Ok, I've been a mostly silent lurker on this list for several years, so 
maybe it's time to introduce myself.
Since 1991, I have been an archaeologist in a CRM firm base din 
Pennsylvania.  The only real trouble I had in shifting from the world of 
Academia to the real world of contract archaeology was in keeping on 
schedule and meeting deadlines.
Ever since high school, I've known I wanted to be an archaeologist.  At 
first i was interested in ancient Greece.  I didn't find it all that 
satisfying, but didn't figure out why until I stumbled into New World 
archaeology, which was also the New Archaeology in the 1970s.  Then I 
realized the Old World archaeology was unsatisfactory because it was 
only seen as the handmaiden of history.  In the New World, we weren't 
restricted by what was known from documents (very little) and I felt it 
was like an early explorer wanting to fill in the blank spots on the map 
- so many new areas to explore instead of just using archaeology to 
confirm what's already known.
So I got my Ph.D. in Mesoamerican Archaeology, with a little experience 
in Pennsylvnaia prehistory on the side.  But I could see that I was 
going to have a very tough time finding an academic position.
I lucked into a position in a CRM firm that had an opening and managed 
to learn on the job - both because I had good teachers in the company 
and because I had a good general education, not one tailored too 
narrowly.  Technically, my job only requires an M.A. degree, but I feel 
that the experience in researching/writing a dissertation was good 
training for the research I've done in this job.
On this list I've seen some opinions that only those properly trained in 
"Historic Archaeology" should be excavating historic sites, but I'm a 
supporter of real-life (on the job) training.  If you know how to 
research a subject, you can figure out what you need to know and who to 
learn it from.  So I do both historic and prehistoric archaeology and 
try to keep up with the literature in both fields, but play catch-up 
when a particular topic comes up as an issue that I may not be current on.
Unlike many people in my field, I have been working for the same CRM 
firm since I started in 1991.  After a childhhood that invovled a lot of 
moving from country to country (Dad was a diplomat), I find I have set 
down roots and am reluctant to move.  And I have been successful in a 
career that requires both writing and numbers skills, despite having 
Dyslexia to a certain degree.  I just have give spelling my best guess, 
use spell check, and always check my numbers twice.

Well, that's the basic "who are you?"
As for the dirtiest ... - I won't even try to answer that question.  My 
"worst" field experiences involve either poison ivy in Pennsylvania or 
snakes in the excavation pits in Honduras, not dirt.
As for how to dress?  In this non-tropical climate I am rarely warm 
enough, so I say any clothing that will keep me warm enough and still be 
able to wash the dirt off.  Also, in a land of avid hunters, it is 
always wise to wear bright orange, NOT camoflage.

Melissa Diamanti
Archaeolgoical & Historical Consutants, Inc.