A rite of passage for students is the fabled internship. However, I applied for internships without response . . . until I connected with the Anthropology Career Readiness Network (ACRN). This team threw me into a world of applied work with real world problems and excellent career advice. The anthropology vocabulary and theories I had learned in the classroom came to life and each Zoom meeting with the Anthropology Career Readiness team met my need for applicable experience.
Elizabeth Briody, then leader of ACRN, alerted us that anthropology enrollments on all levels are declining in universities. Due to the perceived uncertainty of the economy, people were only applying for degrees they considered safe. Instead of pursuing a major based on interest or passion, incoming students on all levels are asking themselves more than ever, “How likely am I to get a job post-graduate?” Anthropology was not exempt from this question.
A quick Google search reveals that few jobs are entitled “anthropologist.” Through my short time in ACRN, however, I gained awareness of various career possibilities, created tangible contacts, and discovered exciting career opportunities. Though none were under the title of “anthropologist,” I talked with anthropologists working in marketing, UX research and design, international development, employee engagement, and more. I talked to anthropologists who were pursuing their careers in the field, the classrooms, and the office. This equipped me with the knowledge I needed to try something new—take a risk and put myself out there for anthropology students.
The idea for the Jobs in Anthropology webinar came to me through my preexisting need for an internship and my experience with ACRN. From ACRN, I became aware of the career opportunities available with an anthropology degree. The idea behind the Jobs in Anthropology webinar was to combat the notion that anthropology offered little employment and to spread awareness to students about available career options.
I decided to spearhead the Jobs in Anthropology Webinar to improve awareness of possible careers and help build networks. Though I had never done this kind of virtual presentation before, I believed my position as a student pushed me to tailor the webinar others in my position. I found my passion for student success overriding my doubts, fears, and busy schedule. If just one student found a niche in anthropology, my time emailing people between classes, writing proposals after work, and interviewing speakers during my lunch break, would be worth it. The process of creating an outline for the ACRN the staff, emailing potential speakers, and capitalizing on my social circle to expand my webinar’s reach, cemented a valuable array of skills that I will carry with me throughout my career.
Come the day of the webinar, out of the 67 people who signed up, about 15 attended. The Sunday date and potential attendees from multiple time zones may have limited the numbers. At first, I was discouraged, but as the webinar continued, I realized that the right people had come. I saw a mosaic of eyes light up as people asked interesting questions, and engaged with the material, the speakers, and each other. I saw students open up about their difficulties with the current job market, express genuine interest in areas of business anthropology they did not know existed, and create lifelong networks.
An educator and department chair of a university who attended the webinar was surprised to learn about valuable marketing methods that are typically only shared from corporations and business schools. During the webinar, she received these free in the breakout rooms. The main takeaway for myself was the importance of making the discipline of anthropology known to employers. As I looked around the Zoom call, I saw people from around the world needing guidance and from the webinar who attained what they sought.
As I look back on my experience and my initial doubts, I urge others not to give in to the fear of failure. Organizing the webinar was so different from the majority of my pursuits— such as graded assignments, discussion posts, and class projects. I realized that in this constantly changing world, there will always be ways to improve communication and serve people. You might risk failure, but you never know a result until you have tried it. As long as you are still breathing, there is no such thing as failure, only practice. So, reach out here. I can say on behalf of all the ACRN team, we would love to hear from you. (Email: igrene366@gmail.com)
One other avenue to explore is to access the ACRN workbook, Career Tools in Anthropology, available inexpensively in paperback and on Kindle. This workbook, easy to follow, can help you focus your career search and learn valuable skills.
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