14th April 2011, 02:25 PM
Well I do have some sympathy with Troll's view, but also agree with Mr Invisible that a CV and a CPD log are not the same.
I think there is a problem though in that the IFA suggests initiates have a detailed Career Development plan, but quite often archaeological training comes up at short and unexpected notice. I mean I have spent the last day and a half attending a site specific H&S course (yesterday) and a first aid update course today. Both would have appeared on my forward plan, but I only found at the end of last week (as did everyone else) that the courses were happening. But having been and 'passed' so to speak they will of course appear on my CV. Likewise I could attend any number of seminars, lectures, conferences arranged through my university, but (as I am not directly involved in the academic department), sometimes these only become apparent at short notice. Then again I guess I have an advantage over many of my more commercially employed associates in that at least I am on the edges of that milieu and have the possibility of being able to adjust my workday to attend. That said if I were just to put on my CPD forward plan 'Attending occasional unspecified university lectures', it would be as ridiculous on my CPD plan, as it would if a first-year undergraduate wrote the same.
I am guessing that the IfA (if checking my CPD) would have some sympathy with that particular dilemma (and they are nice people so I know they would), but I suspect that isn't reflected in the wording of the scheme on the IfA web-site. I wonder if a rewrite of the specification taking into account FAQ that actually seem to fit the lives of most working archaeologists, might help to promote the scheme as more user friendly.
I think there is a problem though in that the IFA suggests initiates have a detailed Career Development plan, but quite often archaeological training comes up at short and unexpected notice. I mean I have spent the last day and a half attending a site specific H&S course (yesterday) and a first aid update course today. Both would have appeared on my forward plan, but I only found at the end of last week (as did everyone else) that the courses were happening. But having been and 'passed' so to speak they will of course appear on my CV. Likewise I could attend any number of seminars, lectures, conferences arranged through my university, but (as I am not directly involved in the academic department), sometimes these only become apparent at short notice. Then again I guess I have an advantage over many of my more commercially employed associates in that at least I am on the edges of that milieu and have the possibility of being able to adjust my workday to attend. That said if I were just to put on my CPD forward plan 'Attending occasional unspecified university lectures', it would be as ridiculous on my CPD plan, as it would if a first-year undergraduate wrote the same.
I am guessing that the IfA (if checking my CPD) would have some sympathy with that particular dilemma (and they are nice people so I know they would), but I suspect that isn't reflected in the wording of the scheme on the IfA web-site. I wonder if a rewrite of the specification taking into account FAQ that actually seem to fit the lives of most working archaeologists, might help to promote the scheme as more user friendly.
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...