Lee Bennett wrote:
>
> Fellow HISTARCHers:
>
> As the summer field season approaches I have received
> several vitae and resumes via email from persons wanting
> employment with my consulting firm.  Most were addressed to
> "To whom it may concern" and were obviously the product of a
> mass emailing.
>
> Is the emailing of inquiries and qualifications now the
> standard for our profession?  Is this a method we are
> actively encouraging at our graduate schools?  Does "To whom
> it may concern" render you receptive to an inquirer?
>
> Lee Bennett

To Whom it may concern
Maybe things are different in the USA than here in Australia. Much of
the archaeological work is done by small consultancy firms, many of whom
are not listed in the phone book and appear to get work through means
unknown to me. Quite a bit of the work seems to be sub-contracted out or
performed on a casual basis by more recent graduates. Many of the
positions are not advertised in the daily press, as I sometimes hear of
jobs after they have been filled. As a jobseeker , the question is, how
do I let potential employers know that I am available? I have no address
for many firms, a phone call is not answered because they do not employ
a receptionist and are often out in the field, so e-mail appears to be
the only way at times to distribute my resume. From the last round of
resumes I sent out I was placed on several lists of potential employees
and have had one job interview (I failed to get the job). When sending
e-mailed resumes I attempt to send only to those who could be potential
employers and apologise if any have inadvertently gone to those who do
not employ people, but they surely have a delete button on their e-mail
and this is probably less intrusive than phone calls or written mail.
John Hyett BA (Hons)