Degrees, careers and finances

[Marcus Brody]

good luck when somebody like Jack writes this it means that your degee is worthless in their eyes and you have no chance of a proper job

Or alternatively, Jack is providing an honest assessment of what an employer may look at when deciding who to employ - after all, in a situation where all the applicants probably have a degree, you've got to look at other aspects when deciding who's going to get the job. This may come down to experience (someone who can hit the ground running, and can do the job without someone standing over them all the time), someone who can drive (can get themselves and others to site, can do small jobs on their own without needing another member of staff to ferry them out and back), or someone who's pleasant to work with (because someone who's a total arse the whole time can make life on site unpleasant for everyone).

Unfortunately for the original poster, it's been a bit of an employer's market for the last few years, with an abundance of archaeologists chasing a shrinking pool of jobs, meaning that at least initially you'd be completing for jobs with people with more experience. For me, Jack's post helpfully provides some indication of other factors that may be considerations when filling a vacancy.

Might be a bit unfair but I've only ever looked at the digging experience bit on people's CVs when going through looking to employ diggers - years of getting a string of post-grad qualifications just looks like years spent avoiding getting wet, cold and muddy for as long as possible.... :face-stir:

I'm afraid I'd also tend to agree with Dinosaur on this - I've seen CVs from people who have spent their twenties gaining a series of ever more impressive qualifications, who are trying to get their first real job in their 30s. Don't get me wrong, I'm hugely envious of anyone who's been able to afford to do this, but I always get the impression that such highly-qualified people view commercial archaeology as something of a last resort - it's what you do when there are no more qualifications to get, and it's become clear that you're not going to get a lecturing post.