To train as an Archaeologist?

[Todecide]

I am nearly 40 and have been a SAHM for a while.

I have the opportunity to study for a degree in Archaeology & History.

However, I am having doubts as to whether I would ever get paid work in this sector. My last career was in something office based.

I know that there is not much recruitment but there are opportunities for dig work experience. At the end of the day, I am just wary of studying for all that time and volunteering but never getting a job.

Any archaeologists/historians out there?

In the medium term there is going to be huge demand for archaeologists, especially for fieldwork, as there are big infrastructure projects underway (e.g. High speed 2). This might mean that salaries will go up a bit (although it will also most likely mean many archaeologists moving to the UK from other European countries).

These are all fantastic responses. I will go ahead and do the degree, but get lots of voluntary experience as well.

After, look into qualifying in historical restoration or heritage.

Thank you. I bet this thread is brilliant reading for others as well.

Hopefully, in...erm...about 4-years I can be posting my own responses to a thread like this

What an exciting new start, Todecide! All the best!

just a thought, but depending on what qualifications you already have you may not need to do a BA, but could go straight on to an MA course?

Kef Thank you

Don't assume you can get a job in heritage or museums - you would normally (not always, some people get lucky, but it's very tough at the moment) need ANOTHER master's for that.

TheCountess I know how competitive museums and heritage can be. The degree will provide me with a good basis to see what specialism I fancy.

I have a PhD in a sub-specialism of Archaeology (not just general, a specific culture). It took me 11 years, but I got funding, otherwise I couldn't have afforded it.

Since the PhD, I've done a postdoctoral fellowship (overseas, v good money, but one year contract), and worked in a job connected to my field. I've also started my own business in my field, which is pootling along slowly.

It's bloody hard, and to get anywhere academically (I'm not a field archaeologist), you MUST publish, which I have hardly done. The top levels, pay wise, are still pretty mediocre money, but you have the joy of doing something endlessly fascinating.

I do think that you'd need to be willing to travel/relocate frequently though.

Todecide I just want to second Countess there. I took an undergraduate degree in a physical science, followed that up with a tailored archaeological science masters degree, then went straight into a very, very prestigious curatorial training position from university. I was incredibly lucky. Then in 2013 (about 18 months after I'd started and with the curator job) there were massive cuts and I was made redundant, along with several colleagues.

I am still in part-time work looking for full time work. I cannot find full time work and have been forced to move back in with my parents. I have given up applying to museum, heritage and curatorial jobs.

My old job was actually advertised late last year, so I applied for it of course. There is no-one in the world who knew that job, that store, better than I did. I didn't even make it to interview. It went to someone with a PhD and years of experience in the British Museum.

There are many very experienced and very highly qualified people sloshing about at the moment. The museums industry has been decimated. Highly experienced professionals are taking graduate and entry level jobs because there is nothing else. If you're graduate or entry level then you will need an awful lot of luck on your side I'm afraid. I have been turned down for volunteer positions even!

Don't get me wrong, I adored my job and I would do it again in a heartbeat if I could - even though the pay was low and the place was often freezing and falling apart - and if you think it will make you happy then I say go for it because I honestly enjoyed every second. But please be prepared for the fact that you may not be able to find any work in the sector. It breaks my heart that I'll never work in the industry again, because that's what I was aiming for throughout university and most of my school days.

A family member studied archeology and worked in this area for 15+ years, loved it initially but found it difficult to get long term work so constantly relocating for digs. Did further study which meant they were able to get longer term roles but either very low paid or contract based which again meant relocation and looking for next contract after a year or two. Of their classmates/colleagues I don't believe there are many still working in the field. They have now done further study and changed career.

, Lockheart.

I think when it comes to museum work, 'competitive' isn't quite the right word any more. 'Competitive' implies that if you work hard and are brilliant you will likely get somewhere, that it's all about being the best. I think in practice, at the moment, you need a healthy dose of luck as well, because there are so many excellent and highly qualified people who can't find anything.
If you can afford to take the risk, though, go for it. The people I do know still in the field have fascinating jobs and a very high level of job satisfaction.

Lockheart that is such a shame. Are you holding out for getting work in the industry again or changing careers?

TheCountess I agree. Law is very much like that. However, I feel that with law, there is a range of potential careers that can be done instead.

Hmmm, this is really food for thought.

Maybe 20k + and volunteering could be put to better use...

