For the past few days I've been watching all the banter concerning job
solicitations, and I've been quite surprised at how callous some of the
responses have been. In the field of education there is a phrase "the tenure
trap" that refers to losing the fire in the heart and no longer having the
student in mind.
Is it possible that there is a similar concept in this field? Have so many
lost the perspective of the young student? These are young folks with the
fire brightly burning, eager to get out into the world and begin their
careers. Is it the huge salaries that are offered in this field that makes
them so eager? Is it the working conditions? Is it the lure of fame and
notariety they seek? Is it the admiration and respect of their friends and
schoolmates they're looking for?
No, it's the chance to get out there and work hard in poor conditions, sleep
in poor accomodations, eating whatever is available, and making meager wages
in a profession that uses employment terms like "gypsy."
The reason they send you so much unsolicited correspondence is that they
still have the fire in their hearts, and they want to make a difference. To
them it's not just a job, it's an opportunity to make something of
themselves and make a mark in the world.
Isn't it just awful that you are being reminded on a monthly, weekly, or
even daily basis, that there is a pool of eager young minds with strong
backs and keen eyes, willing to do whatever it takes to make the kind of
money you're offering?
Don't you yearn for the good old days when you had to use your sister's
teenage son to do your fieldwork, because there was nobody else available?
All the other Anthropology/Archaeology majors were working (a decent
schedule) for a living wage at the local (meaning not a remote site)
hamburger joint (where they at least had the possibility of meeting someone
who could whisk them away).
Have we been out of the field so long we have forgotten what it is like to
get started in this business?
The opinions expressed are my own, since I don't currently have an employer!
Jim Tourtillotte