Undoubtedly when some of you have mentioned to your parents
that you are considering majoring in anthropology they look at you with a blank
stare and ask “what kind of gainful employment you can get with a degree in that
field?” In fact, with a little ingenuity and persistence there are many jobs
open to students with a BA or BS degree in anthropology. In addition a
Bachelor’s degree in anthropology can serve as a solid foundation for entering
other fields: law, medicine, teaching, documentary film, international business,
health-related jobs, museum work, environmental impact assessment, international
development, public relations, historic preservation, journalism, and
publishing.
If your interests are in archaeology, some of the best
opportunities are in the areas of cultural resource management or “contract
archaeology” either with private firms or the federal government. Some of our
undergraduate majors have taken internships with local firms engaged in this
work (like Wendy Lopez and Associates) and land jobs after graduation. Of most
importance in preparing for this kind of work is our archeological field school
(ANTH 5381, 5382 or 5681). If the opportunity arises you can also ask a faculty
member to take you out into the field with him/her during one summer.
If your interests are in cultural anthropology,
opportunities abound. In fact, a few years ago USA Today ran a story with
the headline "Anthropology Major is Hot Asset". The story noted the usefulness
of anthropology in the area of marketing because anthropologist's understand
human needs, the cultural bases of social problems, and cross-cultural
diversity. According to Marty Nemko, Motorola's pagers come in different colors,
because an anthropologist found teenagers use pagers as fashion accessories; and
Canon, after sending an anthropologist into people's homes and recording what
was on families' refrigerator doors and bedroom walls, began to bundle greeting
card software with its printers.
Students with training in cultural anthropology land jobs with social service
agencies, with state and local government, with companies that engage in
international business, with federal and international agencies such as NIH,
US-AID, WHO, or the World Bank, and in museums. As you earn your degree you
might want to continue studying a foreign language and acquire solid research
skills (take a methods course such as ANTH 5344 and SOC 4311 and get some basic
statistics STAT 2331). But most important, learn how to write well, to think
critically about various issues, and to hone your people skills.
Finding a job is never easy. It requires persistence,
creative thinking, and enthusiasm. But remember that anthropologists have
something unique to offer and that is what you should market.
For more information, check out the
comments and suggestions of the University
of Texas Career Center.
TOP
Other tips:
- Develop solid computer skills. Any job requires these in the 21st
century.
- Think about a double major (need
some suggestions?). Anthropology compliments
any number of fields including business, political science, psychology, geology,
history, journalism, and biology. It is a great compliment to premed studies in
a world where patients come from diverse cultural backgrounds.
- Seek out faculty and work with them on their research or do an internship
under the supervision of a faculty member (ANTH 4381). Not only can you talk
about this is an interview, you will also develop better critical and research
skills and you will have a faculty member who can write you an excellent letter
of reference.
- Visit the Career Center
in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center or their website at
www.smu.edu/career. And don't leave this until the
final months of your undergraduate career. Make contact with them in your junior
year and begin to explore your options.
- Log on the website for the National Association of Practicing
Anthropologists (NAPA).
- Look at the web sites for other universities and colleges. They too have
job hunting tips. Of note are Lawrence University, Boston College, UNC-Wilmington,
and Northern Kentucky.
- Finally, some publishers are now putting out books worth
consulting, such as Great Jobs for Anthropology Majors by Blythe Camenson;
Careers in
Anthropology by Paula Sabloff; Careers in Anthropology by John t.
Omohundro; and Opportunities in Museum Careers by Blythe Camenson.
