Choose Your Own Adventure: Navigating Archaeological Career Trajectories in Different Employment Sectors

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Breaking Free from the (Institutional) Matrix: Archaeological Career Pathways In and Between Academia, CRM, Non-Profit, and Museum Spheres", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

In the last two decades, the career trajectories in archaeology and related fields have greatly diversified in light of changing social, political, and economic landscapes. However, many institutions of higher education have been slow to adapt their programs to reflect the forthcoming realities of the job market. While students gain excellent training in theoretical concepts and research techniques that make them competitive applicants, frequently they lack the practical knowledge fundamental to pursue careers in government agencies, non-profit organizations, cultural institutions, and industry. In this introductory paper, we present challenges encountered by practitioners of archaeology from different potential employment sectors and during various career stages. Through this discussion, we hope to provide a range of experiences and pragmatic options for individuals within or entering the field on how to navigate the complexity of career changes in an ever-changing workplace.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Breaking Free from the (Institutional) Matrix: Archaeological Career Pathways In and Between Academia, CRM, Non-Profit, and Museum Spheres   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow