In previous posts, I talked about searching online for jobs for Anthropology majors, and I also talked about tips for job interviews. In this post, I’d like to talk about something Anthropology majors should consider when looking for jobs–working conditions.
Your First Day at a New Job
So, you just graduated with your Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, and you are reporting to work on the first day of your new job. And you are so excited! Your new manager greets you at the door and shows you to your cubicle. “A cubicle?” you gasp. “I HATE cubicles!” you say to yourself.
Then a handful of people walk up to your cubicle and introduce themselves one by one. They are the other members of your team. You will all work together on the company’s latest project. “I have to work as a team?” you exclaim. “Oh no!” you mutter to yourself. “I work best by myself.”
Then one of your team members gives you a piece of paper. “What’s this?” you ask. “It is a list of the clients you need to call this week.” the team member answers. “I have to talk to strangers?” you think aloud. “I HATE talking to people that I don’t know. It gives me a lot of anxiety,” you say to yourself.
Your first day at your new job is not going so well. So, how do you keep this from happening to you? Well, when you’re applying for jobs, you need to consider what your ideal work environment is, and compare that to the working conditions for each job you’re considering.
Example: Cultural Anthropology
Here’s an example. If you are a very social person and love talking to people, you might not want a job as a qualitative data analyst where you will work quietly all by yourself analyzing data. It might be better to get a job at a marketing company where you conduct qualitative interviews with people all day.
Example: Archaeology
Here’s another example. Say you focused on Archaeology with your degree, and you want to work outside because you hate being stuck in an office. It would be a better idea to be an Archaeology Field Technician than take a job analyzing lithics in an archaeology lab.
Work Conditions Document
So, how do you know what working conditions Anthropology majors should consider? Well, the Anthropology Career Readiness Commission has the answer! They created a great PDF document that lists lots of different working conditions that you should consider when applying for a job. For example, the “Work Location” section lists your options for where you could work, like in an office, remote from home, on the road as a consultant, in the field, or a hybrid. And there are lots of other things to consider! Just check out the Anthropology Career Readiness Commission’s document!
Go to AnthroCareerReady.net and click on “Commission Materials.” Then just scroll down the page until you see the section called “One Page Tools.” Click on the “Work Characteristics and Conditions” image, and download the PDF. Or you can use this direct link to the PDF. You’ll go into your next job interview totally prepared to learn more about the job’s working conditions so you can decide if the job is right for you! And I’ll talk more about Anthropology jobs in another blog post.
Learn More
I hope you enjoyed these suggestions for Anthropology majors on how to consider working conditions for a new job. To learn more about working conditions, check out this page of the Indeed.com website, called “5 Types of Work Environments (And How To Find the One For You).”
I also made a short TikTok video that shares the information from this blog post, so be sure to check it out! The video is embedded below, or you can view it on your computer browser using this link. And, you can follow me on TikTok at this link, or you can search for my profile “anthropology4u.”
Thanks for reading!