Topic ID #8469 - posted 8/29/2010 6:34 PM
hebandgene
How does someone like me follow my dream?
hebandgene
I have a dilemma and appreciate and respect the opinions and advice from posters here. Several years ago our family took a sabbatical to the SW where I worked a temp position as data manager for the cultural resources division in a NPS office (with the lovely perk of getting to do a bit of fieldwork). As an anthro grad, I knew I would love this job but didn't realize that it would be the best year of my life. Now I finally know what I want to do when I grow up - SW archeology. However, I have so many obstacles in my way that I don't see how I can ever make it happen.
I am 37-year old mom of 2 young children with a husband and mortgage. We are invested in our community, our church, my children's school, and my husband's good job here in the SE. We don't have the luxury of starting from the beginning again yet I don't have enough experience to be hired as an archeologist, maybe not even a tech. I am thoroughly happy doing a desk archeology job (being gone in the field is hard with children at home) - data, GIS, volunteer coordinator, publicity, whatever. But I don't know where or how to begin making myself marketable or looking for those types of jobs (do they even exist?). Do I go to grad school - in the SW because I want to work in the SW and we eventually want to live there permanently? Do I do an online MA (thinking of Prescott College) where I can design my own grad program? Do I take 1 or 2 basic archeo courses where I live and do volunteer work (although archeo around here is very limited and IMO boring)? Do I keep waiting for a job that I seem qualified for to appear? Not that any of this seems likely because at this point in my life I just don't see how I can start from scratch, but I don't want to give up on my dream. Where do I even start?
Just need thoughts from people who know what they are talking about cause I have no clue and am wondering if I'm grasping at straws. Thanks!
I am 37-year old mom of 2 young children with a husband and mortgage. We are invested in our community, our church, my children's school, and my husband's good job here in the SE. We don't have the luxury of starting from the beginning again yet I don't have enough experience to be hired as an archeologist, maybe not even a tech. I am thoroughly happy doing a desk archeology job (being gone in the field is hard with children at home) - data, GIS, volunteer coordinator, publicity, whatever. But I don't know where or how to begin making myself marketable or looking for those types of jobs (do they even exist?). Do I go to grad school - in the SW because I want to work in the SW and we eventually want to live there permanently? Do I do an online MA (thinking of Prescott College) where I can design my own grad program? Do I take 1 or 2 basic archeo courses where I live and do volunteer work (although archeo around here is very limited and IMO boring)? Do I keep waiting for a job that I seem qualified for to appear? Not that any of this seems likely because at this point in my life I just don't see how I can start from scratch, but I don't want to give up on my dream. Where do I even start?
Just need thoughts from people who know what they are talking about cause I have no clue and am wondering if I'm grasping at straws. Thanks!
Post ID#18092 - replied 8/31/2010 2:12 PM
whatamIdoing
I would say get as much experience where you are at. It shows you are committed to archaeology, and that you are willing to gain new skills and also keep those skills from getting rusty. Volunteer, take a field school when time allows. I would hold off on going back to school until you move to the SW (unless there's a school in your area with proffessors who do SW arch and can hook you up with some colleagues out there); SW archaeology is more insular than other regions, not just because they like hiring locals who are familiar with the regionial cultural material, but also because networking in the SW is very important.
Post ID#18094 - replied 9/1/2010 7:18 AM
mcleodm
Moderator
I knew 2 people in their mid 40s who attended my field school at U of New Mexico in 1970 who both worked in SW archaeology for the remainder of ther careers. Both were recently divorced and were starting a new life. They went on a field school then took classes at UNM and graduated and worked for several years at Chaco Canyon for the NPS (that was in the 70s and 80s during the Chaco project when there were lots of jobs however). My advice would be to do what you can when you can such as take a field school, go on a Crow Canyon project, apply for a Passport in Time project in NM AZ Utah or Colorado, attend the Pecos conference eaah year. Get to know some folks and build a network. SW archeology is pretty much a closed shop thats why they call it athe adobe curtain. But it can be done Good Luck!
Post ID#18222 - replied 10/2/2010 11:24 AM
hebandgene
Thank you very much for your responses. It really helps to hear opinions and ideas of people in the field. In addition to posting here, I've started contacting others - professors, students, CRMs, etc - to gather as much information as I can to help me make a decision that will hopefully allow me to reach my goal in spite of my many family limitations. Right now it seems like a long-shot, but I'm not ready to say it's impossible. Thanks!
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