What is the best subfield for older students with limited time and career concerns?

[theancient1]

Four years ago, after an unexpected anthropology bug bite, I decided that I would change my career path and add a new undergraduate degree. Now I think I may have missed the boat on developing a solid background, and worse yet, I may have been to flighty and idealistic in my choice for a new career. I realize this now as I am passing the midpoint of my second semester in a terminal Masters program.

During my second undergraduate degree, I failed to take advantage of early advisement as it concerns specialty development and class selection. I asked for help near the end of my studies, but did not really get any solid advice on building my experiential background. My grades were exceptional, but I failed to build up field experience. I treated the degree like I would have treated an education or some other book-based degree: I came to class, took notes, went home or to work, then aced the tests. 3.5 years later, all I have is an excellent "generalist" record.

I enjoy everything from paleo, to forensic anthropology, archaeology and complex societies, and medical and economic anthropology. The close I stay towards materials and using both quantitative and qualitative data, the better off I feel. I already know that pure socio-cultural anthropology is not my strong suit. I enjoy reading cultural anthropology, but I don't feel confident doing it, and I am not multi-lingual.

What threw me off the trail? Job concerns. After the 2008 economy fallout, my choices had to change. I needed to validate my new choice and make it work for a career. So I began to use career outlook to guide my choices.

Given that I need to get serious now and commit to a sub-field, yet balance it with career prospects and a busy non-traditional student life, I seek your help. Which sub-field sub-areas can offer the following for older non-traditional students (over 30):

1) A sub-field where I can enter and work now knowing that I will probably only work for 35 years before retiring or being forced to retire.

2) Less continuous time "in the field". I have a 9 year old son and some other extended family that I can't part with while I go on site for 2 years of ethnographic work.

3) Work and job prospects are more numerous

4) Something that will not require me to add a lot of additional coursework in order to catch up to peers who already have the ideal background like those in Genetic Anthropology who graduated with undergrad degrees in Biology and Genetics.

PS - I did not direct myself well during the first semester, and I have no official "mentor", I'm not a TA, and I am not working in someone's lab. I have little in the way of direct advice opportunities or hands on career guidance.

Thanks!

Edited March 12, 2012 by theancient1

[anthropologygeek]

Arch is probably your best option with job prospects after your masters

[nyc2482]

It sounds like you may want to think about specific research questions/areas/problems that interest you and use that as your starting point for choosing a subfield, as different subfields will allow you to pursue similar questions in different ways. And it's never to late in your program to start talking to faculty! I took a class in my last semester of undergrad with a professor that ended up being instrumental in helping me prepare for PhD applications and recommended me.

If you're interested in medical anthropology, you can look into combined PhD/MPH programs or similar programs that will help make you more viable in the nonacademic job market.

[theancient1]

I thought I knew exactly what it was I wanted to do, but I threw myself off track thinking "practically" and worrying about the job situation, which was compounded by self observations of my present "forms of capital". It's the what would I love to do in an ideal dream world vs. what do I think will actually lead to work. Age and life circumstance exacerbates the dilemma. I want to know ahead of time that my preparation counts.

If you are in the under 30 group and unattached, I would say 'don't worry' about getting the job... just keep floating and doing fellowships and postdocs until you find opportunity.

[NinjaMermaid]

Four years ago, after an unexpected anthropology bug bite, I decided that I would change my career path and add a new undergraduate degree. Now I think I may have missed the boat on developing a solid background, and worse yet, I may have been to flighty and idealistic in my choice for a new career. I realize this now as I am passing the midpoint of my second semester in a terminal Masters program.

During my second undergraduate degree, I failed to take advantage of early advisement as it concerns specialty development and class selection. I asked for help near the end of my studies, but did not really get any solid advice on building my experiential background. My grades were exceptional, but I failed to build up field experience. I treated the degree like I would have treated an education or some other book-based degree: I came to class, took notes, went home or to work, then aced the tests. 3.5 years later, all I have is an excellent "generalist" record.

I enjoy everything from paleo, to forensic anthropology, archaeology and complex societies, and medical and economic anthropology. The close I stay towards materials and using both quantitative and qualitative data, the better off I feel. I already know that pure socio-cultural anthropology is not my strong suit. I enjoy reading cultural anthropology, but I don't feel confident doing it, and I am not multi-lingual.

What threw me off the trail? Job concerns. After the 2008 economy fallout, my choices had to change. I needed to validate my new choice and make it work for a career. So I began to use career outlook to guide my choices.

Given that I need to get serious now and commit to a sub-field, yet balance it with career prospects and a busy non-traditional student life, I seek your help. Which sub-field sub-areas can offer the following for older non-traditional students (over 30):

1) A sub-field where I can enter and work now knowing that I will probably only work for 35 years before retiring or being forced to retire.

2) Less continuous time "in the field". I have a 9 year old son and some other extended family that I can't part with while I go on site for 2 years of ethnographic work.

3) Work and job prospects are more numerous

4) Something that will not require me to add a lot of additional coursework in order to catch up to peers who already have the ideal background like those in Genetic Anthropology who graduated with undergrad degrees in Biology and Genetics.

