How to get your résumé into the right hands
Solid tips for Archaeologists that need a job or want a new
one
By:William A. White, IIIResearch Publications DirectorSuccinct Research
Job hunting sucks
You may be thinking that your college
education and years of
experience are proof that you can do the job
Think Again!!!!!
This is the Post-Recession New WorldYou need to
learn how to get the job BEFORE it’s posted
College education and experience are not
enough
Here’s how it’s done
Step 1: Identify a target area
•Where do you want to live? •What’s the cost of living there? •How much do you need to make?
Targeting a particular area will allow you to focus your search and
networking efforts
If there’s nothing going down in your target area…
expand your search or establish another target area
Step 2: Identify the industry players
•What companies/museums/universities/government agencies/non-profits are in that area?•What projects have these organizations completed in the past?•What is the organization’s specialty/niche?•Who works for these organizations?•What are these employees’ specialties and research interests?•What colleges did these folks graduate from?
You need to know who and what you’re dealing with so you can find a common link that will help you make a
memorable impression. You also need to find organizations that have work
1. Create a LinkedIn profile2. Search for companies/organizations on LinkedIn that hire archaeologists
in your target area3. Search for these company’s employees4. Go online and search for these employees’ Twitter or Facebook pages.
Find out about their interests and activities5. Use Google Scholar and JSTOR to find their academic articles in order to
learn about their interests and identify potential research collaborations6. Get your contact’s email/work phone numbers from their company
website
Use the internet to your advantage
Do research but don’t be a creeper
You want to learn about the people that you will work with in the future. This stuff is already on the internet so its public information. Don’t invade someone’s privacy by calling them at home or asking to friend them on their personal Facebook without permission
Creepers will be maligned and professionally
ruined in a close-knit industry like
archaeology
Step 3: Establish meaningful connections
Once you’ve identified a common interest, contact some of the employees at the
organizations you’re interested in
•Talk about previous projects•Ask about stuff they’ve done•Ask about additional reading or similar projects•Be sincerely interested in their work•DON’T ASK FOR A JOB RIGHT OFF THE BAT•You want to establish a cordial, professional relationship that might result in a job or reference someday
Here’s how
Step 4: Use the collected information to find job leads
You’ve established contact. Now find out:1. Does your contact know of any job openings in their
company/organization/agency?2. Do they know of openings at any other organizations?3. Do they know of any projects going down anywhere in your target
area?4. Are the jobs they know about at organizations they’d recommend
you work for?5. If the job isn’t at a reputable organization, which organizations
does your contact think are reputable?
Most importantly
Will they let you “name drop”?This will give you a local “reference” of sorts
Companies don’t hire workers
They hire people. They’ll hire people they know, like, or think
can help the company even if they don’t have a posted job opening
Step 5: Seal the deal
Once you’ve identified a company looking to hire, you need to:• Figure out who has the power to hire
you• Discover the hiring manager’s
information• Contact the manager directly
Don’t waste time with an email or applying to a job opening
Call the hiring manager directly; or,Mail or hand deliver a copy of your résumé and
cover letter to their office
Make sure to
• Explain how you can make or save the organization money on their upcoming project(s)
• Name drop (if possible) and tell the manager what you know about the local archaeology market
• And, ASK FOR THE JOB! Don’t be coy. You need work and they need your skills.
This 5-step process will improve your job search
You will be actively guiding your job search and creating your own
position
An estimated 70% of jobs are found in the “Hidden Job” market
The “hidden job” market is not posted online or advertised anywhere.It’s the place where people “in-the-know” create jobs for themselves
Let’s Recap:
Step 1: Identify a target areaStep 2: Identify the industry playersStep 3: Establish meaningful connectionsStep 4: Use your collected informationStep 5: Seal the deal
Wanna learn more about archaeology job
searching?
Visit my website:www.succinctresearch.com/blog
Figures attributions
• Photographs obtained from open-source stock on Wikimedia Commons
• “Cash for Work” from the Noun Project
• “City” Rémy Médard, from the Noun Project
• “City” inna bolenkey, from the Noun Project
Succinct Research
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preservation, and heritage conservation professionals
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