worry; everyone has felt like that. Now it’s time to get down to business and find a job.

LOWER your expectations. Archaeology is a job that requires hands-on experience. The whole point of archaeology is always to be learning and investigating. With that said, you are at the bottom of the ladder. It can be hard accepting that you have to start at the bottom, but you do. That is okay. You will not get your dream job right out of the gate. In fact, your first archaeology job will probably be nothing like what you thought or expected it to be. Taking a couple of these jobs will get you the experience you need to get that ‘dream job.’ Focus on skills and experience in the first few years; the rest can wait.
Widen your search area and cast a large net. The number one reason people don’t end up staying in archaeology is the availability of jobs. There are quite a few jobs, but they move around, are short-term, and often in less-than-desirable locations. For many people, it is unpracticle to move. So you need to widen your search as big as possible. My first archaeology job was on the other side of the country; I had no furniture and slept on a mattress on the apartment floor. It was one of about 40 internships and jobs I had applied to and the only one I was offered. I have a good friend who lived in a tent on-site in Mississippi for four months with her first job. I know it sounds rough, and it can be, but getting your foot in the door is the most challenging part. If I was starting from nothing again, I would apply to jobs all over the country and use those jobs to rack up experince more quickly.
Look at jobs that are archaeology-adjacent. I promise you did not learn every skill you need or will use while in school. Many skills that are an asset in the field can be learned elsewhere. I have worked in Museums, non-profits, tech companies, and government roles. Each of these was directly related to archaeology, even if I was not doing a dig every day. Even when I have held the title of an archaeologist, over half the work has not been archaeology. Helpful skills include mapping via GIS, cataloging, photography, report writing, deeply understanding the technology you are using or helping in other departments like social media, education, and outreach. have never met an archaeologist that does just one role because archaeology is underfunded. We wear a lot of hats. The more skills you can master, the more hireable you will be.
If you can, you should volunteer. Three of the long-term positions that I held started with me as a volunteer. I know that the ability to volunteer is a privilege, and even though I had to make a lot of sacrifices to do so, I was still lucky to be able to make it work. Volunteering is vital because you will learn skills and can list them as experience, and your application will be at the top of a huge pile when it’s time for that organization to hire. That still doesn’t guarantee you a job there, but if you do a good job, at the least, you will have a reference that is not a professor or childhood friend. I don’t believe in unpaid internships, but volunteering one day a week somewhere relevant to what you want to do can make a big difference.
Network, network, network. Archaeology is a small field; soon, you will know most companies and players in your region or specialty. You can learn from these people what jobs might be coming up and what they are looking for. If you can build relationships with people, they will be more likely to take a chance on you. Go to a conference; there are many regional conferences annually. Most offer student discounts or free registration if you volunteer. Some also provide travel grants (they might be competitive) for students and recent grads who want to present. Your department might also have some funding to help if you are a student. In my experience, archaeologists are approachable and willing to help or at least introduce you to other people who might be able to. Follow organizations and companies on social media; if they have an open house or an outreach event, go and talk to the people there. Find out what they are looking for and what opportunities they might have. Linked in is a great asset! Dont skip it.
Make that resume/CV shine. I am the queen of bad spelling and grammar. I don’t mind if you have a typo or 2 in your application. But others are not as understanding as that. Make a general resume and have someone proof it. Then once you have a very detailed and thorough resume, you can create specific resumes for each job. When I say detailed, I mean it. Some jobs want to know the exact date you left or started a job, some want to know your salary, how many hours a week you worked, or other random information. I will post everything you should keep in your general/master resume in another post, but your master resume will be a living document that you should update often.
Don’t underestimate the cover letter. A resume tells what you did, but a cover letter gives the why. A cover letter is a place where you can shine, especially starting out. You can provide details of your accomplishments and experience and tell the reader how those skills relate to archaeology. Maybe you volunteered at a library and had to catalog; perhaps you worked at Starbucks and can do fast-paced work with attention to detail. This is the place to link everything together.
Learn how to follow up. Following up with a potential employer is an art that must be done carefully. Nothing can turn an employer off faster than someone who annoys them. Figure out a follow-up strategy; I recommend waiting two weeks after the close of a job or after you have submitted your application. Ask a question like ‘I was wondering when you are expecting to begin notifying candidates about the next steps?’ or ‘ I am following up regarding such and such position I applied for. Can you please confirm receipt of my application? Do you have a timeline in which you will be notifying candidates whom you wish to interview?’ Make sure you read the posting carefully; some will say don’t follow up. Also, ensure you are emailing the right people and not someone random in the company. You can also call with a similar question but make sure your phone manners are on point and that you call no more than once a week.
Don’t waste people’s time (inlcuding your own). I know it is tempting to apply for jobs that you are not qualified for. In some cases, that is okay; if you are missing more than half of the skills being asking for, skip it. If you are missing 20 percent of the skills, go for it. Everyone learns new things at every position. Having sat on the other side of the hiring desk, I can’t tell you how many applications don’t follow instructions, are so unqualified for a job it is laughable, or that we have to eliminate right away because they are missing a specific mandatory qualification. However, if you follow instructions, meet the required qualifications, and complete at least half of the desired qualifications, go for it! Most jobs require that you create an application specifically for that role. Sometimes this part alone can take hours, don’t waste your own time applying for positions that you are not ready for yet. Having just gotten a BA/BS, you will not be hired for anything with supervisor or lead in the title, save your effort!
Don’t give up. This is the most important. If you want to be an archaeologist, you have to keep trying. This is honestly the most challenging part. Life happens, people need jobs, and no one can wait forever. I have applied for more jobs than I can even count, and I have had many interviews that have led nowhere. I am still in this field because I never gave up; I refused to fail. Sometimes this meant that I worked in archaeology adjacent jobs, sometimes, I worked a job that had nothing to do with archaeology, but I could volunteer. I have gigged worked and side hustled, but I have had to keep trying even after a Master’s degree, even after years of being in the field. It took me 15 years to get my dream job, but I did it!

Good luck out there; I know it can be challenging. If you keep trying and don’t give up, and this is really what you want to do, you can do it! Archaeology is an excellent field, but no industry is perfect. Reach out to other people and ask them for their advice. You can do this!

Here are some sites to look at for jobs:

https://archaeologyfieldwork.com/

https://groups.io/g/ShovelBums

https://underwaterarchaeologyjobs.com/