A positive story more recently though (museums rather than archaeology) - my SIL recently started a full-time museum job, post-children. It was what she wanted to do before kids and didn't manage to get anything. Then after having kids she volunteered, then got a part-time post in the local authority where she had been volunteering (as well as volunteering for one national and one local heritage organisation), and she's just been made full-time. She probably wouldn't see herself as the academically brilliant, top-of-her class type of high flier, but is extremely knowledgeable and I get the feeling she is very good at her job. What worked for her was determination plus having the flexibility to volunteer lots and take part-time work.

I have quite a few friends who work in museums and know very few who are not on minimum wage, got to say it.

Some places do intern places but the coalition ended housing ben for young people under a certain age which meant now the most fancy internships - tha make getting a job more likely - are now only open to those rich enough to pay rent for maybe a year with no housing ben help.

I write and research mainly history stuff and my degree was in English, not History at all. One of my old friends with an English degree from Cambridge is also now a writer, also historical kinda subjects so you clearly don't need a qualification in history to be widely published in it!

I have a friend who works fulltime at a museum and has volunteered in another heritage place on their Saturdays as well, in the hope of getting a better than minimum wage job, in another museum one day - but it is incredibly competitive. Just remembered despite my upbeat post upthread re. my old housemates - all of whom ended up as well well respected archaeologists `with longterm contracts and fancy job titles - more recently, I have a friend who had a degree in archaeology from a very well respected uni, and went on to do two MAs, one in conservation, from an even more respected uni - and she ended up having to do a PGCE and become a primary teacher. And it took her two years to then find a job doing that. So it's not easy but again, you only have one life. You must do what makes you happy. And you may well find anyway, once you have been on a few digs, that archaeology doesn't make you as happy as you thought it might. But that in itself, is valuable.

Thank you Joffrey too true

Historic England (what the part of English Heritage that employs archaeologists is now called) does employ archaeologists throughout the organisation. As an example, there is currently a part time post as an Inspector of Ancient Monuments in their Guildford office being advertised on their jobs website. You might like to have a look at the person specification and salary to give you an idea of what that might entail. Rest assured, that post does not involve any digging, and indeed most HE archaeologist posts are advisory or research based.....but the PP who said they don't come up that often is right - most people like working there and it is a quite low churn organisation....

What a fascinating thread! I did a history and archaeology degree ten years ago part time over 4 years while working full time. I really loved it and though I enjoyed the digs I soon realised it involved a lot of graphs, measuring and planning so was more scientific than creative, which is more my thing.

Although I am still really interested in history, conservation and museums and have contemplated doing a postgraduate qualification in one of those lots of times I realise that they can remain an interest and passion without being my job. My actual day job is as a writer and I realise I could not give it up because I love it too much!

Like people say follow your passions and interests and at least you'll be happy!

Thank you Countess

Todecide - whilst I would love to get back into it one day I'm not currently trying to get a job in museums or heritage; I have tried but was getting nowhere with it, so I'm now focussing my efforts on graduate programmes for anything I think I'm qualified for. I've applied to accountancy, law, management, retail, buying, HR, recruitment, procurement - anything! I'm still having no luck though!

I do have an interview for a customer service rep job next week - not a graduate one but it's within the antiques and auction business. I'm currently working in an antiques shop as one of my jobs, so it's not too far a stretch. And that one day might lead to something more in a gallery or big auction house somewhere, possibly. But as for curatorial work, I don't think I'll ever be able to get a job in it again. My experience is over two years old now.

Lockheart best of luck to you. The Customer Service role sounds very promising.

Thank you To - it's only a first interview, so if I pass next weeks' I'll still have another to tackle! Seems a bit excessive for a customer service rep role but hey, if it gets me the job I'll play along.

Lockheart it sounds like a good opportunity. You must update us and let us know how you got on.

There was a curator at the Fitzwilliam who worked in auction houses for a while - she said it was a huge asset to her career as it meant she saw an awful lot of objects compared to what she would have seen working in a museum with a single collection. (I suspect her knowledge of the market and contacts with collectors can't have done much harm, too.)

I was at university in the 1990s with a number of archaeology students and ended up marrying one of them. Only one person I knew is still working (literally) in the field. DH started a PhD but had to drop out due to lack of funding. Due to the 'Time Team' effect, the numbers of students on the course tripled in the years we were at university. Paid jobs are very scarce and you have to be prepared to put in a lot of low paid (often unpaid), hard physical work to have any hope of a job. Most of the work is short-term contracts and you need to be prepared to travel.

I did part of an archaeology degree myself and as a 19 year old student loved the subject and the fieldwork. I would never consider doing now as a career due to the lack of job security (or even jobs), and I don't think the early stages of the career are suited to having a young family. By all means do the degree but not if you are reliant on achieving a steady income afterwards.

Sorry to be the voice of doom