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Interview
with Andrew |
| 1) |
Tell me about your job. Is what you do different in any way from what others in
your occupation do?
Most anthropologists teach in a university setting and conduct research on human evolution, archaeological analysis of skeletal remains, and modern human variability.
I teach physical anthropology at a university. My specialties are human evolution and the bio-archaeology of Peru. I study Peru’s early inhabitants by examining skeletal remains from 3000 years ago.
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| 2) |
Can you tell me about your background and how you got into this field?
I have a BSc in anthropology, an MA in paleopathology, and a PhD in anthropology. In my first job, I was a research assistant for a professor while I was still a graduate student. Then I became a teaching assistant, and then for 6 months I worked as a full-time lecturer.
I have always been fascinated with the past, with the human body, and with travel. Anthropology is the perfect area in which to learn about all these subjects. I first learned about anthropology when I was a high school student. I took a summer field course in England, where we dug for Anglo-Roman remains. I was hooked from then on.
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| 3) |
What
personal characteristics are required for someone
to be successful in your job?
Anthropologists must be inquisitive and be able to find potential new research areas. You must be self-motivated and patient because there is a great deal of painstaking data-gathering involved in doing this kind of research.
If you are considering working in a university setting, you would benefit from having good people skills for teaching and interacting with students.
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| 4) |
How much job security is there for people in your field?
University professors can obtain tenure, which gives them a great deal of job security. However, until they reach that point, there is little job security.
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| 5) |
What other jobs could you do with the skills you have gained in this field?
Anthropologists could become high school science teachers or teach anthropology at a community college. Some anthropologists have become industrial anthropometrists, who assist with the design of anything that must be fitted with the human body, for example, car seats, or prosthetics [artificial body parts].
You could also go into physiotherapy, or any similar job where you need to understand the body. It might be possible to become a forensics expert, using your knowledge to investigate and establish facts in criminal trials. You might, for instance, examine a body and testify as to how the person was killed. |
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| 6) |
What do you think the future holds for people in your occupation?
I am optimistic that the job market will grow. The recent addition of new technologies and other factors have led to growth in this field. However, as a profession largely funded by government, we are subject to the variations in monetary policy.
In the future, I think there will be more multi-disciplinary research, emphasizing collaboration with the sciences in areas that are expanding due to new technologies, for example, genetics and chemical analysis.
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| 7) |
What are the biggest challenges in your job?
The most challenging aspect of being an anthropologist is getting funds for research. This field is very competitive, especially today when many governments and universities are cutting back on funding such projects.
Fieldwork for research is intellectually challenging, but in a positive way. Working in foreign countries can also be challenging.
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| 8) |
Are there many opportunities in your field? What should people do to get
started?
There are not many opportunities right now, but positions are available to people with sufficient interest, motivation, and education. Your best bet is to get a good university education, get involved with the professors, and do some volunteer work in the field.
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Likes
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“The main thing I love about this is I’m doing what I love to do. I’ve always been interested in evolution, the world of the past, and now I’m getting paid to study it.
There’s lots of opportunities to travel and experience other cultures. I’ve done field research in Peru, in Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East. And next week I finally get to go to Africa. The living conditions can be pretty spartan and chaotic at times, but life is always interesting in the field.
The other thing I enjoy is being able to share my interests with students. It’s great when you can see their eyes light up when you talk about new worlds, and when you start to get them excited about the field of anthropology.”
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Dislikes
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“The main thing I don’t like is having to grade students. It can be very tough dealing with disappointed students who didn’t understand how hard coursework was going to be or who thought they could coast to a good grade.
There’s also a lot of bureaucratic stuff to do. At the university there are faculty meetings and grant applications to write. And then in the field we’ve got to deal with local bureaucrats who want to keep track of every little thing we do.
Finally, more money, of course, would be nice. You spend at least 10 years at university before becoming a professor and even then the pay is less than the average graduating MBA.”
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Advice
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“You should pursue this career because you really love the subject matter. No other motivation is going to get you through ten years of university.
If you really do love it, you’ve got to work real hard and be a flexible thinker. The multi-disciplinary approach is very important.”
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A
Day in the Life
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Doing fieldwork in Peru:
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Starting work; examining photographs and x-rays of skeletal remains and other artefacts; making notes on anything interesting or peculiar about the bones and artefacts.
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Lunch.
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Doing skeletal reconstruction and analysis: taking a box of bones and finding which ones fit together, putting them together using glue and other materials. By doing so, I can reconstruct what the person looked like and analyze their body shape and other physical characteristics from the way the bones line up.
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Meeting with government officials to discuss getting permission to look at other anthropological remains they have in storage.
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Breakdown
of Activities
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Working by yourself
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Working with co-workers
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Serving customers / clients
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Working with numbers
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Writing or drawing
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Making or creating things
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Running machinery
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On the phone
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Using computers
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Working outside
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Working inside
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Working at a desk
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On your feet
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Doing physical work
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Travelling
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