5th January 2009, 05:18 PM
Monty said:
"as for Velociraptor's quote about shredding CVs... this is simply not true ! I have kept them on file and employed people after a year or more!"
Velociraptor replies:
It is true. The first confirmed case of this, that I came across was in February 1991.
My source said: "Yeah, I know they don't keep them. It was me that was shredding them".
And their are other instances.
I am not saying that ALL units are doing it, but a proportion are.
So, if you get a message saying they have no work and your C.V. is on file, simply resend another letter and CV a couple of months later, or perhaps once a month, if you are hitting a more selective list of units.
Remember, sending a letter and C.V. is the least likely way to get work as a digger.
You have to remember "the pecking order" in which any unit employs diggers.
FIRST IN ORDER:
A unit will employ local diggers first, that they know can do the job and whom they trust. The other advantage of a local digger is, the employer does not have to offer them "accommodation".
(The local digger is easier to contact because they either visit the office frequently and/or all drink in the same pub that the still-employed staff also drink in. Archaeology job offers are made in pubs, oftenish).
SECOND IN ORDER:
After considering the local diggers, only then are out-of-county diggers considered.
There will be a few out-of-county diggers, that a unit would like to get back again (temporarily at least) so they may be in contact with them occasionally.
THIRD IN ORDER:
The third choice is out-of-county diggers, who have never worked with that particuler unit.
They will have to rely mostly, on sending a C.V. but, if they happen to be an old digging buddy or University buddy of someone at that unit, then their friend will recommend them.
I did (occasional) volunteer digging 1985 to 1990 and began to "cotton on to this reality" then.
I graduated in June 1990 to November 1992......a few weeks her...a few months there.
At that time, I was simply filling the extra places, where units wanted to top-up their total digging force....but their was always a hardcore of local diggers, in that dig team.
It was only in the winter of 1992 / 1993 that I decided to stay in one county and try to get established, amongst the cluster of units there. (Their is a "social" factor in this as well but that is another forum topic, I think).
By staying near a small cluster of local units, you are known to the people in all of those units.
Again, no CV is then needed to get a job. They know you, so you either phone them , email or else, you know what pub they will be in, on a Friday night.
"as for Velociraptor's quote about shredding CVs... this is simply not true ! I have kept them on file and employed people after a year or more!"
Velociraptor replies:
It is true. The first confirmed case of this, that I came across was in February 1991.
My source said: "Yeah, I know they don't keep them. It was me that was shredding them".
And their are other instances.
I am not saying that ALL units are doing it, but a proportion are.
So, if you get a message saying they have no work and your C.V. is on file, simply resend another letter and CV a couple of months later, or perhaps once a month, if you are hitting a more selective list of units.
Remember, sending a letter and C.V. is the least likely way to get work as a digger.
You have to remember "the pecking order" in which any unit employs diggers.
FIRST IN ORDER:
A unit will employ local diggers first, that they know can do the job and whom they trust. The other advantage of a local digger is, the employer does not have to offer them "accommodation".
(The local digger is easier to contact because they either visit the office frequently and/or all drink in the same pub that the still-employed staff also drink in. Archaeology job offers are made in pubs, oftenish).
SECOND IN ORDER:
After considering the local diggers, only then are out-of-county diggers considered.
There will be a few out-of-county diggers, that a unit would like to get back again (temporarily at least) so they may be in contact with them occasionally.
THIRD IN ORDER:
The third choice is out-of-county diggers, who have never worked with that particuler unit.
They will have to rely mostly, on sending a C.V. but, if they happen to be an old digging buddy or University buddy of someone at that unit, then their friend will recommend them.
I did (occasional) volunteer digging 1985 to 1990 and began to "cotton on to this reality" then.
I graduated in June 1990 to November 1992......a few weeks her...a few months there.
At that time, I was simply filling the extra places, where units wanted to top-up their total digging force....but their was always a hardcore of local diggers, in that dig team.
It was only in the winter of 1992 / 1993 that I decided to stay in one county and try to get established, amongst the cluster of units there. (Their is a "social" factor in this as well but that is another forum topic, I think).
By staying near a small cluster of local units, you are known to the people in all of those units.
Again, no CV is then needed to get a job. They know you, so you either phone them , email or else, you know what pub they will be in, on a Friday night.