17th September 2004, 12:34 PM
There are pros and cons to big and small units. A big unit might offer a wider range of actual [u]sites</u> (ie. more varied digging experience), but a smaller unit will be able offer a wider range of [u]roles</u>. Instead of being 'just a digger', a low-grade employee for a small unit will have the chance to do things such as desk-based research, finds illustration and so-on.
Experience in either is useful for the other. So if you get your first job with Oxford or Wessex, two or three years down the line you should have an impressive list of sites of all periods and a good grounding in how field projects operate on a day-to-day basis. These are valuable skills to bring to a smaller unit. Equally if your first job is in a smaller team, then you are likely to have been exposed to a wider range of different types of projects, which boosts the chances of joining a larger unit at a slightly more senior level.
Experience in either is useful for the other. So if you get your first job with Oxford or Wessex, two or three years down the line you should have an impressive list of sites of all periods and a good grounding in how field projects operate on a day-to-day basis. These are valuable skills to bring to a smaller unit. Equally if your first job is in a smaller team, then you are likely to have been exposed to a wider range of different types of projects, which boosts the chances of joining a larger unit at a slightly more senior level.