PS - I did not direct myself well during the first semester, and I have no official "mentor", I'm not a TA, and I am not working in someone's lab. I have little in the way of direct advice opportunities or hands on career guidance.

Thanks!

I understand your concerns and fears because of age and responsibilities, but it sounds like in order for you to be happy you will need a very specific job. I'm not saying it would be impossible to achieve said job, but that does make your future quite a bit stressful. Let's try to address your questions one by one.

1) You want a subfield in which you will "only" work 35 years. I won't get my pHd until I am 35 and I hope to God I am still observing monkeys when I am 85 years old. If I can't go out in the field, then, hopefully, i can mentor others that will. If I am "forced" to retire then there is always traveling and book writing.

2) I'm not sure there is necessarily a "sub field" in which your perfect situation lies (relating to all questions). You make of your degree what you want. If you prefer couch anthropology then by all means go for it! Study up in bio-arch, perhaps specialize in genetics and simply run data in a lab. Occasionally head to field sites to collect bones or survey bones, be a consultant, etc. Really - the limits of your career depends on your imagination and skill (and of course luck, we all need luck).

3) I wish I had more information about this, but your best bet is to start looking at Us.gov surveys of job prospects, which grad degrees get hired, etc. You might also start looking around on some Anthro job list serves. See what heading most of the jobs end up under. I can tell you not to pick primatology, we are already saturated.

4) Hmm.. I guess I mentioned bio arch in question 2, but I really don't think you should limit yourself just because you don't have a degree in genetics or biology. In fact for most of your interests you can use that excuse "Oh, but I don't have a degree in economics!" etc... Why not spend part of the summer at a bio arch field school? There are many that run from 2 weeks to 2 months. You can tailor your last year of classes around what you studied in the summer and try to expand on an idea. You have MORE than enough time to make something of this Masters. And you are you definitely done after your MA? You can continue on to a PhD program (possibly elsewhere in the same city?). If you rock out your last year and a half (yeah - i said "rock out", I don't care how "old" you are), then you will more than likely get admitted.

As for your PS - as someone mentioned earlier, it is never too late to begin chatting up faculty. They will probably love that you are taking a stronger interest in Anthro. It's a funny thing, but usually profs want us to succeed. I think it makes them look good or something....

So maybe I didn't tell you what you wanted to hear, but I think it is what you need to hear. Good Luck! =)

[elunia]

Hi there,

It sounds like you're asking good questions, and you do have some time to adjust your studies before finishing your MA.

Are you hoping for an academic career or more "applied anthropology"? If you want to go into academics, you'll need to get a PhD. If you do apply for a PhD program, you should focus your studies around a question or topic that interests you. If you choose a subfield because you think it will get you a job, but it's not your first interest, you'll be miserable.

If you're going straight into the workforce after the MA, look for statistics on fields that anthropology MAs go to work in. Ask at your institution if they have data on where alums have ended up. Think about what kind of work you are interested in, and then think about which skills you need to acquire in the last year of your program.

I don't know that there is a way to avoid fieldwork in anthropology, but you don't have to travel to the other side of the world to do it. Many people in my program are doing their work (archaeology, biological anthropology, and cultural anthropology) right here in the region of the country where our university is. Many of them have families as well.

Hope that helps!

[elunia]

PS Besdies talking to profs at your home institution, if they aren't being super helpful you can always write to/arrange to skype with profs at other schools (it might be a good idea in any case, and is definitely a good idea if you're applying to PhD programs at their instutitions). At least in my experience, in the US, most people in the field are surprisingly friendly and willing to help.

Also, not being multilingual should not stop you - language skills are just one skill among many you may have to pick up to do your work. A little more time invested now may mean a more fruitful and rewarding career later.

[CarlieE]

Hmm not sure if this helps you but... according to some profs I've spoken with the average number of years it takes to finish a PhD in anthro is:

For Bio/Physical - 5 years and Cultural - 10 years. Of course, this is just the average based on stats from the AAA (I'm told, but haven't verified).

If your dream job requires a PhD then you might want to take this into consideration...

BTW I'll be beginning my grad work at 31 and I'm in Cultural.. .so... if I'm better than the average, hopefully I will get my first academic teaching job before I'm 40. YAyy!!!

[nyc2482]

This is worth checking out: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/02/16/anthropology_master_s_are_most_likely_to_bring_their_discipline_to_the_public#.T234uGPfN0A.twitter

I've read the study (on practicing MA anthropologists), and it's very interesting.

[theancient1]

PS Besdies talking to profs at your home institution, if they aren't being super helpful you can always write to/arrange to skype with profs at other schools (it might be a good idea in any case, and is definitely a good idea if you're applying to PhD programs at their instutitions). At least in my experience, in the US, most people in the field are surprisingly friendly and willing to help.

Also, not being multilingual should not stop you - language skills are just one skill among many you may have to pick up to do your work. A little more time invested now may mean a more fruitful and rewarding career later.

Good points and positive thoughts. Since composing the OP, I moved closer to defining my focus. My research focus is vacillating between medical and biomedical/behavioral ecology.

Thanks!

Edited April 5, 2012 by theancient1