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

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